Auburn University has issued a ‘save the date and call for abstracts’ for the International Conference on Forest Carbon and Resilience (ICFCR), to be hosted at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center Sept. 29 – Oct. 1, 2025, in Auburn, Alabama.
Featuring expert keynote speakers, panel discussions and concurrent and plenary sessions, Auburn’s conference will be a venue for scientists, forest managers, landowners and professionals to expand their knowledge within the areas of forest-based carbon and resilience, the role of forests and forest products in carbon storage and sequestration and the resistance, adaptation and resilience of forests in changing environments.
The multidisciplinary planning committee, chaired by Daowei Zhang, associate dean of research and the Alumni and George W. Peake Professor of Forest Economics in the College of Forestry, Wildlife, and Environment (CFWE), includes experts from academia, private forest owners and managers, government and non-governmental organizations within the United States and abroad.
Highly relevant to the U.S., the South and Alabama in particular, the region could play a substantial role in carbon sequestration and carbon markets, as it contributes more than 60% of the U.S. timber supply and over one-third of the nation’s annual carbon stored in all forests. Alabama alone has 23 million acres of timberland, of which landowners privately own 93%; most of them being family forest owners.
“Due to emerging market standards and opportunities, timber production can be promoted alongside ecosystem services, like carbon storage,” said Zhang. “Landowner education and support on novel, ecosystem service-based markets are important to help generate supplemental income and support responsible timberland management.”
The conference will be focused on two broad themes of forest-based carbon sequestration and forest resilience to changing environments and disturbance regimes. Addressing the interests of the various interest groups, the committee is requesting scientific and scholarly abstracts within a diverse range of topics including:
- Forest carbon markets (compliance, voluntary and corporate in-house offsets)
- Forest carbon programs
- Forest measurements, new tools and emerging geospatial technologies for
accurate carbon measurement across multiple scales - Forest management that contributes to carbon sequestration and forest resilience
- Landowner behavior in response to forest carbon market development and other initiatives
- Life cycle analyses of forests and forest products that store carbon
- Government and nongovernment programs that incentivize forest landowners to adopt best practices of forest management
- Corporate environmental, social and governance (ESG) requirements as related to forest carbon offsets
- Forest deterioration and loss due to wildfires, pests, pathogens and invasive
species - Forest resistance, adaptation and resilience to weather events
- Silvicultural tools to enhance the resilience of forests
- Cross-country (region) analysis of forest carbon sequestration and forest resilience
Individuals who would like to submit an abstract for a panel, concurrent and/or poster session should limit their submission to 300 words. Abstracts can be submitted to icfcr@auburn.edu and will be accepted until May 1, 2025.
A compilation of papers presented at this conference will be submitted to a reputable scientific journal for publication.
“We are proud to offer national and international scientists, scholars, landowners, managers and practitioners this exceptional opportunity to share and expand knowledge within the areas of forest-based carbon and resilience,” said Janaki Alavalapati, the Emmett F. Thompson Dean of the CFWE.
“Exploring practical approaches for policy that strengthens opportunities for private forest owners and increases sustainably managed forests that are healthier and more resilient, will provide economic and environmental benefits for both communities and wildlife.”
A complete roster of speakers, session tracks and tour opportunities will be announced in May and will cater to the unique needs of multiple audiences, including academicians, forest landowners and industry professionals.
Discounted accommodations will be available at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center through August 2025. More information about registration, sponsorship and exhibition opportunities will be available on the conference website.
