We are a university research laboratory situated in the Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management at the University of New Brunswick
Research Focus
Using data science and ecological modeling to better understand and forecast the effects of management strategies on forest ecosystems
Our research largely straddles the domains of ecological modeling in forest management, where:
Ecological Modeling is the art and science of using mathematical models and systems analysis to explore, understand, and forecast the structure and function of ecosystems.
Forest Management is that part of forestry that focuses on the governance (i.e., regulation and scheduling of activities) of forest resources to achieve the objectives of people and society.
More specifically, we focus on the development and application of analytical models and tools to simulate and forecast the effects of management strategies, natural disturbances, and climate change on ecosystem dynamics, including such ecological services as biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and wood fiber supply.
The application of process-based computer simulation models is particularly central to our work, as it provides a means of not only understanding the mechanisms that drive forest ecosystem dynamics, but permits us to forecast these dynamics over time and space—which is critical to addressing many of today’s forest management challenges.
