Jerry Forest Franklin

Pioneer in research on natural forest ecosystems, including old-growth forests, leader in the development of the concept of ecological ("new") forestry and an international visionary in forest ecology and conservation. The science team that he developed and led developed a comprehensive scientific understanding of temperate old-growth forest ecosystems and the role of disturbances in their generation and development.  This science became the basis for a system of ecological principles for management of forest ecosystems, including a conceptual framework for harvesting forest products while sustaining the vital attributes of mature and old forest ecosystems. His textbooks have guided a new generation of foresters and forest ecologists in this groundbreaking approach. Long-term studies of diverse forest ecosystems have elucidated the socio-economic dynamics of forest ecosystems, which then were applied to fundamental scientific and policy issues at local, national, and global levels. Was an adviser on forest policy to President Clinton, and led several major policy initiatives that resulted in comprehensive changes to forest management policy in the Pacific Northwest. His classic work on disturbance following the eruption of Mount St. Helens successfully brought together disturbance theory and recovery dynamics for new insights to guide conservation and protection of biodiversity.