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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
Gaston, Christopher Department of Wood Science Forestry sciences; markets and economics for Canadian wood products
Gergel, Sarah Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences Aboriginal forestry, biodiversity, climate change, communities and livelihoods, conservation, ecology, remote sensing, sustainability
Grayston, Susan Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences Climate change, microbiology, soil science
Grenz, Jennifer Department of Forest Resources Management
Hagerman, Shannon Marie Department of Forest Resources Management biodiversity, climate change, communities and livelihoods, conservation, forest policy, social science
Hamelin, Richard Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences
Hinch, Scott Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences salmon migrations, salmon ecology, salmon fisheries, fish conservation, land use impacts (e.g. forestry) on fish and habitat, Salmon, conservation, ecology, fish ecology, fisheries management, stream, and riperian ecology
Ignace, Danielle Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences Impacts of global change on transitioning ecosystems
Innes, John Department of Forest Resources Management Other natural sciences; Forestry; Ecology
Jiang, Feng Department of Wood Science bio-based nanomaterials, carbohydrate chemistry, chemistry, sustainability, wood science
Joshi, Jaya Department of Wood Science Biofoundries; biomass; Carbon; Engineering; Enzyme Design; sustainability; Synthetic biology
Kozak, Robert Antal Department of Wood Science Forest-dependent communities in transition, international development & poverty alleviation, value-added strategies, forest certification & corporate social responsibility, forest sector sustainability & competitiveness, marketing, management & consumer behaviour
Lam, Tzeng Yih Department of Forest Resources Management Quantitiative methods in forestry; Forestry management and environment; Statistical theory and modeling; Survey methodology and analysis; Bayesian Filtering; Forest Inventory; Growth and Yield; Sampling Theory; silviculture; Timber; Tree Measurement
Lam, Frank Department of Wood Science timber engineering; structural use of wood products, Engineered wood systems
Li, Minghao Department of Wood Science Earthquake engineering; Structural engineering; Building construction engineering; Concrete, cementitious materials and other architectural and construction materials
Loss, Cristiano Department of Wood Science Forestry sciences; Wood; Engineered Wood Solutions; Engineering Wood Design; Hybrid Wood-Based Systems; Industrialised Wood Systems; Seismic Design and Analysis of Timber Structures; Timber Engineering; Wood Building Systems; Wood as Structural Material
LU, JULIET Department of Forest Resources Management, School of Public Policy and Global Affairs Forest ecology; Economic geography; Environmental sociology; conflicts and governance issues around resource extraction and intensive land use; transnational land investments; promotion of monoculture plantations at the expense of more biodiverse systems; private sector sustainable governance initiatives
Mansfield, Shawn Department of Wood Science, Department of Botany plant metabolism, cellulose biosynthesis, lignin biosynthesis, wood formation, wood quality, cell wall biochemistry, tree biotechnology, transgenics, Tree biotechnology
Martin, Tara Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences biodiversity, climate change, climate models, conservation, ecological monitoring, ecology, land-use change, landscape ecology, landscape planning, modelling
Mchale, Melissa Department of Forest Resources Management Trans-disciplinary approaches to studying complex socio-ecological systems, social drivers of ecosystem processes, cities as sustainable ecosystems, carbon dynamics in urban systems, urbanization effects on nutrient cycling, ecosystem services and dis services, consumption culture, urban metabolism, urbanization in the developing world
Meitner, Michael Department of Forest Resources Management forest aesthetics and scenic beauty, outdoor recreation, environmental visualization, geographic information systems, visual perception, agent-based modeling, Public involment in planning, sustainability leadership
Mitchell, Matthew Terrestrial ecology; Forest ecology; Agricultural ecology; Ecosystem services; urban ecology; Biodiversity conservation; social-ecological systems; Landscape ecology; Agroecosystems
Montwe, David Department of Forest Resources Management Forestry sciences; climate change; Drought and climate change; Evaluating silvicultural treatments on timber quality and value; Forest management; Increasing forest resilience to climatic extremes using silvicultural interventions; Long-term resilience; Reducing impacts from forest disturbance agents under climate change; Regeneration; silviculture; Species selection
Moore, Alex Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences, Department of Botany Community ecology (except invasive species ecology); Plant-animal interactions; Global change biology; Ecological restoration (except bioremediation); Applied community and ecosystem ecology; impact of predator-prey interactions on the health and functioning of coastal wetland ecosystems; role of cultural values and knowledge in ecosystem restoration conservation; Global change impacts on coastal environments
Myers-Smith, Isla Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences Ecology (except applications); Arctic; biodiversity; climate change; Community Building; Ecosystems; Environmental communication; tundra ecosystems

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Graduate Student Stories

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

Christina Howard

Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)

Climate sensitive growth and suitability modeling of Québec tree species

Debbie Pierce

Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)

The impact of land rights and deforestation on women in the Colombian Amazon

Leah Rettenbacher

Master of Science in Forestry (MSc)

Heteroecism and autoecism in pine rusts

Kate Peterson

Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)

Climate-sensitive forest growth and yield modelling

Sofie McComb

Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)

Evaluating cumulative impacts to inform effective conservation decisions in a biodiversity hotspot

Erika Dort

Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)

Forest pathology in the genomics era: Combining large-scale genome analyses with CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to improve biosurveillance of filamentous plant pathogens

Pablo Gonzalez Moctezuma

Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)

Small farms and their role in land use transitions in Mexico
All Student 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.

 

Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Economic Density and Vegetation Cover in the Yellow River Basin: Unraveling Interconnections
Publication: Land
UBC Author(s): Guangyu Wang (Forest Resources Management / Faculty of Forestry)
Volume: 13
Publication Date: April 2024

View Publication
The Impacts of Forest Therapy on the Physical and Mental Health of College Students: A Review
Publication: Forests
UBC Author(s): Guangyu Wang (Forest Resources Management / Faculty of Forestry)
Volume: 15
Publication Date: 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
Allelic variations of WAK106-E2Fa-DPb1-UGT74E2 module regulate fibre properties in Populus tomentosa
Publication: Plant Biotechnology Journal
UBC Author(s): Yousry El-Kassaby (Forest & Conservation Sciences / Faculty of Forestry)
ISSN: 14677644
Volume: 22
Page Range: 970-986
Publication Date: April 2024

View Publication
Superelastic Cellulose Sub-Micron Fibers/Carbon Black Aerogel for Highly Sensitive Pressure Sensing
Publication: Small
UBC Author(s): Feng Jiang (Department of Wood Science / Faculty of Forestry)
ISSN: 16136810
Volume: 20
Publication Date: 28 March 2024

View Publication
Multiscale Design for Robust, Thermal Insulating, and Flame Self-Extinguishing Cellulose Foam
Publication: Small
UBC Author(s): Feng Jiang (Department of Wood Science / Faculty of Forestry)
ISSN: 16136810
Volume: 20
Publication Date: 22 March 2024

View Publication
Solid Wood Modification toward Anisotropic Elastic and Insulative Foam-Like Materials
Publication: ACS Nano
UBC Author(s): Feng Jiang (Department of Wood Science / Faculty of Forestry)
ISSN: 19360851
Volume: 18
Page Range: 7959-7971
Publication Date: 19 March 2024

View Publication
Experimental and machine learning study on a novel high-performance hybrid steel-grout connector for cross-laminated timber panels under pre-yield cyclic loads
Publication: Engineering Structures
UBC Author(s): Cristiano Loss (Department of Wood Science / Faculty of Forestry)
ISSN: 01410296
Volume: 303
Publication Date: 15 March 2024

View Publication
Self-centering mass timber structures: A review on recent research progress
Publication: Engineering Structures
UBC Author(s): Minghao Li (Department of Wood Science / Faculty of Forestry)
ISSN: 01410296
Volume: 303
Publication Date: 15 March 2024

View Publication
Scheduling of log logistics using a metaheuristic approach
Publication: Expert Systems with Applications
UBC Author(s): Taraneh Sowlati (Department of Wood Science / Faculty of Forestry)
ISSN: 09574174
Volume: 238
Publication Date: 15 March 2024

View Publication
Community Forests advance local wildfire governance and proactive management in British Columbia, Canada
Publication: Canadian Journal of Forest Research
UBC Author(s): Shannon Marie Hagerman (Forest Resources Management / Faculty of Forestry)
ISSN: 00455067
Volume: 54
Page Range: 290-304
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication
Extraction of Forest Road Information from CubeSat Imagery Using Convolutional Neural Networks
Publication: Remote Sensing
UBC Author(s): Nicholas Charles Coops (Forest Resources Management / Faculty of Forestry)
Volume: 16
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication
LCA of net-zero energy residential buildings with different HVAC systems across Canadian climates: A BIM-based fuzzy approach
Publication: Energy and Buildings
UBC Author(s): Haibo Feng (Department of Wood Science / Faculty of Forestry)
ISSN: 03787788
Volume: 306
Publication Date: 1 March 2024

View Publication
Weak local adaptation to drought in seedlings of a widespread conifer
Publication: New Phytologist
UBC Author(s): Sally Aitken (Forest & Conservation Sciences / Faculty of Forestry)
ISSN: 0028646X
Volume: 241
Page Range: 2395-2409
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication
Multigenerational Fitness Effects of Natural Immigration Indicate Strong Heterosis and Epistatic Breakdown in a Wild Bird Population
Publication: The American naturalist
UBC Author(s): Peter Arcese (Forest & Conservation Sciences / Faculty of Forestry)
Volume: 203
Page Range: 411-431
Publication Date: 1 March 2024

View Publication
Construction of polylactic acid-based flame retardant composites by zinc oxide and bamboo carbon
Publication: Carbon Letters
UBC Author(s): Chunping Dai (Department of Wood Science / Faculty of Forestry)
ISSN: 19764251
Volume: 34
Page Range: 665-675
Publication Date: March 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. Sutherland researched historical changes in the ecosystem services provided by forests of BC. His work advanced theory and methods for studying coupled social-ecological systems and moves forward an understanding of ecosystem services as part of dynamic systems. His work also leaves a legacy of data showing ecosystem services change in BC. Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)
2023 Dr. Dickson-Hoyle examined how Secwépemc Nation communities and territories are recovering from recent megafires in British Columbia. She identifies key lessons from joint recovery efforts and describes Secwépemc Elder Ron Ignace's concept of walking on two legs to guide collaborative research and restoration in Indigenous territories. Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)
2023 Dr. Chen examined where and how human activities affect mammals by using an extensive camera trap dataset comprising data from 8600 remote cameras. He found that mammal diversity is associated more with protected area coverage than with negative human influences globally, which provide insights into future biodiversity conservation. Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)
2023 The ancestral territories of the Mapuche Nation were violently reduced to individual properties that today are in the hands of non-Mapuche people, including settlers and commercial companies. Dr. Arias-Bustamante's study showed how Mapuche communities navigate the system in their quest to land restitution in a constantly changing context. Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)
2023 Dr. Reich used novel molecular methods to identify airborne fungi that cause diseases in agricultural crops. He found that the air contains many pathogenic and mutualistic fungi for plant health and showed that this information could help predict plant epidemics. His research will help farmers manage field diseases while reducing fungicide use. Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)
2023 Dr. Todd studied Canadian municipal parks and their contribution to the urban forest canopy. She provides recommendations on how parks can continue to meet recreational and cultural demands while balancing those with urban forestry objectives for a more resilient city. Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)
2023 Dr. Ye designed a series of nanocellulose-based gel conductors for a variety of sophisticated applications. His study would advance the creation of biodegradable electronics, relieving the environmental pollution caused by discarded electronics. Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)
2023 Dr. Cheng examined the interactions between urban forest policies and climate change (and related urban planning) policies in Canadian cities. Her research revealed key conflicts and synergies among municipal policies and explored solutions to better integrate urban forests into building a compact, livable, and climate-resilient city Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)
2023 Dr. Queinnec examined the ability of novel airborne and spaceborne remote sensing technologies to characterize three-dimensional vegetation structure in boreal forests of Canada. His work provides enhanced knowledge about forest resources in both managed and unmanaged forested ecosystems. Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)
2023 Dr. Du Toit used Airborne Laser Scanning to model genetically improved Douglas-fir trees. Descriptors were used to assess tree performance, and predict genetic parameters. He found that ALS is capable of describing trees at multiple scales, and should be used in breeding programs due the cost savings and insights the technology provides. Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)

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Sajedi, Toktam

Lecturer DEPARTMENTForest Resources Management The post Sajedi, Toktam appeared first on UBC Faculty of Forestry.

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PhD Student: Applying Machine Learning to Building Systems (Deadline: May 19, 2024)

The Sustainable Bioeconomy Research (SBR) Group at UBC Forestry invites applicants for a PhD position supervised by Dr. Qingshi Tu. Apply by May 19, 2024. The post PhD Student: Applying Machine Learning to Building Systems (Deadline: May 19, 2024) appeared first on UBC Faculty of Forestry.

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UBC Forestry Launches Wildfire Research Centre

UBC Forestry launches the Centre for Wildfire Coexistence, led by Prof. Lori Daniels, to address escalating wildfire risks through proactive forest management. The Koerner family's $5 million donation supports this initiative for safer, sustainable futures amidst wildfires. The post UBC Forestry...

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In Honour of Dr. John Worrall

Dr. John Worrall, a cherished UBC Forestry faculty member, is remembered for his unconventional teaching methods and generosity. He left a lasting impact on students and colleagues and his legacy lives on through awards and bursaries supporting student learning in his name. The post In Honour of Dr...

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Industry Leadership in Forestry Education

Mosaic's $1.25M gift to UBC Forestry enhances education and industry ties, securing BC's global forestry prominence. Domenico Iannidinardo underscores Mosaic's dedication to community and sustainability, fostering a greener future. The post Industry Leadership in Forestry Education appeared first...

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PhD student for process simulation of hydrogen energy systems (Deadline: May 19, 2024)

The Sustainable Bioeconomy Research (SBR) Group at UBC Forestry invites applicants for a PhD position supervised by Dr. Qingshi Tu. Apply by May 19, 2024. The post PhD student for process simulation of hydrogen energy systems (Deadline: May 19, 2024) appeared first on UBC Faculty of Forestry.

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