Dr. Jonathan Martin

Dr. Jonathan (Jon) Martin is a semi-retired professor of forestry and natural resources with a career in forest science spanning three decades. His work over the years has focused on three main themes: (1) Developing better ways to help us understand forest ecosystem structure and growth; (2) Furthering our understanding of how forests change over time and interact with carbon cycles, climate variation, and disturbance; (3) Helping conservation efforts in forests through landowner engagement, empowering us all to have a role, and the enhancement of forest conditions to better match landowner and landscape needs.

 

Jon holds a Ph.D. in Forestry from the University of Minnesota and a bachelor's degree in Forestry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was a faculty researcher at Oregon State University for many years and then returned to the Northwoods of Wisconsin where he taught field-based ecology and forestry courses at Northland College for 13 years. Over the years, he has worked on research that has helped us improve how we measure and scale forest productivity, how we understand the biogeochemistry of soils, and how climate and wildfire impact carbon cycling in forests. He also works in the field of canopy ecology where he looks for unknowns in the tops of trees; this work led to many other sub projects including the discovery of fluorescence in flying squirrels. His teaching at Northland College specialized in field skills and ecological thinking across all his courses that included: introductory ecology, forest mensuration, forest ecology and management, silviculture and forest planning, natural resources policy, fire ecology and management, sustainable forest management, wildland fire certification, chainsaw safety and certification, GPS/navigation/mapping skills, vegetation management skills, and wildlife habitat assessment skills.

 

Currently, Jon continues to climb trees in the name of science (and fun) where he also is developing techniques for wildlife habitat enhancement in canopies. This and other services are part of his consulting business that specializes in helping landowners engage with their forests and empowering them to enhance forest conditions to match their values. Through his consulting, he works on management, restoration and recreation plans and actions, as well as custom mapping projects and drone imagery for remote sensing. He continues to help students develop their skills in forestry through courses offered at the Center for Wildlife Studies and is a proud Champion Tree Inspector for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.