Forest Drought Response Index (ForDRI) Evaluation In-person and Online Workshop

The ForDRI team will discuss a new tool to monitor U.S. forest drought conditions, and allow workshop participants to provide feedback and input.

Drought affects forested regions in many ways, impacting the environmental and ecological benefits and services forests provide. Forest Drought Response Index (ForDRI) is a new tool to monitor drought in forests across the continental United States. ForDRI combines 12 different environmental variables into a single hybrid index to map weekly drought-related forest stress. The index incorporates information about vegetation health, climate, evaporative demand, groundwater, soil moisture, and environmental characteristics. 

During this interactive hybrid in-person and online workshop, ForDRI developers walk you through using the maps, and describe how the tool can be used to improve drought monitoring in your region. The team is also facilitating small and large group discussions so you can provide feedback that will be incorporated into operational monitoring. After the workshop adjourns, Lindsey Rustad – Director of the USDA Northeast Climate Hub – will be leading a field trip to explore hydrologic monitoring at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. Lindsey has studied Hubbard Brook for over two decades and will share insights and lessons learned from one of the longest running experimental forests in the country.

ForDRI is a collaborative project, developed by the National Drought Mitigation Center and the Center for Advanced Land Management Information Technologies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Presenters

• Brian Wardlow, Center for Advanced Land Management Information Technologies at The University of Nebraska – Lincoln Director, Project co-PI
• Tsegaye Tadesse, ForDRI Research Task Leader

Date & Time

Wednesday, June 5^th, 2024, 9:30am – 2pm (with an opportunity to stay after for a short tour of Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest)

Location

You can choose to attend either in-person at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest or remotely via Zoom. Registration is required for both attendance options.