David W. Valentine, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Forest Soils

Ask "why?" until you understand.

General information, including undergraduate natural resource education opportunities at UAF and SNRAS.

• I teach in the Department of Forest Sciences, which in 2006 maintained its accreditation from the Society of American Foresters for its undergraduate program.

• Forest Sciences is one of four departments within the School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences.

• I do research in the Forest Soils Laboratory at the Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station.

For graduate studies, the following links may also be of interest:

• Requirements for MS in Natural Resources Management

• Requirements for Interdisciplinary PhD

• A global view: The Center for Global Change promotes integrative research and collaboration among faculty and students across disciplinary lines focused on scientific and human dimension issues of global change

My current research areas

• Please feel free to read about my research interests and current projects, as well as those of my colleagues participating in the Bonanza Creek Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) and FrostFire projects. The fire occurred July 8-15, 1999. For the latest information on the fire, click here.

• I have been working with Dr. Bob Stottlemyer and Dr. Dan Binkley on latitudinal treeline forest dynamics along the Kugururok and Agashashok Rivers in the Noatak National Preserve. See a brief description here.

• I have collaborated with Dr. Kate Lajtha and others on a proposal—unsuccessfully, so far—to the National Science Foundation that would expand the DIRT (Detritus Inputs, Removals, and Transfers) network to include plots in the Alaskan Interior. Stay tuned!

• You're also welcome to browse my more or less current curriculum vitae.

• I will post assistantship opportunities here.

My current graduate students

• Sarah Runck, MSc student
• David D'Amore, PhD student
  

My courses (Now accessible through the UAF Blackboard system)

• NRM 290: Resource issues at high latitudes. This 10-day trip from Fairbanks to Homer and back is led by Dr. Pete Fix and is a great overview of the challenges facing various natural resource managers and stakeholders in Alaska. Taught every May just after Mother's Day.

• NRM 304: Perspectives in Natural Resources Management. Led by Joshua Greenberg, taught every fall..

• NRM 4xx: Forest Soils. Under development, this will be a new class offered AY 2004-2005.

• NRM 672: Nutrient Cycling. This class is offered odd spring semesters (next in 2009).

• NRM 595: Why do boreal forests matter? This 1-credit summer short course is targeted towards teachers.

Guest lectures

• NRM 101: Introduction to Forest Ecology

• NRM 601: Research Methods (proposal writing and funding)

Resource Management Society

• RMS is a student organization open to all who are interested in management of natural resources. Contact the club officers for more information.

• Dr. Pete Fix and I are the faculty co-advisors

• Activities include the annual Farthest North Forest Sports Festival, semi-annual bonfires at my house, outings, a seminar series, plant sales, and the spring banquet.

Soils, Ecology, and Forestry Links

• Check out the Soil Science Society of America Division S-7 (Forest Soils) home page

• Are you certifiable

• as a certified professional soil scientist?

• as a certified ecologist?

• as a certified forester?

• Our local chapter of the Society of American Foresters

What’s wrong with this picture?

• Rush Limbaugh's assessment of U.S. Forests (quoted from http://www.rushlimbaugh.com on 3/12/02)

Miscellany

• I've been asked several times for a copy of my favorite screensaver, which shows in real time sunlight distribution on Earth's surface from any elevation and coordinate, including from the moon. It runs on Windows 32-bit platforms and is contained in a ZIP archive.

Contact information