Canada’s tree species may expand northward in response to climate change, potentially bringing economic benefits, but ecologists have warned that they may not be able to spread rapidly enough to track the rate of climate change. Controversially, they propose that humans assist trees’ colonization of more northern areas. This research consults with scientists, policy-makers, and a broad range of other bodies concerned with Canada’s forests to understand their views of, concerns about, and recommendations for assisted colonization. The objective is to provide information for future policy development concerning how we will define the future shape of our forests.
This research is funded by an Early Researcher Award from the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation and a SSHRC Standard Research Grant. The former focuses on the implications of assisted colonization for the province of Ontario, whereas the latter scales to cross-Canada contrasts. SSHRC Research summary: Defining Canada’s future forest: stakeholder perceptions of assisted colonization (PDF).
Please take a look at my research papers on this topic.
