Robert T. Fahey

Assistant Professor, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment

Primary Research Theme

Social-Ecological Systems

Secondary Research Theme

Built Environment

Research Interests

Dr. Fahey aims to better understand the dynamics of urban forest landscapes, including drivers of change in composition and structure in these human-dominated forests and consequences for the ecosystem benefits they provide to human society.

Recent Cities-related Projects

• Conceptualizing and Quantifying Urban Forest Patches: “Pursuit” project funded through SESYNC (the NSF Socio-environmental Synthesis Center). Remnant and regenerating forest patches are hotspots of biodiversity and ecosystem services in urban regions, this project focuses on developing a conceptual model of the roles of public land management and civic stewardship in urban woodlands as social-ecological systems.
• Urban & Climate Adapted Silviculture:  In urban forest patches there is a need for evidence-based forest management and silvicultural strategies and a mechanism to share innovative and best management practice. This project will install an multi-city replicated silvicultural experiment that tests urban and climate-adapted management techniques to increase the resiliency of healthy urban forested natural areas and accelerate recovery from climate and pest related disturbances.