FCI Fonds d’innovation/CFI Innovation Fund (2017-2021)

Chercheur(e) : Nicolas Bélanger

Chercheur(e) principal(e) : Daniel Kneeshaw (UQAM)

Montant : 3 796 537 $

Canada’s forests cover almost 50 % of the country and provide habitats for the vast majority of our flora and fauna as well as crucial ecological, social, and economic services valued in billions of dollars to Canadians. However, climate change, through subtle long-term changes or a greater frequency of extreme events, increases uncertainty about future forest conditions and thus threatens the long-term viability of the forest sector. A concerted research effort across a gradient of climate and forest conditions is thus proposed to develop knowledge on how forest ecosystems respond to these changes and to develop novel means to adapt our forests to these changing conditions. The equipment for this project is necessary for: (1) the establishment of high Precision Forest Monitoring plots to examine the effects of global change on complex above- and below-ground dynamics along a gradient of forest types, (2) the setup of novel mixed-species plantations in temperate and boreal forest to understand their resilience to climate change, and (3) the use of the information obtained to develop better simulation models that can inform policy makers and forest managers of the best practices and adaptation strategies.