The ERI and its partners have established a number of ecological research projects across the Southwest, primarily in northern Arizona, but also in New Mexico, Colorado, and Mexico. Many of these projects are stand-scale restoration experiments, in which portions of a study site are treated with one or more prescriptions involving thinning of young, small-diameter trees and/or prescribed burning. Each experimental unit ranges from 25-40 acres with the whole project site usually covering no more than 300 acres. Some of these experiments also involve restoration of understory species, rehabilitation of former logging roads, and monitoring the effects of wildlife on plants. Other ERI projects focus on studying forests at the landscape-scale (about 20 square miles) to better understand current forest processes and reconstruct past forest conditions. These projects may involve some manipulation of the forest environment, but generally the goal is to gain more knowledge about the dynamics of forest ecosystems in the Southwest. In addition, the ERI collaborates with other researchers on associated aspects of these ecosystems, such as wildlife, soils, nutrient flux, hydrology, and much more.

For ecological research publications, please visit ERI library web site.