Cool Scientists
Dr. Glenn Juday
Name: Dr Glenn Juday
Born:
Organization: University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences
Cool Science: Forest Ecology
Who I Am:
I grew up in the farming region of central Indiana. I always liked being in forests and around trees. I recently did a study that found that there are only about 50 little woodlots left with the original forest of this whole part of Indiana. I did not like hot weather and I didn't mind the cold, so it was natural that I became interested in northern forests. After I finished my training at Oregon State University, where I studied the ancient forests of huge trees, I took a job in Alaska. Alaska has more of its area in parks and nature reserves than just about anywhere else in the world.
My Cool Research:
I've always been fascinated by tree-rings. I enjoyed history and geography in school. When trees were cut and I could see the rings, I would find myself thinking about what happened in my life during the year each ring was formed, and then thinking about what happened in history as the rings went farther and farther back. It always impresses me to think that I can walk up to some trees that are older than our country, trees that were alive when Jesus or my own ancestors 40 generations back were walking around.
Only recently has it become practical to measure tree-rings and make computer files to compare them with weather records. We can even use x-rays to measure how dense the wood is. With these measurements it is like we have a weather station (the tree-ring) in many places where trees grow. And the neat thing is the tree's weather record goes back way before people learned to measure and write down numbers that record temperature and rainfall.'
My Cool Publications: (Selected)
Wilmking, M., Juday, G.P., Ibendorf, J, and Terwilliger, M. (in review). Modeling spatial variability of treeline white spruce growth responses to climate change – outlook for two national parks in Alaska. [Global and Planetary Change].
Chapin, F. S., III, T. V. Callaghan, Y. Bergeron, M. Fukuda, J. F., Johnstone, G. Juday, and S. A. Zimov. (in review) Global change and the boreal forest: Thresholds, shifting states or gradual change? [Ambio].
Wilmking, M., Juday, G.P., Barber, V., and Zald, H. (conditionally accepted). Recent climate warming forces contrasting growth responses of white spruce at treeline in Alaska through temperature thresholds. [Global Change Biology].
Juday, G.P. (Lead Author), Barber, V.; Vaganov, E.; Rupp, S.; Sparrow, S.; Yarie, J.; Linderholm, H. (Contributing Authors), Berg, E.; D’Arrigo, R.; Duffy, P.; Eggertsson, O.; Furyaev V.V.; Hogg, E.H.; Huttunen, S.; Jacoby, G.; Kaplunov, V.Ya. ; Kellomaki, S.; Kirdyanov, A.V.; Lewis, C.E.; Linder, S.; Naurzbaev, M.M.; Pleshikov, F.I.; Savva, Yu.V.; Sidorova, O.V.; Stakanov, V.D.; Tchebakova N.M.; Valendik E.N.; Vedrova, E.F., Wilmking, M. (Consulting Authors). (accepted). Forests, Land Management, Agriculture, Chapter 14 In: Arctic Climate Impact Assessment. Arctic Council. Cambridge University Press.
Barber, V.A., G.P. Juday and B.P. Finney. 2004. Reconstruction of Summer Temperatures in Interior Alaska: Evidence for Changing Synoptic Climate Regimes. Climatic Change 63 (1-2).
Juday, G.P., Barber, V., Rupp S., Zasada, J., Wilmking M.W. 2003. A 200-year perspective of climate variability and the response of white spruce in Interior Alaska. Chapter 12 Pp. 226-250. In: Greenland, D., Goodin, D., and Smith, R. (editors). Climate Variability and Ecosystem Response at Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Sites. Oxford University Press.
Ott, R.A., and G.P Juday. 2002. Canopy gap characteristics and their implications for management in the temperate rainforests of southeast Alaska. Forest Ecology and Management. 159(3): 271-291.
