Cons Sci Seminar - 10/23/26

October 23, 2026

12:00-1:00pm

In person (preferred): 335 Borlaug Hall, St. Paul Campus

Remote: https://umn.zoom.us/j/91715591077

The conundrum of southwestern late successional forests: owls and fire

Dr. Serra Hoagland

National Program Lead, Tribal Research

USDA Forest Service Research & Development

Abstract

Native American tribes manage over 56 million acres of land and balance the triple bottom line of environmental stewardship by managing for social, ecological and economic needs of their communities. Working effectively in Indian country takes patience, humility, active engagement and respectful dialogue. Although tribal natural resource departments are underfunded and understaffed compared to their neighbors, they are exceptional leaders in promoting bird conservation given their sovereign status, holistic management practices and locally based community of stakeholders. This presentation will highlight the innovative bird conservation and management occurring within tribal communities. In particular, Dr. Hoagland will share her experiences working with the Mescalero Apache tribe in New Mexico where she characterized and compared tribal and non-tribal Mexican spotted owl nesting locations. Owl habitat selectivity was similar on tribal and non-tribal lands, but the habitat types available to owls differed between tribal and non-tribal lands. An index of owl occupancy and reproduction was compared to selectivity using a customized dataset; no correlation between reproduction and owl selectivity was found. Use of satellite imagery products expands our understanding of forest conditions that are suitable for the owl, and can provide a rapid, cost-effective habitat technique to assess wildlife habitat over large temporal and spatial scales. Fostering meaningful and lasting relationships between tribal partners and other land management specialists may help achieve landscape scale, cross boundary initiatives that will enable bird species to adapt in a changing environment.

Biosketch

Dr. Serra Hoagland (Laguna Pueblo) works for the USDA Forest Service Research & Development branch as the National Program Lead for Tribal Research. Serra previously served as the Tribal Relations Specialist for the Rocky Mountain Research Station and as the Liaison Officer to Salish Kootenai College and the Fire Lab. She focuses on building local, regional and national partnerships with tribes and intertribal organizations, mentoring students in natural resources, and conducting research that is relevant to Native communities. As the first Native American to graduate from Northern Arizona University with a PhD in forestry, Serra studied Mexican spotted owl habitat on tribal and non-tribal lands in south-central New Mexico. She has 8 book publications and 16 peer reviewed journal articles and most recently was nominated as a Fellow for The Wildlife Society in 2023. In 2020, Dr. Hoagland was nominated for a professional of the year award and was selected as the most promising scientist by the American Indian Science & Engineering Society. Over the years, she has been actively involved with the Society of American Foresters, the Intertribal Timber Council, the Native American Fish & Wildlife Society as well as The Wildlife Society.