Frequent and severe fire trends are likely to continue across North America as the global climate gets warmer. Not only will these future fires have a big impact on the structure and composition of our forests, they will drastically affect many species that depend on forest habitats.
There is currently little known about how animals behave in burned landscapes. For example, are animals using forest remnants and debris left by wildfires and if so, how?
Logan’s research focuses on the American marten, animals that are specialized to live in forests and very sensitive to disturbances that remove trees. Logan is surveying burned and salvaged-logged landscapes, in order to better understand what habitat features are important for marten and how these areas might be better managed,
I grew up on an orchard in Washington and I’ve been fascinated with animals since I was a kid. I started thinking about biology as a career when I entered college. I really like the idea of going into a career that lets me pursue my own curiosity and my own questions through research projects.
Originally from the US, Logan developed a love for Canada during his Masters at Simon Fraser University. When deciding where to continue his PhD Dr. Karen Hodges’ wildfire research lab at UBC-O immediately captured his attention. Kelowna is a perfect central location to study both BC and Washington’s recent large and extensive fires
As an international student, I’m extremely grateful for all the support I’ve received during my PhD research and for awards like Killam that provide funding to non-Canadians, giving me a chance to share my work more widely. I hope that my current research project brings more attention to marten and their world and in future I would like to continue this research as a regional biologist or professor.
