Peter Z. Fulé, Ph.D.

Professor Fulé inspires students in NAU forestry programs

Find out about the School of Forestry’s Dr. Fulé, including his background and research interests.

Research interests

Ecological restoration, fire ecology, Cordilleran forest ecology (southwest U.S., northern Mexico)

Overuse of natural resources, fire exclusion, and other human-caused forms of environmental degradation threaten the sustainability of forest ecosystems. Uncharacteristically severe wildfires, pathogen outbreaks, and exotic species invasions are signs of ecological damage in frequent-fire-adapted forests of western North America. Working with colleagues at Northern Arizona University’s School of Forestry and Ecological Restoration Institute, our research focuses on four areas:

1. Measuring the extent and characteristics of ecological degradation, including changes in forest structure, plant communities, fire behavior, and habitat components.
2. Studying relict sites where recent anthropogenic degradation is minimal, such as remote plateaus in Grand Canyon National Park and isolated sites in northern Mexico.
3. Experimentation in alternative methods of restoring natural structure, function, and process to western long-needled pine forests.
4. Modeling of vegetation change and fire behavior and effects across stands and landscapes.

Dr. Fulé’s Laboratory

Fire, Climate, and Forests Lab

Education

B.A., Vassar College, 1986
M.S., Northern Arizona University, 1990
Ph.D., Northern Arizona University, 1996

Contact information

Office: Building 82 – Room 246C
Phone: 928.523.1463
Email: Pete.Fule@nau.edu

Selected publications

Publications are listed at Google Scholar.