Forest health and natural disasters with Carrie Fearer

Carrie Fearer joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about forest health in the wake of natural disasters. She explained how storms and disturbances affect forest ecosystems, the importance of human interaction in promoting healthy forests, and the opportunities for restoration following catastrophic events. She also emphasized the significance of native species and the role of decomposition in maintaining forest health. About Fearer Carrie Fearer is an assistant professor of forest health in the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation at Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment. Her research focuses on forest pathology, early disease detection, and microbes in tree health. Fearer gained international recognition for identifying the cause agent of beech leaf disease, a new threat to the global nursery trade and native beech species across North America, Europe, and Asia.