Tara M. Barrett

Current Research

My current research interest is focused on how forests in the western U.S. are changing over time, particularly with respect to climate and disturbance. Aspects of this topic that I'll be working on this year include: (1) working with other scientists to assess recent disturbances (fire, insects, disease, invasive plants, drought) in the western U.S. in in the context of forest sustainability; (2) improving techniques for predicting change in future habitat for different tree species; and (3) assessing recent changes in forests within California, Oregon, and Washington in relation to disturbances. 

Past Research

My past research includes spatial modeling of the effects of forest practices rules on economic returns and forest fragmentation; projecting landscape-level vegetation change; integrating prescribed fire and fuel treatments into general forest planning; developing methods for projecting regional forest change; and assessing status and change of forests in the Pacific West.

Research Interest

• Forest planning
• Forest modeling
• Forest management
• Biometrics
• Spatial analysis

Why This Research Is Important

Disturbance processes in western forests - including climate change, insects, disease, fire, and invasive species - impact the sustainability of both forest ecosystem processes and ecosystem services. Increased understanding of how interacting disturbances are likely to affect forests, and detecting early changes, is crucial to making choices that increase the resiliency of western forests and forest-dependent communities.

Education

• University of California Berkeley, Ph.D., Wildland Resource Science (forest management), 1996
• University of Wisconsin Madison, M.S., Land Resources, 1990
• University of Wisconsin Madison, B.A., Computer Science, 1987

Professional Experience

• Asst./Assoc. Professor of Forest Planning,  The University of Montana,  1996 - 2000

Featured Publications

• Tara M. Barrett, Guy C. Robertson. 2021. Disturbance and sustainability in forests of the Western United States
• Karin Kralicek, Tara M. Barrett, Jay M. Ver Hoef, Hailemariam Temesgen. 2022. Forests at the fringe: Comparing observed change to projected climate change impacts for five tree species in the Pacific Northwest, United States
• Tara M. Barrett, Robert R. Pattison. 2017. No evidence of recent (1995-2013) decrease of yellow-cedar in Alaska
• Patrick F Sullivan, Robin L Mulvey, Annalis H Brownlee, Tara M Barrett, Robert R Pattison. 2015. Warm summer nights and the growth decline of shore pine in Southeast Alaska
• Tara Barrett. 2014. Storage and flux of carbon in live trees, snags, and logs in the Chugach and Tongass national forests
• Tara M. Barrett, Greg Latta, Paul E. Hennon, Bianca N.I. Eskelson, Hailemariam Temesgen. 2012. Host-parasite distributions under changing climate: Tsuga heterophylla and Arceuthobium tsugense in Alaska
• Tara M. Barrett, Andrew N. Gray. 2011. Potential of a national monitoring program for forests to assess change in high-latitude ecosystems
• Tara M. Barrett, Glenn A. Christensen. 2011. Forests of southeast and south-central Alaska, 2004–2008: five-year forest inventory and analysis report
• T.M. Barrett. 2006. Optimizing efficiency of height modeling for extensive forest inventories.
• T.M. Barrett. 2006. Pre-epidemic mortality rates for common Phytophthora ramorum host tree species in California

Other Publications

• Karin Kralicek, Jay M. Ver Hoef, Tara M. Barrett, Hailemariam Temesgen. 2023. Spatial Bayesian models project shifts in suitable habitat for Pacific Northwest tree species under climate change
• Mikhail A. Yatskov, Mark E. Harmon, Tara M. Barrett, Kevin R. Dobelbower. 2019. Carbon pools and biomass stores in the forests of Coastal Alaska: Uncertainty of estimates and impact of disturbance
• Brian Buma, Tara M. Barrett. 2015. Spatial and topgraphic trends in forest expansion and biomass change, from regional to local scales
• Mikhaill A. Yatskov, Mark E. Harmon, Olga N. Krankina, Tara M. Barrett, Kevin R. Dobelbower, Andrew N. Gray, Becky Fasth, Lori Trummer, Toni L. Hoyman, Chana M. Dudoit. 2015. Regional biomass stores and dynamics in forests of coastal Alaska
• Tara M. Barrett. 2015. Forest dynamics in the temperate rainforests of Alaska: from individual tree to regional scales
• Robin Mulvey, Tara Barrett, Sarah Bisbing. 2015. Factors contributing to Shore Pine (Pinus contorta subsp contorta) mortality and damage in southeast Alaska (Project WC–EM–B–12–03)
• Randy L. Peterson, Jingjing Liang, Tara M. Barrett. 2014. Modeling population dynamics and woody biomass of Alaska coastal forest
• Jane M. Wolken, Teresa N. Hollingsworth, T. Scott Rupp, F. Stuart III.Chapin, Sarah F. Trainor, Tara M. Barrett, Patrick F. Sullivan, A. David McGuire, Eugenie S. Euskirchen, Paul E. Hennon, Erik A. Beever, Jeff S. Conn, Lisa K. Crone, David V. A'More, Nancy Fresco, Thomas A. Hanley, Knut Kielland, James J. Kruse, Trista Patterson, Edward A.G. Schuur, David L. Verbyla, John Yarie. 2011. Evidence and implications of recent and projected climate change in Alaska's forest ecosystems
• Gregory Latta, Hailemariam Temesgen, Darius Adams, Tara Barrett. 2010. Analysis of potential impacts of climate change on forests of the United States Pacific Northwest
• Jeff M. Halbrook, Todd A. Morgan, Jason P. Brandt, Charles E. III.Keegan, Thale Dillon, Tara M. Barrett. 2009. Alaska's timber harvest and forest products industry, 2005
• Bianca Eskelson, Temesgen Hailemariam, Tara Barrett. 2009. Tree-level imputation techniques to estimate current plot-level attributes in the Pacific Northwest using paneled inventory data
• Bianca N. I. Eskelson, Hailemariam Temesgen, Valerie Lemay, Tara M. Barrett, Nicholas L. Crookston, Andrew T. Hudak. 2009. The roles of nearest neighbor methods in imputing missing data in forest inventory and monitoring databases
• Bianc N.I. Eskelson, Hailemariam Temesgen, Tara M. Barrett. 2009. Estimating current forest attributes from paneled inventory data using plot-level imputation: a study from the Pacific Northwest
• Gregory Latta, Hailemariam Temesgen, Tara Barrett. 2009. Mapping and imputing potential productivity of Pacific Northwest forests using climate variables
• Bianca N.I. Eskelson, Tara M. Barrett, Hailemariam Temesgen. 2009. Imputing mean annual change to estimate current forest attributes
• Bianca N.I. Eskelson, Hailemariam Temesgen, Tara M. Barrett. 2009. Estimating cavity tree and snag abundance using negative binomial regression models and nearest neighbor imputation methods
• Hailemariam Temesgen, Tara M. Barrett, Greg Latta. 2008. Estimating cavity tree abundance using nearest neighbor imputation methods for western Oregon and Washington forests
• Bianca N. I. Eskelson, Hailemariam Temesgen, Tara M. Barrett. 2008. Comparison of stratified and non-stratified most similar neighbour imputation for estimating stand tables
• T.M. Barrett, H.R. Zuuring, T. Christopher. 2006. Interpretation of forest characteristics from computer-generated images.
• Tara M. Barrett, Demetrios Gatziolis, Jeremy S. Fried, Karen L. Waddell. 2006. Sudden oak death in California: what is the potential?
• K.L. Waddell, T.M. Barrett. 2005. Oak woodlands and other hardwood forests of California, 1990s.
• T.M. Barrett. 2004. Estimation procedures for the combined 1990s periodic forest inventories of California, Oregon, and Washington.
• T. M. Barrett. 2001. Models of vegetation change for landscape planning: a comparison of FETM, LANDSUM, SIMPPLLE, and VDDT

• 

  Contrasting observed change with expected end-of-century shifts in climate for five tree species in the Pacific Northwest

  Detecting the stability or decline of Pacific Northwest tree species, with recent 10-year remeasurement data from the Forest Inventory Analysis Program, within areas where habitat is projected to shift in climate suitability.

  Year

  2023

  Research Station

  Rocky Mountain Research Station

  Principal Investigator(s): Karin Kralicek , Tara M. Barrett

  State(s)

  California

  Oregon

  Washington
• 

  End-of-century shifts in suitable habitat projected for five Pacific Northwest tree species

  Projections of 2080s habitat for noble fir, coastal Douglas-fir, and three important oak species highlight potential impacts of climate change on the Pacific Northwest.

  Year

  2023

  Research Station

  Rocky Mountain Research Station

  Principal Investigator(s): Karin Kralicek , Tara M. Barrett

  State(s)

  California

  Oregon

  Washington
• 

  Carbon dynamics research initiative opens new pathways to discovery

  Urgency is growing among legislators, conservation organizations, and the wood products industry to better understand how forests store carbon and how management choices affect the carbon balance. The Pacific Northwest Research Station is taking a convening role with states and nongovernmental organizations to address research needs across stewardship boundaries.

  Year

  2020

  Research Station

  Pacific Northwest Research Station

  Principal Investigator(s): Sharon Stanton, Joseph Donnegan, Tara M. Barrett, Susan Charnley, Glenn Christensen, David V. D'Amore, Andrew Gray, Dryw Jones, Jeffrey D. Kline, John B. Kim, Olaf Kuegler

  State(s)

  Oregon

  Washington
• 

  What are the most common types of forest disturbance?

  Research forester Tara Barrett studies how forests in the Western United States are changing over time, particularly with respect to climate and disturbance.

  Year

  2018

  Research Station

  Pacific Northwest Research Station

  Principal Investigator(s): Tara M. Barrett
• 

  Recent increases found in yellow-cedar in Alaska

  In most unmanaged forests in Alaska, yellow-cedar has recently increased, as measured by live tree basal area, and the average mortality rate has been relatively low.

  Year

  2017

  Research Station

  Pacific Northwest Research Station

  Principal Investigator(s): Tara M. Barrett

  State(s)

  Washington
• 

  Recent measurements (1995—2013) show no regional-level decrease of yellow-cedar in Alaska

  A new study on yellow-cedar trees in Alaska, led by Tara Barret, a research forester with the Pacific Northwest Research Station, provides broader context for yellow-cedar decline. In most unmanaged forests, yellow-cedar has recently increased, as measured by live tree basal area, and the average mortality rate has been relatively low.

  Year

  2016

  Research Station

  Pacific Northwest Research Station

  Principal Investigator(s): Tara M. Barrett
• 

  Spatial patterns found in disturbance and regrowth within southeast Alaska forests

  Natural forest growth is important to carbon sequestration patterns; and climate is likely to alter both disturbances and regrowth. Scientists used remote sensing and inventory data to examine recent trends in biomass and forest area in southeast Alaska.

  Year

  2015

  Research Station

  Pacific Northwest Research Station

  Principal Investigator(s): Tara M. Barrett

  State(s)

  Alaska
• 

  Disturbance and Regrowth in Southeast Alaska Forests Shows Spatial Patterning

  Southeast Alaska is gaining forest area on the northern side of mountain slopes, higher latitudes, and higher elevations while losing forest area on southern aspects and lower latitudes. Gains in forest area and biomass exceed the losses. Early detection of changes is helpful for understanding how forests may continue to change in the future.

  Year

  2015

  Research Station

  Pacific Northwest Research Station

  Principal Investigator(s): Tara M. Barrett

  State(s)

  Washington
• 

  Scientists Develop the First Estimates of Aboveground Carbon Flux and Storage in Trees Within the National Forests of Alaska

  While the Tongass National Forest had no detectable change in above-ground tree carbon, the Chugach National Forest had an average annual increase of 182,000 metric tons of carbon.

  Year

  2013

  Research Station

  Pacific Northwest Research Station

  Principal Investigator(s): Tara M. Barrett

  State(s)

  Washington

• Program
  

  Fire, Fuels, and Smoke

  Station

  Pacific Northwest Research Station
• Center or Group
  

  Carbon Dynamics Research for Land and Watershed Managers

  Station

  Pacific Northwest Research Station
• Project
  

  Carbon science synthesis project

  Station

  Pacific Northwest Research Station
• Project
  

  Interface Between the Boreal Forest and Temperate Rain Forest in Alaska

  Station

  Pacific Northwest Research Station
• Project
  

  Carbon model assessments and improvements

  Station

  Pacific Northwest Research Station

Science Delivery

• Science Findings
  

  Colossal carbon! Disturbance and biomass dynamics in Alaska's national forests

• Science Findings
  

  Tangled trends for temperate rain forests as temperatures tick up

News Releases

• New report highlights diversity and value of Alaska’s coastal forests

  • Date

    June 1, 2011
  • News Release