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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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Dr. Gamal El-Dien studied Quantitative Genomics. She focused on infusing genomic information in White Spruce Tree improvement programs using a novel concept called Genomic Selection. Her research increases our knowledge of how genomics can shorten the breeding cycle of organisms and provides insights into increasing the benefit of such programs. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Halperin investigated novel methods for forest monitoring in the miombo woodlands of Zambia, Africa. He demonstrated that cost-efficient optical satellite imagery can be combined with ground data and soils maps to precisely map forest resources. These maps and information are critically needed for sustainable forest management. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. He created a 3D network structure in wood composites by structural modification. Such structural modification significantly improved properties of the composite. This innovative approach will aid product development in the wood composites industry to compete with other advanced composite materials for demanding applications. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Momayyezi studied photosynthetic variation in black cottonwood poplars native to different latitudes. She showed that higher rates of photosynthesis at high latitude are associated with superior physical and biochemical characteristics in relation to CO2 transfer inside leaves. Her findings help focus efforts to improve yield in trees and crops. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Cambero studied the production of bioenergy and biofuels using forestry by-products. Her models inform decisions related to designing a supply chain aimed at generating additional revenue for the forest industry. Her work will ultimately help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create job opportunities for forest-dependent communities. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Liu is keen on plant life histories. He built models to simulate evolved traits under current changes, and also used molecular tools and bioinformatics to demonstrate the genetic and epigenetic basis of adaptation in conifers. His study increases our understanding of plant evolution and persistence in the context of climate change. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Masse looked at the soil nitrogen cycle and microbial communities in reconstructed and in natural soils within the boreal forests of northern Alberta. Her findings enhanced our understanding of biogeochemical cycles in reconstructed soils and can be used to improve restoration strategies in the oil sands. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Reid quantified the health of lodgepole pine trees in the interior of British Columbia using ground surveys and spectral reflectance indices calculated from aerial images. This research ensures long-term productivity by incorporating measures of forest health into traditional tree growth monitoring, ultimately helping to advance forest management. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Ahmed studied spruce stocks in the boreal forest of Canada and examined the impacts of tree improvement programs on timber supply. Her findings provided a mechanism for estimating the yields at harvest over a large spatial and temporal extent. These results can help industry develop more effective policy for forest management and conservation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Frazier examined time series of satellite imagery to detect post-fire and post-harvest forest recovery in Canadian boreal forests. His results showed that satellite imagery can detect notable differences in forest recovery between regions and over time. This research helps us better understand how the boreal forest is potentially being affected by a changing climate. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |