The goal of this research is to use the developed information around the technical, economical and social political challenges for the implementation of small-scale bioenergy systems in remote indigenous communities in Canada. The targeted outcome creates a multi faceted model to evaluate the success and impact of future installation with less input factors to simplify […]

Systematic conservation planning tools allow us to use data on species distributions, habitat quality, and cost to and identify optimal areas to invest conservation and restoration resources. These tools can be particularly helpful in highly contested biodiverse landscapes where pressures from growing populations and economic development compete with conservation objectives. The Lower Fraser River represents […]

The for the health and well being of the BC forest industry and First Nations communities in BC, it is important to know how these two groups are interacting with each other. The goal of this research is to better understand what kind of relationships forestry companies and First Nations communities have. This research would […]

Driven by heightened environmental awareness, the construction industry increasingly strives to utilize materials such as timber with a low-carbon footprint in their life cycle. High-strength mass-timber products, innovative ductile connections, and fast computer-numerically-controlled pre-fabrication, combined with changing legislation create better opportunities to also build tall timber structures. However, low ductility and limited tensile strength of […]

In this project, computer based models will be developed to support operational harvest planning suitable for the use by a large forest products company operating in British Columbia, Canada. The models aims to enhance decision making processes related to equipment/crew allocation, scheduling, transportation and vehicle routing. Findings of this project will have the potential to […]

Heterosis is a natural phenomenon where offspring (hybrids) outperform their parents in many agronomic traits, although exploited in breeding the mechanisms controlling heterosis remain elusive. Genetic distance between parents has been positively correlated with heterosis, yet does not adequately explain the phenomenon. Dividing lines from any crop into heterotic groups that provide optimal combining ability […]

The majority of license producers (LP) Cannabis producers have witnessed evidence of powdery mildew and grey mold and bud rot diseases. Plant yields and ultimate profitability can be severely undermined by these diseases. Medicinal plants produce essential oils in the form of secondary metabolites. The essential oils have the potential to be used as antibacterial, […]

Mounting evidence shows that boreal and mountain forests are not solely driven by high severity fires that kill most of the above-ground vegetation (i.e. stand-replacing fires). Indeed, wildfire severity can be highly heterogeneous, leading to spatially complex forest landscapes, with multiple species and uneven ages. Many existing fire dynamics models do not explicitly consider the […]

This project will involve identifying, comparing and contrasting how different forestry practices affect grizzly bear habitat in BC. The research will involve examination of peer-reviewed scientific literature as well as NGO and government reports in order to categorize and explain how grizzlies respond to different management techniques. Key comparisons and concepts will then be applied […]

Introduced Phragmites australis (common reed) is considered one of the most invasive plants in North America. European genotypes spread widely and can form dense stands with undesirable ecological impacts. Conventional management approaches have proved largely ineffective, leaving classical biocontrol (i.e., introducing herbivores of the plant from its native range) as the most promising alternative. The […]

The aim of the study is to look at the available research on forest machinery production data and collect further data on forest machinery working in conditions that have not been studied before. In so doing we hope to determine what value the production data collected in British Columbia provides as a management tool when […]

Invasive species represent a major threat to global biodiversity, and are projected to increase in impact as globalization promotes the continued introduction of novel species. Proactive research that investigates the ecological, social, and economic threat of novel species prior to or early in their establishment is therefore critical to effective conservation planning. For our research […]