Karen Lee Abt
Research Economist
Forestry Sciences Laboratory, P.O. Box 12254
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
Phone: 919-549-4094Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
kabt@fs.fed.us
Current Research
I work primarily in in two areas these days—bioenergy and wildfire economics.
More specifically, I lead a team that develops forecasts of wildland fire suppression expenditures for the USDA Forest Service and for the DOI land management agencies. We develop forecasts for multiple time horizons, running from 10 years ahead (a simple, time series model with good fit but high uncertainty model) to two months ahead (a more complex, climate and weather based model with greater certainty).
In bioenergy economics, I evaluate the effects of various national and international policies on sustainability, climate change, and renewable energy, on the forests of the U.S. South using simulation partial-equilibrium models of timber supply and demand coupled with resource management models to track forest trends.
Featured Publications and Products
- Hermansen-Baez, L.A.; Prestemon, J.P.; Butry, D.T.; Abt, K.L.; Sutphen, R. 2011. The economic benefits of wildfire prevention education.
- Abt, Karen L.; Prestemon, Jeffrey P.; Skog, Kenneth E.; Barbour, R. James; Hemstrom, Miles A,; Huggett, Robert J., Jr. 2011. Simulations of alternative mechanical thinning treatment programs on western timberland.
- Butry, D. T.; Prestemon, J. P.; Abt, K. L. 2010. Optimal timing of wildfire prevention education.
- Prestemon, Jeffrey P.; Butry, David T.; Abt, Karen L.; Sutphen, Ronda. 2010. Net benefits of wildfire prevention education efforts.
- Abt, Robert C.; Abt, Karen L.; Cubbage, Frederick W.; Henderson, Jesse D. 2010. Effect of policy-based bioenergy demand on southern timber markets: A case study of North Carolina.
Publications
- Prestemon, Jeffrey P.; Wear, David N.; Abt, Karen L.; Abt, Robert C. 2018. Projecting housing starts and softwood lumber consumption in the United States.
- Nepal, Prakash; Skog, Kenneth E.; McKeever, David B.; Bergman, Richard D.; Abt, Karen L.; Abt, Robert C. 2016. Carbon Mitigation Impacts of Increased Softwood Lumber and Structural Panel Use for Nonresidential Construction in the United States.
- Stokes, Bryce; Rials, Timothy G.; Johnson, Leonard R.; Abt, Karen L.; Nepal, Prakash; Skog, Kenneth E.; Abt, Robert C.; He, Lixia; English, Burton C. 2016. Chapter 3 - At the roadside: Forest resources.
- Aguilar, Francisco X.; Abt, Karen; Glavonjic, Branko; Lopatin, Eugene; Mabee, Warren. 2016. Chapter 9: Wood Energy.
- Prestemon, Jeff; Kruger, Linda; Abt, Karen L.; Bowker, Michael; Brandeis, Consuelo; Calkin, Dave; Donovan, Geoffrey H.; Ham, Charlotte; Holmes, Thomas P.; Kline, Jeffrey; Warziniack, Travis. 2016. Economics and societal considerations of drought.
- Prestemon, Jeff; Shankar, Uma; Xiu, Aijun; Talgo, K.; Yang, D.; Dixon IV, Ernest; McKenzie, Donald; Abt, Karen L. 2016. Projecting wildfire area burned in the south-eastern United States, 2011-60.
- Prestemon, Jeffrey P.; Shankar, Uma; Xiu, Aijun; Talgo, K.; Yang, D.; Dixon, Ernest; McKenzie, Donald; Abt, Karen L. 2016. Projecting wildfire area burned in the south-eastern United States, 2011-60.
- Abt, Karen L.; Butry, David T.; Prestemon, Jeff; Scranton, Samuel. 2015. Effect of fire prevention programs on accidental and incendiary wildfires on tribal lands in the United States.
- Skog, Kenneth E.; Abt, Robert C.; Abt, Karen. 2014. Chapter 6: Wood energy and competing wood product markers.
- Abt, Karen L.; Abt, Robert C.; Galik, Christopher S.; Skog, Kenneth E. 2014. Effect of policies on pellet production and forests in the U.S. South: a technical document supporting the Forest Service update of the 2010 RPA Assessment.
- Prestemon, Jeffrey P.; Abt, Karen L.; Potter, Kevin M.; Koch, Frank H. 2013. An economic assessment of mountain pine beetle timber salvage in the west.
- Abt, Karen L. 2013. Employment and income trends and projections for forest-based sectors in the U.S.
- Prestemon, Jeffrey P.; Hawbaker, Todd J.; Bowden, Michael; Carpenter, John; Brooks, Maureen T.; Abt, Karen L.; Sutphen, Ronda; Scranton, Samuel. 2013. Wildfire Ignitions: A Review of the Science and Recommendations for Empirical Modeling.
- Abt, Karen L.; Abt, Robert C.; Galik, Christopher. 2012. Effect of Bioenergy Demands and Supply Response on Markets, Carbon, and Land Use.
- James, Natasha A.; Abt, Robert C.; Abt, Karen L.; Sheffield, Raymond M.; Cubbage, Fredrick W. 2012. Forecasting sustainability: growth to removals ratio dynamics.
- Abt, Karen L.; Abt, Robert C. 2012. Potential Impact of Bioenergy Demand on the Sustainability of the Southern Forest Resource.
- Prestemon, Jeffrey P.; Abt, Karen L.; Barbour, James R. 2012. Quantifying the net economic benefits of mechanical wildfire hazard treatments on timberlands of the western United States.
- Butry, David T.; Prestemon, Jeffrey P.; Abt, Karen L.; Sutphen, Ronda. 2010. Economic optimisation of wildfire intervention activities.
- Abt, Karen L.; Prestemon, Jeffrey P.; Gebert, Krista M. 2009. Wildfire suppression cost forecasts from the US Forest Service.
- Abt, Karen L.; Prestemon, Jeffrey P.; Gebert, Krista M. 2009. An answer to a burning question: what will the Forest Service spend on fire suppression this summer?.
- Abt, Robert C.; Cubbage, Frederick W.; Abt, Karen L. 2009. Projecting southern timber supply for multiple products by subregion.
- Holmes, Thomas P.; Prestemon, Jeffrey P.; Abt, Karen L. 2008. An introduction to the economics of forest disturbance.
- Gebert, Krista M.; Calkin, David E.; Huggett, Robert J., Jr..; Abt, Karen L. 2008. Chapter 15: Economic analysis of federal wildfire management programs.
- Abt, Karen L.; Prestemon, Jeffrey P.; Gebert, Krista. 2008. Chapter 17: Forecasting wildfire suppression expenditures for the United States Forest Service.
- Abt, Karen L.; Huggett, Robert J. Jr.; Holmes, Thomas P. 2008. Designing economic impact assessments for USFS wildfire programs.
- Huggett, Robert J. Jr.; Abt, Karen L.; Shepperd, Wayne. 2008. Efficacy of mechanical fuel treatments for reducing wildfire hazard.
- Abt, Karen L.; Prestemon, Jeffrey P.; Gebert, Krista. 2008. Forecasting wildfire suppression expenditures for the United States Forest Service.
- Prestemon, Jeffrey P.; Abt, Karen L.; Huggett, Robert J. Jr. 2008. Market impacts of a multiyear mechanical fuel treatment program in the U.S.
- Prestemon, Jeffrey P.; Abt, Karen; Gebert, Krista. 2008. Suppression cost forecasts in advance of wildfire seasons.
- Holmes, Thomas P.; Abt, Karen L.; Huggett, Robert, Jr..; Prestemon, Jeffrey P. 2007. Efficient and Equitable Design of Wildfire Mitigation Programs.
- Skog, Kenneth E.; Barbour, R. James; Abt, Karen L.; Bilek, E.M. (Ted); Burch, Frank; Fight, Roger D.; Hugget, Robert J.; Miles, Patrick D.; Reinhardt, Elizabeth D.; Shepperd, Wayne D. 2006. Evaluation of silvicultural treatments and biomass use for reducing fire hazard in western states.
- Abt, Karen L.; Prestemon, Jeffrey P. 2006. Timber markets and fuel treatments in the western US.
- Holmes, Thomas P.; Prestemon, Jeffrey P.; Pye, John M.; Butry, David T.; Mercer, D. Evan; Abt, Karen L. 2004. Using Size-Frequency Distributions to Analyze Fire Regimes in Florida.
- Sills, Erin O.; Abt, Karen Lee. 2003. Introduction.
- Abt, Karen Lee; Prestemon, Jeffrey P. 2003. Optimal Stand Management: Traditional and Neotraditional Solutions.
- Pye, John M.; Prestemon, Jeffrey P.; Butry, David T.; Abt, Karen L. 2003. Prescribed burning and wildfire risk in the 1998 fire season in Florida.
- Cubbage, Frederick W.; Snider, Anthony G.; Abt, Karen Lee; Moulton, Robert L. 2003. Private Forests: Management and Policy in a Market Economy.
- Pattanayak, Subhrendu K.; Abt, Karen Lee; Holmes, Thomas P. 2003. Timber and Amenities on Nonindustrial Private Forest Land.
- Scarpa, Riccardo; Buongiorno, Joseph; Hseu, Jiin-Shyang; Abt, Karen Lee. 2000. Assessing the Non-Timber Value of Forests: A Revealed-Preference, Hedonic Model.
- Raunikar, Ronald; Buongiorno, Joseph; Prestemon, Jeffrey P.; Abt, Karen Lee. 2000. Financial Performance of Mixed-Age Naturally Regenerated Loblolly-Hardwood Stands in the South Central United States.
- Prestemon, Jeffrey P.; Pye, John M.; Abt, Karen Lee; Wear, David N. 1999. Market Definition For Hardwood Timber in the Southern Appalachians.
- Aruna, P.B.; Cubbage, Frederick; Abt, Karen; Redmond, Clair. 1997. Regional economic contributions of the forest-based industries in the south.
- Abt, Robert C.; Lee, Karen J.; Pacheco, Gerardo. 1995. Exploring product supply across age classes and forest types.
- Lee-Abt, Karen; Murray, Brian C. 1990. An econometric study of private land management in Georgia.
R&D Affiliations
External Resources
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VIVO
- The sites listed below are third-party sites which the Forest Service has provided for reference only.
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ORCID
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ResearchGate Profile