UNBC’s new Chair of Mixedwood Ecology is looking at the future of forests, given the changes happening in nature right now.
Dr. Che Elkin is looking at how BC’s forests can survive and continue providing services in a changing climate.
“One thing that my research really looks at is trying to decrease some of the uncertainty that we have with what those forests will look like in the future,” he says. “Now, one thing that may happen is that we will see an increase in the amount of mixedwood forests that are comprising out BC forests.”
“One of the basic things that has been driving ecology for a long time is that diversity is the best way of increasing resilience , is a way of making sure that systems will not get pushed to one way or the other, too quickly,” he says.
Elkin points to the mountain pine beetle outbreak is the best example, with the forest being in a state that made it easy for the beetles to infest, at the time.
The way his research will work, involves taking in data on the changing climate around the province and study what it means for forest development.
“In terms of what is the likelihood of seeing changes in our forest? Well, I’d say that is quite high,” he says. “We are probably going to see a shift in our climate, but we’re also likely going to see shifts in our management practices and the type of economic services that we want to get from our forests.
Elkin is looking at these changes over a 2050 to 2080 timeframe.
(Photo courtesy UNBC)
Something going on in the Prince George area you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing [email protected].
