Lab Members

Lab Director

Dr. Anil Raj Kizha

Associate Professor of Forest Operations and Forestry Program Leader

My background as a forester and environmentalist along with my passion for geospatial science has guided me through the realm of sustainable timber harvesting. My research primarily investigates factors required to lower the cost of timber harvesting operations with minimal impact on the environment and understand how they play a pivotal role in fulfilling the growing demands. I have worked in the major timber-producing belts of the nation, including the South and Pacific north coast, and in tropical forests of India. Prior to joining the University of Maine, I taught Geospatial Science and Remote Sensing at Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA where I am also serving as an Adjunct Professor.

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Current Students

Ashish Alex

Ph.D. Student and Graduate Research Assistant

Ashish is doing his Ph.D. thesis research focussed on harvesting cost and productivity, break-even analysis, economic feasibility, and carbon emission of predominant timber harvesting systems. The primary focus of his research is on small-scale forestry operations in Maine. This project will help to investigate the feasibility of semi-mechanized harvesting especially for early commercial thinning at small woodland parcels. Quantifying the carbon emission of the predominant harvest method will contribute to the carbon budgeting. Ashish completed his undergraduate and master’s degree in Forestry from Kerala Agricultural University, India. Master’s program specialization was in forest management and utilization.

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Bishnu Wagle

Ph.D. Candidate and Graduate Research Assistant

Bishnu is a second-year Ph.D. student in forest resources working under the supervision of Dr. Anil Raj Kizha and Dr. Aaron Weiskittel. His thesis focuses on evaluating the short- and long-term influence of contrasting commercial thinning (CT) treatments on naturally regenerated spruce-fir stands that had and had not received pre-commercial thinning (PCT) in northern Maine. Specifically, it aims to quantify the influence of CT method, timing, and intensity on: key tree- and stand-level attributes including growth efficiency; annually projected maximum net present value (NPV), and optimal thinning regimes for varying conditions and financial objectives. Bishnu completed both of his M. Sc. and B. Sc. in Forestry from the Institute of Forestry (IoF), Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal in 2007 and 2004 respectively. Bishnu is also a tenured faculty of Forest Mensuration at the IoF/TU Nepal and has more than 9 years of teaching and research experience in forestry.

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Previous Students

Graduate Students

Alex K. George

Assistant Professor, Paul Smith’s College, New York

Ph.D. Forest Resources (2019-2022)

Thesis: Sustainability in forest operations: harvesting on fragile ground, best management practices assessment, perspectives on forest certification, and life cycle assessment of forest products