TRCA-TMU: CLIMate Adaption for FORests (CLIMAFOR)

As climate change progresses, global vegetation is experiencing new stressors due to changing temperature and precipitation regimes. At the same time, planting and protecting forests is increasingly recognized as a potential natural climate solution. Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) manages forest plantations within its jurisdiction. TRCA’s management of these forests may enhance resiliency of these forests to future climate change while optimizing natural climate solutions through carbon storage and other ecosystem services. Yet there remains uncertainty as to the optimal management practices to achieve these conservation goals. TRCA is embarking upon an adaptive silviculture experiment to assess forest management practices for enhancing climate resilience. The proposed project will achieve two specific objectives within the TRCA’s experimental framework. It will 1) explore the impacts of these forest management practices on carbon storage in forest biomass and 2) test the role of remote sensing technologies can play in reducing the costs of monitoring metrics related to forest resiliency.

Faculty Supervisor:

Cheryl Rogers

Student:

Partner:

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority

Discipline:

Earth science

Sector:

Arts, entertainment and recreation; Professional, scientific and technical services; Public administration

University:

Toronto Metropolitan University

Program: