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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Dr. Gilani's research examined the chain-of-custody certification adoption and the state of innovation in the value-added wood products sector of British Columbia. He subsequently developed a change management model to promote the uptake of certification. This research explains the impact at the individual producer level and at the industry level.". | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. McNair studied cellulose, the major component of wood that gives it strength. He investigated how plants make cellulose, a biopolymer made up of long chains of glucose molecules. He found that a protein, Cobra-like4, is responsible for ensuring the synthesis of these long chains of glucose, which are important in the commercial use of cellulose. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Levy-Booth demonstrated that measuring the abundance of functional groups of microorganisms in soil can help us to better understand greenhouse gas emissions in managed forests. Characterizing soil microbial communities in those forests showed that management can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase soil carbon sequestration. . | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Li studied the shear load capacity of cross laminated timber, or CLT, which is used to build tall timber buildings worldwide. This research expands our understanding of the CLT rolling shear, or the shear behaviour related to wood grain. The finding of the study leads to rational design of CLT timber structures at target performance level. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Mobini's research was on the use of forestry by-products as a renewable source of energy. He focused on the development and application of object-oriented simulation models for the design and analysis of biofuel and bioenergy supply chains. His findings will help to increase the efficiency of the forestry industry and secure the energy supply. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Man examined the ways in which actively-managed forest estates can help mitigate the recent human-induced climate change. He developed management strategies with improved financial efficiency. Such strategies will allow forest managers to actively participate in the global effort to reduce the impacts of climate change. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Ibarra studied the ecology of two little-known owls in the temperate forests of the Andes. He tested whether the owls are good indicators of forest biodiversity in this threatened eco-region. He found that in older, structurally complex forests, there is a positive correlation between habitat-specialist owls and overall biodiversity. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Powers studied the use of satellite imagery and other geospatial techniques for large-area conservation. He focused on challenges in protecting current and future Canadian boreal forest ecosystems and biodiversity. His research contributed to progress in mapping biodiversity, locating critical habitat, and addressing the impact of climate change. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Sopinka showed in Pacific salmon how maternal stress and changes in concentrations of egg cortisol influence offspring survival, physiology and behaviour. Her experiments on intergenerational effects help us understand how stressors that salmon face during homeward migration modify the subsequent generation of this iconic natural resource. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Bull studied the environmental footprints of paper and digital media. The research focused on the challenge of comparing not just individual products, but entire industrial systems. He found that, while consumers are rapidly shifting towards digital products, the environmental impacts of the transition are poorly understood and need further study. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |