Nathan Kiel
@nathankiel.bsky.social
Plant ecologist and post-doctoral research associate at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry 🌲🌳🌱
‘If dead aspen are important to woodpeckers, then they are important to me.’ Sigurd Olson
nathankiel.com
‘If dead aspen are important to woodpeckers, then they are important to me.’ Sigurd Olson
nathankiel.com
Pretty much! Except for in some places for some species, more trees aren’t enough to overcome poor establishment conditions (such as for sugar maple where understory vegetation cover is locally high)
January 30, 2026 at 1:24 PM
Pretty much! Except for in some places for some species, more trees aren’t enough to overcome poor establishment conditions (such as for sugar maple where understory vegetation cover is locally high)
New article with @dovciak-lab.bsky.social, Jordon Tourville, and Jay Wason out in Journal of Biogeography: “Conspecific adult dominance interacts with microsite factors to influence forest regeneration patterns across elevation” doi.org/10.1111/jbi....
January 28, 2026 at 3:52 PM
New article with @dovciak-lab.bsky.social, Jordon Tourville, and Jay Wason out in Journal of Biogeography: “Conspecific adult dominance interacts with microsite factors to influence forest regeneration patterns across elevation” doi.org/10.1111/jbi....
Reposted by Nathan Kiel
Excited to share a short, behind-the-scenes video 🎥 interview highlighting my research & teaching in plant ecology @sunyesf.bsky.social—along with a look inside our greenhouses. Thanks to @tylerdorholt.bsky.social, Gavin Ellis, & Jason Kohlbrenner for the opportunity & support.
youtu.be/66tkQacmqAY
youtu.be/66tkQacmqAY
Martin Dovciak Believes in the Power of Botany | Meet the Faculty
YouTube video by SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
youtu.be
December 19, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Excited to share a short, behind-the-scenes video 🎥 interview highlighting my research & teaching in plant ecology @sunyesf.bsky.social—along with a look inside our greenhouses. Thanks to @tylerdorholt.bsky.social, Gavin Ellis, & Jason Kohlbrenner for the opportunity & support.
youtu.be/66tkQacmqAY
youtu.be/66tkQacmqAY
Reposted by Nathan Kiel
New 𝘈𝘳𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘢 article by Nathan Kiel. Read about how land conservation initiatives underwent rapid change in early twentieth-century Wisconsin, culminating in the protection of hundreds of local natural areas scattered across the state.
@nathankiel.bsky.social #envhist #wisconsin #conservation
@nathankiel.bsky.social #envhist #wisconsin #conservation
State Natural Areas and the Evolution of Land Conservation in Twentieth-Century Wisconsin
Land conservation initiatives underwent rapid change in early twentieth-century Wisconsin, culminating in the protection of hundreds of local natural areas scattered across the state.
www.environmentandsociety.org
December 18, 2025 at 4:35 PM
New 𝘈𝘳𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘢 article by Nathan Kiel. Read about how land conservation initiatives underwent rapid change in early twentieth-century Wisconsin, culminating in the protection of hundreds of local natural areas scattered across the state.
@nathankiel.bsky.social #envhist #wisconsin #conservation
@nathankiel.bsky.social #envhist #wisconsin #conservation
Reposted by Nathan Kiel
Have you ever wondered if temperate🌳 & boreal🌲 tree seedlings🌱germinate & grow best in their own leaf litter, heterospecific litter, on moss, or on bare soil? If so stay tuned for more from Tee Atwater’s honors thesis experiment completed this Fall! @sunyesf.bsky.social @sunyofficial.bsky.social
November 6, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Have you ever wondered if temperate🌳 & boreal🌲 tree seedlings🌱germinate & grow best in their own leaf litter, heterospecific litter, on moss, or on bare soil? If so stay tuned for more from Tee Atwater’s honors thesis experiment completed this Fall! @sunyesf.bsky.social @sunyofficial.bsky.social
I enjoyed the opportunity to share my research with the Biology Department at Syracuse University this afternoon. Thanks Martin for the pictures and for excellent collaborations!
Excellent talk today on abrupt vs. slow forest 🌳🌲 change by @nathankiel.bsky.social @sunyesf.bsky.social given @syracuseup.bsky.social biology seminar series. It was super interesting to think of forest change drivers spanning climate zones & disturbance regimes from Yellowstone to the US Northeast
October 31, 2025 at 10:24 PM
I enjoyed the opportunity to share my research with the Biology Department at Syracuse University this afternoon. Thanks Martin for the pictures and for excellent collaborations!
Reposted by Nathan Kiel
Done! ✅ A new experiment now set up on our mountain 🏔️ forest 🌳🌲 site network in 4 Northeastern US states to test how seed rain, microsites, & herbivory interact to affect early stages of climate-induced tree migrations. Led by @nathankiel.bsky.social, a post-doc in our group @sunyesf.bsky.social 🌎🌐🧪
September 6, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Done! ✅ A new experiment now set up on our mountain 🏔️ forest 🌳🌲 site network in 4 Northeastern US states to test how seed rain, microsites, & herbivory interact to affect early stages of climate-induced tree migrations. Led by @nathankiel.bsky.social, a post-doc in our group @sunyesf.bsky.social 🌎🌐🧪
Happy to see my photo on the cover of this issue of Journal of Ecology!
❄️ Our September issue is out now! 👉 buff.ly/gTI2X5f
The cover image shows snowmelt around the base of a deciduous tree. Photo credit: Nathan G. Kiel. Read more: buff.ly/zFEN2O7
🌎🧪
The cover image shows snowmelt around the base of a deciduous tree. Photo credit: Nathan G. Kiel. Read more: buff.ly/zFEN2O7
🌎🧪
September 4, 2025 at 11:03 AM
Happy to see my photo on the cover of this issue of Journal of Ecology!
Reposted by Nathan Kiel
❄️🌳Early snowmelt around the base of deciduous trees ("thaw circles") is likely not the proximate cause of improved plant performance and greater local abundance of the spring-flowering herb, Dutchman’s breeches.🌿 @nathankiel.bsky.social 👉 buff.ly/yUTaDe1
August 19, 2025 at 5:10 PM
❄️🌳Early snowmelt around the base of deciduous trees ("thaw circles") is likely not the proximate cause of improved plant performance and greater local abundance of the spring-flowering herb, Dutchman’s breeches.🌿 @nathankiel.bsky.social 👉 buff.ly/yUTaDe1
From June to August on Mt Moosilauke. Earlier this year, we set out TOMST microclimate sensors. Now, we are conducting a seed addition experiment across temperate and boreal forests on the mountain. But there’s always time to summit!
August 14, 2025 at 6:41 PM
From June to August on Mt Moosilauke. Earlier this year, we set out TOMST microclimate sensors. Now, we are conducting a seed addition experiment across temperate and boreal forests on the mountain. But there’s always time to summit!
doi.org/10.1002/ecm.... which builds directly off of nathankiel.com/s/KielTurner...
Sparse subalpine forest recovery pathways, plant communities, and carbon stocks 34 years after stand‐replacing fire
Changing global climate and wildfire regimes are threatening forest resilience (i.e., the ability to recover from disturbance). Yet distinguishing areas of “no” versus “slow” postfire forest recovery....
doi.org
August 7, 2025 at 12:10 AM
doi.org/10.1002/ecm.... which builds directly off of nathankiel.com/s/KielTurner...
To chime in as an author of the paper this was based off, a small percentage of a large area is still a large area! We’re talking >40,000 hectares (~160 sq. miles) of previously forested area that’s been slow to recover 30+ years after fire. Just adding more nuance to this discussion!
August 6, 2025 at 11:03 PM
To chime in as an author of the paper this was based off, a small percentage of a large area is still a large area! We’re talking >40,000 hectares (~160 sq. miles) of previously forested area that’s been slow to recover 30+ years after fire. Just adding more nuance to this discussion!
Reposted by Nathan Kiel
In 1988, wildfires razed one-third of Yellowstone National Park. While most park woodlands are regenerating, some have turned into meadows. A new study digs into why. 🧪🌿🌎
Yellowstone’s 1988 Fires Eviscerated Forests. Will They Ever Recover? - Mountain Journal
While most park woodlands are regenerating, some have turned into meadows. A new study digs into why.
mountainjournal.org
August 4, 2025 at 9:22 PM
In 1988, wildfires razed one-third of Yellowstone National Park. While most park woodlands are regenerating, some have turned into meadows. A new study digs into why. 🧪🌿🌎
Reposted by Nathan Kiel
🌎🧪🌐 My amazing field team @sunyesf.bsky.social led by my CoPI & postdoc @nathankiel.bsky.social have just completed the first week of installing #Tomst sensors to quantify microclimate across temperate-boreal 🌳🌲forest ecotones on mountains in the northeastern US. Exciting and…more to come❗️
June 6, 2025 at 7:55 PM
🌎🧪🌐 My amazing field team @sunyesf.bsky.social led by my CoPI & postdoc @nathankiel.bsky.social have just completed the first week of installing #Tomst sensors to quantify microclimate across temperate-boreal 🌳🌲forest ecotones on mountains in the northeastern US. Exciting and…more to come❗️
Reposted by Nathan Kiel
This is a challenging time for our community. That's why NAA is happy to make our Job Board FREE. Whether you are searching for your next career opportunity or are seeking quality candidates, the NAA Job Board is here to connect practitioners and employers. Link in profile.
May 13, 2025 at 2:07 PM
This is a challenging time for our community. That's why NAA is happy to make our Job Board FREE. Whether you are searching for your next career opportunity or are seeking quality candidates, the NAA Job Board is here to connect practitioners and employers. Link in profile.
New land conserved by the Southern Tier Land Conservancy! www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/souther...
www.binghamtonhomepage.com
May 13, 2025 at 1:16 AM
New land conserved by the Southern Tier Land Conservancy! www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/souther...
Happy International Plant Appreciation Day! Here’s trailing arbutus (Epigaea repens) in bloom at Powder Mills Park in Rochester, NY.
April 13, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Happy International Plant Appreciation Day! Here’s trailing arbutus (Epigaea repens) in bloom at Powder Mills Park in Rochester, NY.
Reposted by Nathan Kiel
🎉 Congratulations to Rachel Hopkins on excellent MSc defense & seminar “Plants on the move: Tracking 60 years of vegetation shifts on Whiteface Mountain, New York State” @sunyesf.bsky.social. We celebrated hers & other lab members’ recent accomplishments @ Alto Cinco! Stay tuned for the papers! 🌲🪻⛰️
April 11, 2025 at 12:43 PM
🎉 Congratulations to Rachel Hopkins on excellent MSc defense & seminar “Plants on the move: Tracking 60 years of vegetation shifts on Whiteface Mountain, New York State” @sunyesf.bsky.social. We celebrated hers & other lab members’ recent accomplishments @ Alto Cinco! Stay tuned for the papers! 🌲🪻⛰️
Reposted by Nathan Kiel
🏆 Congratulations to our new MS student, Danny Wehner, for receiving Lowe-Wilcox Graduate Fellowship at @sunyesf.bsky.social @sunyofficial.bsky.social for his field research on the effects of mycorrhiza 🍄 on tree seedling 🌱 establishment across montane-temperate forest ecotones. Well done Danny!
April 10, 2025 at 4:09 PM
🏆 Congratulations to our new MS student, Danny Wehner, for receiving Lowe-Wilcox Graduate Fellowship at @sunyesf.bsky.social @sunyofficial.bsky.social for his field research on the effects of mycorrhiza 🍄 on tree seedling 🌱 establishment across montane-temperate forest ecotones. Well done Danny!
Reposted by Nathan Kiel
We're thrilled to share that Botany, a @cdnsciencepub.com journal, will be joining the BlueSky community soon! Stay tuned for updates as we prepare to connect, share, and engage with researchers and science enthusiasts in this exciting space. See you soon! 🌟 #ScienceCommunication #BlueSky
March 31, 2025 at 3:30 PM
We're thrilled to share that Botany, a @cdnsciencepub.com journal, will be joining the BlueSky community soon! Stay tuned for updates as we prepare to connect, share, and engage with researchers and science enthusiasts in this exciting space. See you soon! 🌟 #ScienceCommunication #BlueSky
ahh I guess it is now Sitobolium… which is similarly fun to say
February 26, 2025 at 3:09 PM
ahh I guess it is now Sitobolium… which is similarly fun to say
Dennstaedtia punctilobula and Tussilago farfara !
February 26, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Dennstaedtia punctilobula and Tussilago farfara !
Correct! The idea is that species just south of New York/the northeast may migrate northward with climate change. Those whose southern range margin is already in the northeast could decline in abundance.
February 3, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Correct! The idea is that species just south of New York/the northeast may migrate northward with climate change. Those whose southern range margin is already in the northeast could decline in abundance.
Curious about which tree species could become more abundant in the northeastern United States with climate change? What about those that could be forced out?
Check out this Shiny app! Current species ranges may help us infer future plant community change in the northeast and beyond.
Check out this Shiny app! Current species ranges may help us infer future plant community change in the northeast and beyond.
Species Range Viewer
nathangeraldkiel.shinyapps.io
February 3, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Curious about which tree species could become more abundant in the northeastern United States with climate change? What about those that could be forced out?
Check out this Shiny app! Current species ranges may help us infer future plant community change in the northeast and beyond.
Check out this Shiny app! Current species ranges may help us infer future plant community change in the northeast and beyond.
To collect these data, we visited some of the most remote corners of Yellowstone. By summer’s end, we hiked >150 miles (much of it off-trail) and climbed ~30,000 ft. This couldn’t have been done without the stellar work of Eileen Mavencamp, Zach Ausavich, and Madie DeMarco!!
January 27, 2025 at 2:17 PM
To collect these data, we visited some of the most remote corners of Yellowstone. By summer’s end, we hiked >150 miles (much of it off-trail) and climbed ~30,000 ft. This couldn’t have been done without the stellar work of Eileen Mavencamp, Zach Ausavich, and Madie DeMarco!!