Though the Biological Station began its Forest Accelerated Succession ExperimenT (FASET) in 2008, the project and its findings are still generating interest.  This week northern Michigan's 9&10 News interviewed UMBS Research Scientist Chris Vogel about the project. 

In 2008, Vogel and several other researchers intentionally killed all of the birch and aspen trees in an 80-acre plot south of Douglas Lake.  Their actions mimicked a natural die-off that will occur in the next 20-30 years.  Aspen and birch trees that colonized northern Michigan and much of the upper Midwest after extensive logging and wildfires at the turn of the last century are nearing the end of their natural live span.  The FASET project is taking an early look at what will happen in these changing forests several decades from now, especially with regard to carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.