Canada's forests cover more than 47% of the country and provide habitats for the majority of our flora and fauna as well as ecological, social, and economic services valued in billions of dollars. Recent global factors such as pollution, invasive species and climate change have added to natural and human-induced disturbances to increase uncertainty about future forest conditions. A concerted research effort is thus proposed to develop knowledge on how complex forest ecosystems respond to environmental change and to develop novel means to adapt our forests to these rapidly changing conditions. The equipment for this project is necessary for the: (1) establishment of two high-tech forest monitoring plots, called Smart Forests, to examine the effects of global change on the complex above- and below-ground dynamics of temperate deciduous forests of southern Quebec, (2) setup of novel transplantation experiments in temperate deciduous and boreal forest biomes to understand tree species acclimation to climate change, and (3) use of the information generated from these research sites to develop better simulation models that can inform policy makers and forest managers of the best practices and adaptation strategies to provide essential goods and services from the forests despite all of the uncertainties. The project will also favor partnerships with the private sector and governmental institutions, and promote world-class research and HQP training currently beyond our means.

Chercheur principal

Nicolas Bélanger

Co-chercheurs

Élise Filotas; Daniel Lemire

Organisme subventionnaire

FCI (Fondation canadienne pour l'innovation)

Programme

Fonds des leaders John R. Evans

Secteur de recherche

Systèmes intelligents, sciences et technologies de l'information

Années

2016 - 2020

Montant accordé

633 914,00 $