My primary contribution to forest modeling is the incorporation of regeneration processes, particularly seed production and seedling establishment. These processes are often absent from existing models due to limited data for parameterizing species-specific regeneration under varying climate conditions. To address this, I utilized Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data as a benchmark for observed forest dynamics, aiming to improve simulation accuracy in models such as ForClim.

I applied this enhanced modeling framework to forests in the Pacific Northwest (PNW), comparing simulations with and without regeneration processes across elevation gradients. The inclusion of regeneration significantly improved model performance, yielding outputs more consistent with empirical FIA data. For example, ForClim simulations of the Pseudotsuga menziesii species matched more with the FIA data when the simulations included the regeneration module. These findings underscore the critical role of regeneration in shaping forest structure and composition and suggest that incorporating such processes could enhance the predictive accuracy of other forest models as well.

Luu, H., Ris Lambers, J. H., Lutz, J. A., Metz, M. & Snell, R. S. The importance of regeneration processes on forest biodiversity in old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 379, 20230016 (2024).