The requested Mitacs-Accelerate Internship application will support Dr. Yishan Liu (as an intern) and Dr. Yonghao Ni (as supervisor) of the University of New Brunswick and Neucel Specialty Cellulose. The overall objectives of the project are: 1) to improve the quality of dissolving pulps; 2) to decrease the manufacturing costs by using low-cost wood material. […]

Master of Forest Conservation Candidates from the Faculty of Forestry at the University of Toronto will partake in the research and development of biochar in Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Reserve Ltd. Studies will provide a greater basis for certification and standardization of the product for use in forest systems and operations in Haliburton Forest, as […]

Le composite bois-polymère (CBP) est un matériau de construction fait de polymère chargé de particules ou fibres de bois. La popularité de ce matériau est grandissante, mais ses propriétés mécaniques le limite aux applications non-structurales. Le projet propose d'évaluer cinq approches qui permettraient d’élargir le spectre d’utilisation des CBP et d'augmenter significativement leurs propriétés mécaniques: […]

Veneer drying has traditionally been done using a qualitative approach. Although it is effective in assessing how any modification in parameters impacts veneer quality, it often yields a significant loss in quality due to delays involved in reaching the kiln’s steady state following parameter modification. However, kilns are now being equipped with various sensors that […]

The aspirations of aboriginal communities are a critical part of decision making regarding land and resource use, policy and community development, and strategic planning. To help achieve aboriginal aspirations, this project aims to develop, apply, and evaluate a novel approach to aid aboriginal community decision making and solution creation/implementation. This approach builds upon current research […]

The Lil’wat Nation is working to foster community food security by restoring and activating Indigenous knowledge around traditional food systems. Our project examines ‘Ecosystem Services’ approaches as one way to support local food security while also protecting culturally-important environmental services. Led by a Lil’wat Food Committee, this project will engage community members in community planning […]

It is well established that livestock producers are effective land stewards and contribute to high productivity and wildlife habitat on grazed lands. The effectiveness of many management practices are established, but uncertainty remains, particularly in interactions between practices at large-scales. We propose to track grazing patterns of bison and cattle using GPS collars at the […]

An emerging strategy for managing natural resources such as Canada’s forests more sustainably and responsibly is to use knowledge of how Mother Nature has done it to help guide our hand. This so-called ‘ecosystem-based” approach has gained favour with provincial and federal governments, as well as national and international certification agencies. One of the foundations […]

Alfalfa is a legume forage crop that is intensively grown in Canada and represents a major feed source for livestock ruminants (i.e. dairy cows). When establishing pure stands of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) there are two primary options to minimize weed encroachment: the use of herbicides or the use of companion crops. Companion crops will […]

The present study investigates the impact of Eurasian honeybees on the functional diversity and reproductive ability of native stem-nesting bees. Honeybees have the potential to compete with native stem-nesting bees, however, currently no studies have examined this interaction in North American temperate forests. The main goal of this project is to develop a more mechanistic […]

This goal of this research project is to understand how wood fibre characteristics within planted and natural stands of spruce behave with changes to temperature and precipitation. Several methods of wood analysis will be used to determine this relationship including dendrochronology, scientifically dating tree-rings and comparing to climate, and analysis of fibre qualities, or cellular […]

A coal mine operating on the Snuneymuxw First Nation reserve lands between 1913 and 1939 has left mine waste that has contaminated the soil, sediment, groundwater and surface water with metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Human health and ecological assessments are being conducted in the area to determine how best to deal with the […]