The purpose of this study is to investigate the short-term responses of understory vegetation to riparian thinning treatments and to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatments in accelerating the development of old growth habitat. The outcome of this study has important implications for restoration ecologists and forest managers at Clayoquot Forest Management Ltd. This research can help provide the scientific guidance needed to effectively direct future restoration and silviculture initiatives.

In response to protests against logging of old growth forests in Clayoquot Sound, Vancouver Island, the government of British Columbia appointed a Scientific Panel to develop guidelines for sustainable forest management and logging. On July 6, 1995 the Government of British Columbia accepted the report of the Clayoquot Sound Scientific Panel (CSSP) and committed to working with companies, workers, and First Nations to ensure that the CSSP's recommendations were implemented in their entirety. The proposed research project is a review of the Panel's recommendations.

Climate change is becoming a factor to be accounted for in forest planning, especially in reclamation activities where the objective is to create a self-sustaining forest ecosystem in areas degraded by human activities, such as open-pit mining activities in northern Alberta Oil Sands. Oil Sands will produce up to 50% of Canadian oil demand in the following years, but when the mining activity ends, large areas of land are deprived of vegetation. Mining companies have the legal requirement to re-establish a functional forest ecosystem suitable for wildlife habitat.

The use of S’ólh Téméxw (i.e., Stó:lō traditional territory) by others impacts Stó:lō cultural heritage, identity, and economic and social wellbeing. At present, the Stó:lō have limited authority to make decisions regarding the use of their territory. However, the courts have mandated that proposed developments on Crown land carry with them the duty to consult First Nations. The resulting consultation process provides the Stó:lō with the opportunity to influence land use decisions. In response to this opportunity, the Stó:lō are developing a cultural heritage land use plan.

This research proposes to investigate spalting (natural wood pigmentation by fungi) as a method for creating value-added wood products.  Specifically, this research will focus on the development of creating naturally colored wood for commercial applications, as well as increasing the value of blue stained pine wood inadvertently produced by the mountain pine beetle.  Industry benefits from this research include an increased value to both low and high value lumber produced by the company, and gaining a foothold into the newly developing market for spalted wood – a market in which very few in

Ecoatra is applying new developments in nanotechnology to solve the long-standing problem of hazardous substance use in the wood industry- one of our oldest and largest industries. Ecoatra’s formulation uses nanotechnology to enable deeper and more uniform penetration into wood, versatile application,  increased performance and potency at lower material quantities translating to reduced costs, multifunctional properties including water repellence, antimicrobial properties, and protection from UV light

Ontario is investing $100 Million over 10 years in the process of updating the Provincial Forest Resource Inventory (FRI), which involves the province-wide acquisition of new digital ADS40 aerial imagery to serve as a consistent platform for the photo-interpretation and mapping of forest attributes.

Mining operations in the Oil Sands area can affect extensive areas of boreal forest. Those forested areas affected by mining are expected to be reclaimed by mining companies to reestablish their natural conditions after the exploitation ends. The long-term success of reclamation plans can be assessed with ecological models that simulate how different environmental factors affect tree growth and development, and how changes in forest structure through time will affect boreal wildlife.