Applicants to Master’s and Doctoral degrees are not affected by the recently announced cap on study permits. Review more details
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.
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.
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.
This is an incomplete sample of recent publications in chronological order by UBC faculty members with a primary appointment in the Faculty of Forestry.
| Year | Citation | Program |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Dr. Polinko completed his research in the field of silviculture. Using models of branch development and tree growth, his research was the first to quantify the costs associated with managing forests for visual quality or wildlife habitat. Understanding these costs will help with decisions regarding the sustainable management of forests around the world. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Thistlethwaite analysed the application of genomic based methodologies to conifer breeding. She used thousands of genetic markers to predict key economic traits, for the purpose of making selection decisions. Her research highlights areas for investment which will foster more dynamic and fruitful breeding programs in the future. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Mpidi Bita evaluated the structural performance of tall wood buildings following extreme events, such as explosions and natural catastrophes. His research provides design guidance which may be used by structural engineers to ensure that buildings remains stable for sufficient time to allow for evacuation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Chavardes explored how drought influenced fires over time and space in western Canadian forests. He used weather and climate records, statistical models, tree-ring science, and fire-scar records to understand historical associations between droughts and fire. This work helps landscape managers foresee how future fires can be impacted by climate change. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Lima studied logging activities in the Brazilian Amazon. She assessed selective logging patterns using remote sensing tools and was one of the first studies to analyze the new European satellite Sentinel-2. Findings will inform the academic community and governmental institutions concerned with forest monitoring and law enforcement. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Vabi examined the link between public-private partnerships and corporate social responsibility. He identified conditions under which partnerships can be used to responsibly and efficiently drive community development. This research highlights one way corporations can successfully achieve sustainable development goals. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Alharbi studied the genetic diversity, the population structure, and the phenotypic leaf variation among peripheral and core mangrove populations on the Red Sea. His study opened avenues for the advancement of the conservation and sustainable management of mangrove ecosystems on the Red Sea. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Goodbody analyzed the potential of digital photogrammetry to provide data products and analytical methods to enhance forest inventories. With reference to its areas of success, limitation, and future directions, digital photogrammetry is justified as a technology capable of and improving forest resources monitoring and management. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Cook monitored a set of parameters that evaluate the external condition, stress, and immune function among non-target salmon species that are discarded as bycatch. This research improves our understanding of the effects of acute stress on the physiology and survival of fish, and can be applied to improving the welfare of fishes discarded from fisheries. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2019 | Dr. Akhtari studied bioenergy and biofuel production using forestry by-products in British Columbia. In her work, she developed decision making models that inform decisions related to designing a supply chain. This is aimed at generating additional revenue for the forest industry, and replacing fossil fuels with bioenergy in forest-dependent communities. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |