Mississippi State University professor Donald Grebner is the lead author on a new forestry and natural resources textbook.

Introduction to Forestry and Natural Resources provides a general overview of the forestry and natural resources profession, as well as the history of forestry, landowner objectives, forest disturbances, ecosystem services and urban forestry.

Grebner, professor in MSU’s College of Forest Resources, spent three years writing the 508-page book, in collaboration with University of Georgia colleagues Pete Bettinger and Jacek Siry.

“We got to tell the story from our different perspectives and career experiences,” Grebner said. “I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Costa Rica, and I worked for Winrock International in Pakistan and New Zealand.

“Dr. Bettinger has several books to his credit and has extensive experience in the western United States, Canada and Korea. Dr. Siry is from Poland and hastraveled the world,” he said.

The book has more than 300 original illustrations, as well as pictures and descriptions of plant and animal life.

A unique feature of the text is that it features descriptions of resources and wildlife in the forests of each continent.

“Our book has an international perspective,” Grebner said. “We were trying to reach a broader audience, and we thought this was a niche we could fill.”

Grebner has worked at MSU for fourteen years and currently teaches courses in forest resource management and international forestry.

He obtained his bachelor’s in forestry from the University of Maine, a master’s in forestry from Yale University, a master’s in economics from Virginia Tech, and a doctorate in forest economics from Virginia Tech. 

His areas of research include bio-energy, carbon sequestration and forest protection.