Dr. Charles W. Lafon

Research Interests

Dr. Lafon’s primary research interests are in vegetation dynamics and plant geography. He is interested in the consequences of natural and anthropogenic disturbances for vegetation structure, tree species composition, and biodiversity in forested landscapes. He also studies the interactions of terrain, climate, and vegetation that generate spatial patterns in disturbance regimes and vegetation characteristics. Most of his research focuses on vegetation dynamics of the Appalachian Mountains and other parts of eastern North America, and addresses forest disturbance by ice storms (major freezing rain events), fire, and insect outbreaks. He is collaborating with other Texas A&M geographers (Cairns and Millington) to investigate treeline dynamics in Sweden and hurricane disturbance in Texas. Dr. Lafon’s work relies primarily on fieldwork, including dendrochronology, but also involves ecological modeling and remote sensing analyses. He teaches a graduate course in biogeography and undergraduate courses in introductory physical geography, regional climatology, biogeography, and field geography.

Experience

• 2007 - Present: Texas A&M University, College Station; Department of Geography; Associate Professor
• 2000 - 2007: Texas A&M University, College Station; Department of Geography; Assistant Professor
• 2000: Emory and Henry College, Emory, Virginia; Department of Geography; Adjunct Instructor
• 1998 - 2000: University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Graduate Research Assistant
• 1997 - 1998: University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Graduate Research Assistant
• 1997: Emory and Henry College, Emory, Virginia; Department of Geography; Adjunct Instructor
• 1996: University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Department of Geography; Graduate Teaching Assistant
• 1995: University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Department of Mathematics; Graduate Research Assistant
• 1994 - 1995: University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Department of Geography; Graduate Teaching Associate (Lecturer)
• 1992 - 1994: University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Department of Geography; Graduate Teaching Assistant

Awards

• Citation for Outstanding Professional Promise, University of Tennessee (2000)
• Montague-Center for Teaching Excellence Scholar, Texas A&M University (2004-2005)
• College-Level Distinguished Achievement Award in Teaching, Association of Former Students, Texas A&M University (2006)
• University-Level Distinguished Achievement Award in Teaching, Association of Former Students, Texas A&M University (2008)

Selected Publications

• Lafon, C.W., Waldron, J.D., Cairns, D.M., Tchakerian, M.D., Coulson, R.N., and Klepzig, K.D. 2007. Modeling the effects of fire on the long-term dynamics and restoration of yellow pine and oak forests in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Restoration Ecology, 15:400–411.
• Lafon, C.W. and Grissino-Mayer, H.D. 2007. Spatial patterns of fire occurrence in the central Appalachian Mountains. Physical Geography, 28:1–20.
• Stueve, K.M., Lafon, C.W., and Isaacs, R.E. 2007. Spatial patterns of ice storm disturbance on a forested landscape in the Appalachian Mountains, Virginia. Area, 39:20–30.
• Lafon, C.W. 2006. Forest disturbance by ice storms in Quercus forests of the southern Appalachian Mountains, USA. Écoscience, 13:30–43.
• Lafon, C.W. 2004. Ice-storm disturbance and long-term forest dynamics in the Adirondack Mountains. Journal of Vegetation Science, 15:267–276.

Affliations

• Association for Fire Ecology
• Association of American Geographers (Specialty groups: Biogeography, Geomorphology, Mountain Geography)
• Ecological Society of America