Edward Smith

Forest Ecologist
Terrestrial
[email protected]

In The Nature Conservancy’s California Program, Edward is leading efforts to increase the quality and scale of ecological restoration of forests in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. He brings analytical skills, vegetation modeling, people skills, and pragmatic experience in prescribed burning and forest management to the collaboration to troubleshoot complex issues. He is working to quantify ecosystem service benefits of healthy forests as a result of improved forest management, with an emphasis on biodiversity value, water quality and quantity, and stable carbon.

Edward has worked for the Conservancy since 1996 years in forest ecology, grazing management, grassland ecology, and the mechanics of quality collaborative processes. He received his M.S. in Forestry from Northern Arizona University, studying the nitrogen dynamics—of intact and disturbed forests—in belowground processes. He received his B.A. in Biology from the University of California, San Diego, Revelle College.