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Forests go far beyond British Columbia; they cover 1/3 of the Earth’s land surface. Forestry graduate students learn from a dynamic and diverse group of researchers who educate and communicate how forests and forest products contribute to the well-being of all living things. The health and sustainability of forests and the people who depend on them underlies everything we do.

The Faculty of Forestry is one of the top institutions globally in forest-related education and research. The unique breadth of expertise we possess allows us to integrate new knowledge across many disciplines. Offering both master’s and doctoral programs, our graduate students learn from a dynamic and diverse group of researchers from around the world.

 

Research Facilities

The Forest Sciences Centre is a showcase for construction using Canadian forest products, and was architecturally designed to mimic the landscape of British Columbia: towering trees, mountains, and blue-green waters. The 17,505-square-metre Forest Sciences complex has 11 classrooms, 2 lecture theatres, teaching laboratories, office space, computer labs, study areas, and a cafeteria, and houses the Faculty’s three departments.

Built alongside the Forest Sciences Centre is the 3,730-square-metre Centre for Advanced Wood Processing. It is Canada’s national centre of excellence for education and research related to wood products processing and advanced wood products manufacturing, and works to advance knowledge that fosters job creation, stabilizes forest-dependent communities, encourages increased value recovery, and ensures the sustainable management of Canada’s forests. This building includes two 25-seat classrooms, a machine lab, a simulator lab and a computer lab.

Within the Faculty of Forestry, there are also several research groups. Visit the website of each project to find out more.

Off-campus facilities include two Research Forests: the Malcolm Knapp Research Forest in Maple Ridge and the Alex Fraser Research Forest near Williams Lake. These are working forests located throughout the province where students and faculty can study in an outdoor setting. Fish and wildlife, silviculture, forest harvesting, forest ecology, forest management, and resources management figure prominently in these field studies.

Research Highlights

UBC Forestry is turning out a new generation of foresters, and faculty are committed to meeting future challenges in forestry through in-depth, cutting edge research. In fact, UBC Forestry receives the highest level of forestry research funding of any forestry faculty in Canada.

In the 2017/2018 fiscal year, members of the Faculty Forestry were awarded a total of over $12 million in research funding. 

Our wide breadth of research includes topics such as tree rings, integrated remote sensing, bioenergy, forest conservation genetics, landscape visualizations, African forest conservation and development, alpine studies, climate change, and advanced wood processing.

Schools / Departments

Department

Graduate Degree Programs

Research Supervisors in Faculty

or browse the list of faculty members in various academic units. You may click each unit to view faculty members appointed in that unit. View the full faculty member directory for more search and filter options.
Name Academic Unit(s) Research Interests
Aitken, Sally Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences forest genetics, climate change, Climate change, conservation, ecology, genetics, genomics
Alila, Younes Department of Forest Resources Management Hydrology, Flood, Water Resources, Water Structures, Forest Hydrology, Forest management, hydrological engineering
Arcese, Peter Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences Global change biology; Ecology; Conservation Biology; Evolutionary Biology; conservation finance
Avramidis, Stavros Department of Wood Science Other natural sciences, n.e.c.; Wood-water relations and sorption thermodynamics.; Fluid flow, heat transfer, and molecular diffusion; Modeling steady-state and dynamic non-isothermal diffusion in wood.; Application of fractals and machine learning to modeling wood physical properties.; Molecular modeling of the wood nano-pore network in the cell wall.; Industrial wood kiln drying optimization and development of new drying strategies.; Radio frequency vacuum (RFV) heating and drying of wood and wood products.; Dielectric wood phytosanitation.; Wood thermal modification.
Barbeito Sanchez, Ignacio Department of Forest Resources Management refining novel silvicultural practices; establishment and management of forests under global change
Benson-Amram, Sarah Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences, Department of Zoology
Boedhihartono, Agni Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences Forestry sciences; biodiversity; Communities and Livelihoods; conservation; Forest management; Land-use Change; social science; sustainability; Tropical Landscapes and Livelihoods
Booker, Thomas Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences population and quantitative genetics
Bulkan, Janette Department of Forest Resources Management aboriginal forestry, biodiversity, climate change, communities and livelihoods, conservation, corporate responsibility, forest management, forest policy, international trade, social impact, social science
Bull, Gary Department of Forest Resources Management international forest policy, environmental services markets, carbon markets, Government and economic systems
Burton, Cole Department of Forest Resources Management Forestry sciences; Ecology and Quality of the Environment; Ecological Trends; Animal; Biodiversity and Biocomplexity; Landscape and Restoration; Environment Management and Protection; Biodiversity conservation; Ecological Monitoring; Landscape ecology; Mammal Ecology; Population and Community Ecology; Wildlife Management
Cardinal-McTeague, Warren Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences Earth and related environmental sciences; Forestry sciences; plant biodiversity; Indigenous environmental management and food systems; monitoring of ecosystem health and function
Carroll, Allan Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences climate change, mountain pine beetle, bark beetles, forest disturbance, integrated pest management, insect ecology, population dynamics, insect-plant interactions, Climate change, conservation, ecology, ecosystems, forest biology, forest management
Chanway, Christopher Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences Soil microbiology
Cool, Julie Department of Wood Science modelling, wood products, wood science, wood
Coops, Nicholas Charles Department of Forest Resources Management Forestry sciences; Telemetry (Remote Sensing, Radar); Space Techniques; Forestry Technology and Equipment; Plants and Forests
Cranston, Emily Department of Wood Science, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering Nanoparticle synthesis, properties and applications; Bio-based materials and nanocellulose; Atomic force microscopy (forces, adhesion, friction, imaging); Colloid and interface science; Polymer chemistry; Cellulose nanocrystals; Bioproducts; Foams, emulsions, aerogels
Dai, Chunping Department of Wood Science Forestry sciences; Bamboo; Bio-products; Wood Products; Wood Science; Wood Technology
Daniels, Lori Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences forest plants and trees; forest history; forest management; environmental protection and natural resource use, Climate change, ecology, fire regimes
Day, Susan Department of Forest Resources Management Forestry sciences; urban soils; urban forestry; Landscape and Restoration; urban ecology; Plants and Forests; Ecology and Quality of the Environment; Environment Management and Protection
Devisscher, Tahia Department of Forest Resources Management Forestry sciences; adaptation; climate change; Human Health; Human Well-being; Nature Recovery; Social-Ecological Resilience
El-Kassaby, Yousry Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences Forestry sciences; Applied Genetics; conservation; genomics; Seed orchards’ genetics; Tree breeding; Tree domestication
Eskelson, Bianca Department of Forest Resources Management Natural resource management; Forest Biometrics; Forest Modelling; Disturbance Effects; Management Effects
Evans, Philip David Department of Wood Science Wood anatomy, wood durability, wood products, wood technology
Feng, Haibo Department of Wood Science Forestry sciences; BIM; Construction; LCA; sustainability; Wood Products; Zero energy / caron building

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Open Research Positions

This list of possible research projects is non-exhaustive. It only shows positions that are specifically advertised in the G+PS website.

Graduate Student Stories

Miah Godek

Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)

Wildfire resilience and Indigenous cultural burning in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia

Mike Stefanuk

Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)

Fire regimes from past to future in dry interior forests of the Cariboo region, British Columbia

Tara L. Brown

Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)

Comparing guided and self-guided forest bathing in metro Vancouver parks: a seasonal longitudinal RCT examining health impacts and environmental factors

Dane Pedersen

Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)

Seeing the forest through the trees: collaborative climate-informed forest governance in Quesnel, British Columbia

Gracie Crafts

Master of Science in Forestry (MSc)

Cultural fire impact on culturally-significant plants and increasing biodiversity at Vaseux Lake, BC

Shiva Zargar

Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)

Developing an integrated analytical platform for evaluating the role of forest biorefineries in achieving a sustainable bioeconomy

Winy Vasquez

Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)

Food security in the Amazon: an investigation of the food security and nutrition of the Asháninka peoples living inside the Protected Forest San Matias-San Carlos
Kaitlin Zinn's image

Kaitlyn Zinn

Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)

Cumulative effects of recreational catch-and-release, temperature, and infectious agents on Chinook salmon: from marine environments to spawning grounds
All Student Stories

Alumni on Success

Jane Yuexian Wang

Master of Geomatics for Environmental Management (MGEM) [2018]

Job Title
Programmer / Analyst

Employer
University of British Columbia

Dan Macmaster

Master of Sustainable Forest Management (MSFM) [2013]

Job Title
Fibre Manager and Head of Forestry

Employer
Vaagen Fibre Canada

Kristina Cockle

Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) [2010]

Job Title
Research Scientist

Employer
CONICET

Jill Hamilton

Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) [2012]

Job Title
Assistant Professor

Employer
North Dakota State University

Michael Donaldson

Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) [2012]

Job Title
Content Development Manager

Employer
Canadian Science Publishing

Patrice Meteunou

Master of Sustainable Forest Management (MSFM)

Job Title
Parks and Recreation

Employer
City of Port Coquitlam

Ella Furness

Master of Science in Forestry (MSc) [2012]

Job Title
Doctoral Candidate

Employer
Cardiff University
All Alumni Stories

Recent Publications

This is an incomplete sample of recent publications in chronological order by UBC faculty members with a primary appointment in the Faculty of Forestry.

 

Bamboo as a naturally-optimized fiber-reinforced composite: Interfacial mechanical properties and failure mechanisms
Publication: Composites Part B: Engineering
UBC Author(s): Chunping Dai (Department of Wood Science / Faculty of Forestry)
ISSN: 13598368
Volume: 279
Publication Date: 15 June 2024

View Publication
Predicting the lateral performance of a new type of Midply shear wall system: An efficient methodology
Publication: Engineering Structures
UBC Author(s): Frank Lam (Department of Wood Science / Faculty of Forestry)
ISSN: 01410296
Volume: 308
Publication Date: 1 June 2024

View Publication
Urban density and the urban forest: How well are cities balancing them in the context of climate change?
Publication: Cities
UBC Author(s): Lorien Nesbitt (Forest Resources Management / Faculty of Forestry)
ISSN: 02642751
Volume: 149
Publication Date: June 2024

View Publication
Effect of hornification on the isolation of anionic cellulose nanofibrils from Kraft pulp via maleic anhydride esterification
Publication: Carbohydrate Polymers
UBC Author(s): Feng Jiang (Department of Wood Science / Faculty of Forestry)
ISSN: 01448617
Volume: 333
Publication Date: 1 June 2024

View Publication
Estimation of fine-scale vegetation distribution information from RPAS-generated imagery and structure to aid restoration monitoring
Publication: Science of Remote Sensing
UBC Author(s): Nicholas Charles Coops (Forest Resources Management / Faculty of Forestry)
Volume: 9
Publication Date: June 2024

View Publication
Transferability of a Mask R–CNN model for the delineation and classification of two species of regenerating tree crowns to untrained sites
Publication: Science of Remote Sensing
UBC Author(s): Nicholas Charles Coops (Forest Resources Management / Faculty of Forestry)
Volume: 9
Publication Date: June 2024

View Publication
Diverse leaf functional and phenotypic traits in hybrid oak individuals: Unveiling genetic variation, adaptation, and evolutionary potential within Quercus Species
Publication: Forest Ecology and Management
UBC Author(s): Yousry El-Kassaby (Forest & Conservation Sciences / Faculty of Forestry)
ISSN: 03781127
Volume: 561
Publication Date: 1 June 2024

View Publication
Do plants directly absorb nitrogen derived from deposition of wildfire smoke?
Publication: Forest Ecology and Management
UBC Author(s): Guangyu Wang (Forest Resources Management / Faculty of Forestry)
ISSN: 03781127
Volume: 561
Publication Date: 1 June 2024

View Publication
China's nature-based solutions in the Global South: Evidence from Asia, Africa, and Latin America
Publication: Global Environmental Change
UBC Author(s): JULIET LU (Forest Resources Management / Faculty of Forestry)
ISSN: 09593780
Volume: 86
Publication Date: May 2024

View Publication
Temporal dynamics of genetic architecture governing leaf development in Populus
Publication: New Phytologist
UBC Author(s): Yousry El-Kassaby (Forest & Conservation Sciences / Faculty of Forestry)
ISSN: 0028646X
Volume: 242
Page Range: 1113-1130
Publication Date: May 2024

View Publication
N<sup>6</sup>-methyladenosine mRNA methylation positively regulated the response of poplar to salt stress
Publication: Plant Cell and Environment
UBC Author(s): Yousry El-Kassaby (Forest & Conservation Sciences / Faculty of Forestry)
ISSN: 01407791
Volume: 47
Page Range: 1797-1812
Publication Date: May 2024

View Publication
Corrigendum to “LCA of net-zero energy residential buildings with different HVAC systems across Canadian climates: A BIM-based fuzzy approach”. [Energy Build. 306 (2024) 113905] (Energy & Buildings (2024) 306, (S0378778824000215), (10.1016/j.enbuild...
Publication: Energy and Buildings
UBC Author(s): Haibo Feng (Department of Wood Science / Faculty of Forestry)
ISSN: 03787788
Volume: 309
Publication Date: 15 April 2024

View Publication
Release of biogenic volatile organic compounds and physiological responses of two sub-tropical tree species to smoke derived from forest fire
Publication: Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
UBC Author(s): Guangyu Wang (Forest Resources Management / Faculty of Forestry)
ISSN: 01476513
Volume: 275
Publication Date: 15 April 2024

View Publication
Is there hybridization between 2 species of the same genus in sympatry?—The genetic relationships between Anoplophora glabripennis, Anoplophora chinensis, and putative hybrids
Publication: Insect Science
UBC Author(s): Richard Hamelin (Forest & Conservation Sciences / Faculty of Forestry)
ISSN: 16729609
Volume: 31
Page Range: 633-645
Publication Date: April 2024

View Publication
Vibration serviceability of hybrid CLT-steel composite floors based on experimental and numerical investigations using random walk models
Publication: Engineering Structures
UBC Author(s): Cristiano Loss (Department of Wood Science / Faculty of Forestry)
ISSN: 01410296
Volume: 304
Publication Date: 1 April 2024

View Publication
Acoustic telemetry tracking of Coho Salmon smolts released from a community-run hatchery into a marine inlet reveals low early ocean survival
Publication: North American Journal of Fisheries Management
UBC Author(s): Scott Hinch (Forest & Conservation Sciences / Faculty of Forestry)
ISSN: 02755947
Volume: 44
Page Range: 359-376
Publication Date: April 2024

View Publication
Not in it for the money: Meaningful relationships sustain voluntary land conservation initiatives in Peru
Publication: People and Nature
UBC Author(s): Janette Bulkan (Forest Resources Management / Faculty of Forestry)
Volume: 6
Page Range: 818-832
Publication Date: April 2024

View Publication
Knowledge translation for the advancement of practice: A survey of facilitators and barriers in arboriculture and urban forestry
Publication: Urban Forestry and Urban Greening
ISSN: 16188667
Volume: 94
Publication Date: April 2024

View Publication
Monitoring spatiotemporal changes in land use/land cover and its impacts on ecosystem services in southern Zambia
Publication: Environmental Research Communications
UBC Author(s): Terence Sunderland (Forest & Conservation Sciences / Faculty of Forestry)
Volume: 6
Publication Date: 1 April 2024

View Publication
Integrating rapid assessment, variable probability sampling, and machine learning to improve accuracy and consistency in mapping local spatial distribution of plant species richness
Publication: Forestry
UBC Author(s): Tzeng Yih Lam (Forest Resources Management / Faculty of Forestry)
ISSN: 0015752X
Volume: 97
Page Range: 282-294
Publication Date: 1 April 2024

View Publication
A decision-aid system for subway microenvironment health risk intervention based on backpropagation neural network and permutation feature importance method
Publication: Building and Environment
UBC Author(s): Haibo Feng (Department of Wood Science / Faculty of Forestry)
ISSN: 03601323
Volume: 253
Publication Date: 1 April 2024

View Publication
A tale of two rivers – Baaka and Martuwarra, Australia: Shared voices and art towards water justice
Publication: Anthropocene Review
UBC Author(s): William Nikolakis (Forest Resources Management / Faculty of Forestry)
ISSN: 20530196
Volume: 11
Page Range: 228-261
Publication Date: April 2024

View Publication
Post-drainage vegetation, microtopography and organic matter in Arctic drained lake basins
Publication: Environmental Research Letters
UBC Author(s): Isla Myers-Smith (Forest & Conservation Sciences / Faculty of Forestry)
Volume: 19
Publication Date: 1 April 2024

View Publication
Spatial Distribution and Ecological Determinants of Coexisting Hybrid Oak Species: A Study in Yushan’s Mixed Forest
Publication: Plants
UBC Author(s): Yousry El-Kassaby (Forest & Conservation Sciences / Faculty of Forestry)
Volume: 13
Publication Date: April 2024

View Publication
How useful are genomic data for predicting maladaptation to future climate?
Publication: Global Change Biology
UBC Author(s): Sally Aitken (Forest & Conservation Sciences / Faculty of Forestry)
ISSN: 13541013
Volume: 30
Publication Date: April 2024

View Publication

Pages

Recent Thesis Submissions

Doctoral Citations

A doctoral citation summarizes the nature of the independent research, provides a high-level overview of the study, states the significance of the work and says who will benefit from the findings in clear, non-specialized language, so that members of a lay audience will understand it.
Year Citation Program
2023 Dr. Lyall studied peoples' relationships with the forests with the Kwakwaka'wakw of the West Coast of Canada. The research approach was collaborative and inclusive of Indigenous Knowledge. The research explained the cultural and heritage significance of the forests, from ancient stories, traditional foods, forest practices, and western red cedar. Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)
2023 Dr. Ahmadvand developed a robust optimization model that minimizes the costs and GHGs of forest biomass supply chain for production of syngas to replace natural gas at BC Kraft pulp mills. She also presented an optimal pricing scheme to make the investment in renewable fuels such as syngas more appealing to the pulp and paper industry. Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)
2023 Dr. Johnson produced functional particles and biodegradable packaging from a polymer called xylan (pronounced as XY-lan) from grass cell walls. She showed that the structure and composition of xylans influences their performance in bio-based materials. Her work represents a step towards a more sustainable, resource-efficient world. Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)
2023 Dr. Van der Merwe investigated the impact of Pinus patula plantation growing environments on wood properties, product recovery and quality. This work will assist forest growers to match forests to specific plywood and lumber production facilities to improve product recovery and quality. Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)
2023 Dr. Arora developed mathematical models for scheduling of forest harvesting activities. These models can be used by forest companies. Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)
2023 Dr. Degner showed how natural hybrids between spruce species are closely adapted to climate. He also modeled how hybrids might have differed in the past and how they may need to change in the future. This research helps us understand how hybridization influences evolution, and will help land managers better match planted forests to future climates. Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)
2023 Dr. Nitoslawski's research explored the role of technology in urban forestry, and tested new ways to collect data on urban ecosystems. This work revealed nuanced relationships between people, nature, and technology, informing both research and practice as we tackle critical environmental issues in this digital age. Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)
2023 Dr. Nepal's work provides unique information on overstory spatial patterns of tree vigor and regeneration in reference conditions, and highlights differences in spatial patterns of overstory conditions between reference and contemporary forests. Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)
2023 Dr. Curtis examined the history of agriculture in the Alberni-Clayoquot region and provincial legislation related to supporting food production in British Columbia. Her work highlights the importance of farmer-government relations and the consequences of underlying values within our food system. Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)
2023 Dr. Super studied soil refugia, experimental warming and nitrogen deposition, and pH and climate effects on ecosystem plant and microbial biodiversity. Tree seedling microbiome predictability changed with refugia, warming increased plant growth, clear-cutting impacted biodiversity predictability, and community diversity increased with higher pH. Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)

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Forestry Digest Email – April 22nd

Click below to view the Forestry Digest for the week of April 22nd, 2024 The post Forestry Digest Email – April 22nd appeared first on UBC Faculty of Forestry.

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Forestry Digest Email – April 15th

Click below to view the Forestry Digest for the week of April 15th, 2024 The post Forestry Digest Email – April 15th appeared first on UBC Faculty of Forestry.

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Forestry Digest Email – April 8th

Click below to view the Forestry Digest for the week of April 8th, 2024 The post Forestry Digest Email – April 8th appeared first on UBC Faculty of Forestry.

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Research Lunch Seminar Series – Generative AI in Academia: Balancing Innovation with Ethical Practices in Research, Teaching, and Learning

In this seminar, Dr. Leveridge explores AI's impact in academia, highlighting its potential in research and instruction. The post Research Lunch Seminar Series – Generative AI in Academia: Balancing Innovation with Ethical Practices in Research, Teaching, and Learning appeared first on UBC...

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UBC research helps migrating salmon survive mortality hot-spot

When Kevin Ryan and the other hardworking volunteers at Mossom Creek Hatchery in Port Moody, B.C. release young coho smolts into the ocean, they’re never quite certain how many will return as adults. The post UBC research helps migrating salmon survive mortality hot-spot appeared first on UBC...

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University of Idaho Society of American Foresters Student Chapter Collegiate Forestry Summit

The University of Idaho Society of American Foresters Student Chapter invites University of British Columbia students to the first annual Collegiate Forestry Summit October 3-6, 2024. This event will afford participants the opportunity to experience the many facets of operational forestry in Idaho...

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