Tyler Hoecker, NW CASC’s climate adaptation postdoctoral fellow, is part of a national cohort of fellows leading regionally focused research projects related to climate-fire-vegetation dynamics through the Climate Adaptation Postdoctoral Fellows Program. His NW CASC research is focused on identifying where and why forests are vulnerable to fire-driven transformations.
Tyler earned his master’s degree from the University of Montana and his doctoral degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Broadly, his work explores how wildfires act as local catalysts for global environmental change using field experiments, observational studies, data science and process-based simulation modeling. Tyler’s dissertation investigated interactions between short-interval fires and topographic position on post-fire regeneration, consequences of forest change for wildlife in the Greater Yellowstone, and shifts in tree composition after recent fires in Glacier National Park. His interest in science stems from a passion for exploring and understanding undeveloped landscapes.
What led you to work in the field of climate adaptation?
I was drawn to ecology because of a deep connection to the forests, lakes and wetlands in my home state of Minnesota. As I spent time in different places, I became more interested in understanding how and why natural systems are organized the way they are and how we ought to co-exist with them. For me, scientific understanding has always been linked with stewardship and care for landscapes. Although my work certainly motivates climate mitigation, thinking about how we can facilitate adaptation of people and ecosystems to a changing environment gives me a sense of purpose and empowerment despite the real challenges climate change presents.
What does your day-to-day work look like?
Much of my time is spent at my desk reading, writing and analyzing data. I love these tasks because they present interesting puzzles and challenge me to communicate my ideas clearly. Since my work is based largely on observations in the field, I spend time in forests making measurements and conducting experiments. My current work is aimed at making insights from satellite observations useful to land managers, so I’m balancing time between conversations with practitioners and geospatial data analysis. Mix in teaching students, giving talks to colleagues and public groups, and contributing to the machinery that keeps science running.
How does your work support climate resilience in the Northwest?
The work I’m doing as a climate adaptation postdoctoral fellow is focused on understanding where and how fire will transform ecosystems in the Northwest. Right now, we are focused on forests, where fires are quickly changing the species, habitats and characteristics of forests that people value. I hope this work can help us think proactively about where forests are headed and how we can implement planned adaptation to maintain the features of forests that we, and nature, depend on. We will have to accept change in forests, but we also have a lot of agency over the next few decades to set the course.
What is your favorite thing about your work?
My favorite days are in the field learning from practitioners, leading students or collecting data for my own studies and experiments. Computation has transformed our understanding of ecosystems, but there is no replacement for spending time in a place. One thing I love about being in the field with collaborators and students is that the best exchanges of ideas usually happen when we can be immersed in a place together.