Research Program Areas 

The Commission began the program’s first nine projects in June 2002.   The NCSSF conducts the science program using commissioned studies by leading researchers and institutions, competitively selected using external peer reviews.  

NCSSF’s science program includes four major areas:

1. Synthesis and Surveys —Projects to evaluate and document the existing knowledge base, data and models.  Although our understanding of the connections between forest management practices and biodiversity may be limited, the current lack of synthesis and effective communication of existing information further impedes the implementation of protocols that support biodiversity goals.  The results from this program area will be used as a basis for identifying and prioritizing NCSSF research, assessments, tool development and communication efforts.

2.  Research and Assessments – Projects to develop relevant new knowledge and to assess the significance of scientific understanding for application to improving sustainable forestry management and biodiversity conservation.  Examples include: establishing the scientific basis for management standards and practices at the stand, management unit and landscape levels; evaluating the role of ecosystem restoration; determining the trade-offs between management for biodiversity and crop productivity; improving the understanding of fragmentation; and assessing the impacts of non-timber product harvesting and management on biodiversity.

3. Tool Development – Projects to develop new tools to assess biodiversity trends, forest health, ecosystem function and decision support systems (DDS) to provide scientific understanding in usable forms to aid in decisionmaking.  There are situations where the science underpinning biodiversity management may be in place, but key tools for implementation or monitoring are missing.  Examples of tools include: simple indices of complex ecological processes; practical approaches for biodiversity status assessment in the field; and development of new monitoring technologies.  

4. Communication and Outreach –  NCSSF has a proactive effort that involves the stakeholders in the program in order to enhance the relevancy and acceptance of the program’s results.  Results of the program are widely communicated and disseminated through our website, workshops, symposia, briefings and reports as well as peer-reviewed and popular publications.  The target audiences for the program are the stakeholders that apply science to make decisions at the policy and management levels, as well as the scientific communities producing new knowledge.