Faculty profile headshot photo of Lori Daniels

Lori Daniels

Professor

Forest Sciences Centre 3030
2424 Main Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4
Canada

work phone: 604-822-3442

Research Areas:

My research strives to advance fundamental scientific knowledge on forest dynamics, which is imperative for conserving and managing contemporary forests and adapting to global environmental change. My research characterizes how natural disturbances, humans and climate interact to drive temperate forest dynamics and resilience. It has produced three key contributions:

(1) My international collaborations demonstrate widespread tree mortality in North and South America, disentangling the relative impacts of drought, insects and pathogens.

(2) Many forests in the Canadian Cordillera are increasingly susceptible to wildfire due to complex interactions among fire suppression, land-use and climatic change.

(3) My novel forest reconstructions include tree-ring methods adapted to address aboriginal cultural uses and traditional management, largely overlooked by forest managers.

My enduring partnerships with local to national governments, environmental organizations, forest management companies, community forests, and First Nations have helped me translate these scientific advances to operational conservation, restoration and management policies and practices.


Awards

Henry C. Cowles Award for Excellence in Publication , Biogeography Specialty Group, Association of American Geographers 2005
Killam Teaching Award, Faculty of Arts, University of British Columbia 2007
Physical Geography Professor of the Year (2009-10, 2005-6, 2003-4), Geography Students Association, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia

Selected Publications

Daniels, L.D., R.W. Gray and P.J Burton. (2020). Megafires in British Columbia - Urgent need to adapt and improve resilience to wildfire. In: Hood, Sharon M.; Drury, Stacy; Steelman, Toddi; and Steffens, Ron, eds. Proceedings of the Fire Continuum – preparing for the future of wildland fire; 2018 May 21-24; Missoula, MT. Proceedings RMRS-P. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. Online.
Chavardès, R.D., L.D. Daniels, B.N.I. Eskelson, and Z. Gedalof (2020). Using complementary drought proxies improves interpretations of fire histories in montane forests Tree-Ring Research 76(2):74-88
Comeau,V., L.D. Daniels, R. Chavardès, G. Knochenmus, and S. Zeglan. (2020). Tree-rings reveal accelerated yellow-cedar decline with changes to winter climate after 1980 Forests 10:1085
Hessburg, P.F., C.L. Miller, S.A. Parks, N.A. Povak, A.H. Taylor, P.E. Higuera, S.J. Prichard, M.P. North, B.M. Collins, M.D. Hurteau, A.J. Larson, C.D. Allen, S.L. Stephens, H. RIvera-Huerta, C.S. Stevens-Rumann, L.D. Daniels, Z. Gedalof, R.W. Gray, V.R. Kane, D.J. Churchill, R.K. Hagmann, T.A. Spies, C.A. Cansler, R.R. Belote, T.T. Veblen, MA. Battaglia, C. Hoffman, C.N. Skinner, H.D. Safford and R.B. Salter. (2019). Climate, environment, and disturbance history govern resilience of western North American forests Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
Chavardès, R.D., L.D. Daniels, B.N.I. Eskelson, P.D. Pickell (2019). Monthly adaptations of the Drought Code reveal nuanced fire–drought associations in montane forests with a mixed-severity fire regime. International Journal of Wildland Fire 28(6) 445-455
Peterson, K.F., B.N.I. Eskelson, V.J. Monleon, L.D. Daniels (2019). Surface fuel loads following a coastal–transitional fire of unprecedented severity: Boulder Creek fire case study Canadian Journal of Forest Research 48(8): 925-932
L.D. Daniels (2019). Wildfires: Causes, Consequences and Coexistence 2019 State of the Mountains Report, Alpine Club of Canada. Volume 2: 4-13.
L.D. Daniels (2019). What Can British Columbia Learn from the Californian Wildfires? BC Forest Professional March/April 2019
Chavardes, R.D., L.D. Daniels, Z. Gedalof, D.W. Andison. (2018). Human influences superseded climate to disrupt the 20th century fire regime in Jasper National Park, Canada. Dendrochronologia 48:10-19.
Amoroso, M.M., J.H. Speer, L.D. Daniels and 23 others (2018). South American dendroecological fieldweek 2016: Exploring dendrochronological research in northern Patagonia. Tree-Ring Research 74: 120-131
Arbellay, E., I. Jarvis, R. Chavardes, L.D. Daniels, and M. Stoffel. (2018). Tree-ring proxies of larch bud moth defoliation: latewood width and blue intensity are more precise than tree-ring width Tree Physiology
Maclauchlan, L., L.D. Daniels, J.C. Hodge and J.E. Brooks. (2018). Characterization of western spruce budworm outbreak regions in the British Columbia interior. Canadian Journal of Forest Research
Bowman, D.M.J.S., L.D. Daniels, F.H. Johnston, G.J.Williamson, W.M. Jolly, S. Magzamen, A.G. Rappold, M. Brauer, S.B. Henderson. (2018). Can air quality management drive sustainable fuels management at the wildland-urban interface? Fire 1, 27
Daniels, L.D., S.M. Hagerman and S. Ravensbergen (2018). Wildfire Prevention and Fuels Management in the Wildland-Urban Interface: BC Community Perceptions. Report to the Union of BC Municipalities, First Nations’ Emergency Services Society, BC Community Forest Association and BC Wildfire Service. May 2018. 30pp.
Daniels, L.D., S.M. Hagerman and S. Ravensbergen. (2018). Is your community prepared for wildfire? Branchlines 29(3): 12-13
Arbellay, E., L.D. Daniels, S.D. Mansfield and A.S. Chang. (2017). Cambial injury in lodgpole pine (Pinus contorta): mountain pine beetle versus fire. Tree Physiology 37:1611-1621
Amoroso, M.M., P.J. Baker L.D. Daniels and J.J. Camerero, (2017). Preface. Pp. ix-xii in Dendroecology: Tree-ring Analyses Applied to Ecological Studies. Springer, Ecological Studies: Analysis and Synthesis. Volume 231. Springer Nature, Switzerland.
Amoroso, M.M., P.J. Baker L.D. Daniels and J.J. Camerero (2017). Introduction. Pp. 1-12 in Dendroecology: Tree-ring Analyses Applied to Ecological Studies. Springer, Ecological Studies: Analysis and Synthesis. Volume 231. Springer Nature, Switzerland.
Amoroso, M.M., L.D. Daniels, and P.J. Baker (2017). Dendroecology: Lessons learned and future frontiers. Pp. 395-400 in Dendroecology: Tree-ring Analyses Applied to Ecological Studie Springer, Ecological Studies: Analysis and Synthesis. Volume 231. Springer Nature, Switzerland.
Daniels, L.D., V. Luu3, A. Carroll. (2017). Direct and indirect effects of wildfire on a Douglas-fir forest: a case study of the 2013 Knife Creek Wildfire. Technical Report to the Alex Fraser Research Forests, Williams Lake, BC. September 2017. 36p.
L.D. Daniels (2017). Wildfire 2017 Branchlines 28(3): 12-13
Daniels, L.D., R.W. Gray and D. Bowman (2017). We created B.C.’s wildfire problem – and we can fix it Globe and Mail (Invited OpEd)
Daniels, L.D., R.W. Gray and P.J. Burton (2017). 2017 Megafires in BC - Urgent Need to Adapt and Improve Resilience to Wildfire White Paper Submitted to the Government of BC and BC Flood and Wildire Review
Greene G.A. and L.D. Daniels (2017). Spatial interpolation and mean fire interval analyses quantify metrics of historical mixed-severity fire regimes International Journal of Wildland Fire 26: 138-147
Daniels. L.D., R.L. Sherriff, L. Yocom-Kent and E.H. Heyerdahl (2017). Deciphering the complexity of historical fire regimes: Diversity among forests of western North America. Pp. 185-210 in Dendroecology: Tree-ring Analyses Applied to Ecological Studies Springer Life Sciences Series
Amoroso, M.M., M. Rodríguez-Catón, R. Villalba, and L.D. Daniels. (2017). Forest decline in northern Patagonia: the role of climatic variability Pp. 325-344 in Dendroecology: Tree-ring Analyses Applied to Ecological Studies Springer Life Sciences Series
Daniels, L.D., R.W. Gray, B. Brett, P.D. Pickell, M.F.J. Pisaric, R.D. Chavardès, G.A. Greene, M.H. Marcoux and V. Comeau. (2017). Disturbance regimes in the maritime to submaritime forests of the south coast of British Columbia: Status of knowledge and understanding Report to the British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Victoria, BC. March 2017. 98p.
Comeau, V. and L.D. Daniels (2017). Is climate causing yellow-cedar decline on Haida Gwaii? (update) Report to British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Nanaimo, BC. March 2017. 15p.
Daniels, L.D., V. Comeau and G. Knochenmus. (2016). Is climate causing yellow-cedar decline on Haida Gwaii? Report on the NSERC Engage collaboration between UBC and Taan Forest. December 2016. 21p.
Daniels, L.D., K. Peterson, B. Eskelson and V. Woodruff (2016). Wildfire effects and post-fire dynamics in coastal forests of British Columbia Report to Ecofish Research Ltd., Squamish, BC and NSERC-Engage, Ottawa, ON
Wong, C.M. and L.D. Daniels (2016). Novel forest decline triggered by multiple interactions among climate, an introduced pathogen and bark beetles Global Change Biology 23: 1926-1941
Chavardes, R.D. and L.D. Daniels (2016). Altered mixed-severity fire regime has homogenized montane forests of Jasper National Park International Journal of Wildland Fire 25: 433-444
Tomscha SA, Sutherland I, Renard D, Gergel SE, Rhemtulla JR, Bennett EM, Daniels LD, Eddy IMS and E Clark (2016). A Guide to Historical Data Sets for Reconstructing Ecosystem Service Change over Time Bioscience 66 (9):747-762
Daniels, L.D and J. Liu. (2016). Age of spruce seedlings from Kluane National Park Report to Yukon Field Unit, Parks Canada Agency. 4p.
Amoroso, M.M., L.D. Daniels, R. Villalba and P. Cherubini (2015). Does drought incite decline and death of Austrocedrus chilensis forests? Journal of Vegetation Science 26: 1171-1183
Chavardes, R.D. and L.D. Daniels (2015). Wildfire Legacies in Jasper National Park. Banchlines 26(1):18-19
Arnett, J.T.T., N.C. Coops, L.D. Daniels, and R.W. Falls. (2015). Detecting Forest Damage after a Low-Severity Fire using Remote Sensing at Multiple Scales International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation. 35: 239–246. doi:10.1016/j.jag.2014.09.013
Marcoux, H.M., L.D. Daniels, S.E. Gergel, E.D. Silva, Z.M. Gedalof and P.F. Hessburg (2015). Differentiating mixed- and high-severity fire regimes in mixed-conifer forests of the Canadian Cordillera Forest Ecology and Management 341, 1 April 2015, Pages 45–58
Axelson. J.N., D.J. Smith, L.D. Daniels and R.I. Alfaro. (2015). Multicentury reconstruction of western spruce budworm outbreaks in central British Columbia, Canada. Forest Ecology and Management 335:235-248
Daniels, L.D.and J. Liu (2015). Effects of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation on yellow-cedar growth and mortality Report to the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. Nanaimo BC. July 2015. 25p.
Daniels, L.D., T. Jackman, I. Jarvis and X. Xu (2015). Analysis of western redcedar growth in a plantation Report to the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. Cowichan Lake Research Station and the Michael Smith Laboratory, UBC, Vancouver. June 2015. 6p.
Daniels, L.D., H. Erasmus, B. Forge, G.A. Greene and S. Lavallee. (2014). Monitoring fire intensity and severity: 2013 prescribed burn at the Westside Unit, Vaseux-Bighorn National Wildlife Area Report to the Canadian Wildlife Service, Delta, BC. October 2014. 28p.
Lori Daniels and Suzie Lavallee (2014). Better safe than sorry: Planning for safe and successful fieldwork Ecological Society of America Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America
Stan, A.B. and L.D. Daniels. (2014). Growth releases across a natural canopy gap-forest gradient in old-growth forests Forest Ecology and Management 313:98-103
Bataineh, M.M. and L.D. Daniels (2014). An objective classification of largewood in streams. Forest Ecology and Management 313:1-9.
Greene, G.A., O.Villemaire-Côté and L.D. Daniels. (2014). Climate change, wildfire and landscape homogenization in western Canada: 2014 Report Report to the Rocky Mountain Trench Society, Cranbrook, BC. March 2014. 13pp.
Maertens, T.B., L.D. Daniels, Z. Gedalof. (2014). Late-winter climate dynamics and extreme weather in stands of declining yellow-cypress. Report to the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. Report to the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. Nanaimo, BC. 15pp.
Daniels, L.D., Z. Gedalof, M.F.J. Pisaric, K.A. Moser, V. Stretch, C. Colin Mustaphi3, R. Chavardes, T. Dinh, E. Davis and H. Marcoux. (2013). Climate change, wildfire and landscape homogenization in western Canada: Research update Report to Foothills Research Institute, Hinton Wood Products and Alberta Newsprint Company. Hinton, AB. 18pp.
L.D. Daniels and A. Dobko. (2013). CSI – Cedar Science Investigations Branchlines 24(3):12-13
Chavardes, R.D., Daniels, L.D., Waeber, P.O., Innes, J.L., and Nitschke, C.R. (2013). Unstable climate-growth relations for white spruce in southwest Yukon, Canada Climatic Change 116: 593-611.
Marcoux, H., Gergel, S.E., and L.D. Daniels (2013). Mixed-severity fire regimes: How well are they represented by existing fire-regime classification systems? Canadian Journal of Forest Research. Volume: 43 Issue: 7 Pages: 658-668 Published: JUL 2013
Thorpe, H.C. and L.D. Daniels (2012). Long-term trends in tree mortality rates in the Alberta foothills driven by stand development Canadian Journal of Forest Research 42: 1687-1696. (Editor's Choice Award)
Amoroso, M.M., M.L. Suarez, and L.D. Daniels (2012). <EM>Nothofagus dombeyi</EM> regeneration in declining <EM>Austrocedrus chilensis</EM> forests: effects of overstory mortality and climatic events Dendrochonologia 30: 105-112.
Amoroso, M.M., L.D. Daniels and B.C. Larson (2012). Radial growth decline in Austrocedrus chilensis forests in Northern Patagonia. Forest Ecology and Management 265: 62-70.
Jones, E.L. and L.D. Daniels (2012). Assessment of dendrochronological year-of-death estimates using permanent sample plot data Tree Ring Research 68: 3-16.
Daniels, L.D. and H. Erasmus (2012). Wildfire Management: Challenges in a changing environment Branchlines, Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver
Daniels, L.D. (2012). Ages of selected whitebark pine and limber pine growing in Waterton Lakes National Park. Report to Parks Canada Agency. March 2012. 21p.
Daniels, L.D. and Z. Gedalof (2012). Mixed-severity fire regimes in the dry forests of British Columbia: historical reconstructions using tree-ring evidence. Report to Ecosystem Restoration, Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Victoria, BC. March 2012. 21p.
Chavardès, R.D., Daniels, L.D., Waeber, P.O., Innes, J.L. and Nitschke, C.R. (2012). Did the 1976-77 switch in the Pacific Decadal Oscillation make white spruce in the southwest Yukon more susceptible to spruce bark beetle? The Forestry Chronicle 88: 513-518
Soverel, N.O., Coops, N.C., Perrakis, D.B., Daniels, L., & Gergel, S. (2011). The transferability of a dNBR derived model to predict burn severity across ten wildland fires in Western Canada. International Journal of Wildland Fire. 20: 1 - 14
McLane, S.C., Daniels, L.D., and S.N. Aitken (2011). Climate impacts on lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) radial growth in a provenance experiment Forest Ecology and Management 262: 115-123.
Amoroso, M.M., L.D. Daniels, M. Bataineh and D.W. Andison (2011). Evidence of mixed severity fire in the Foothills of the Rocky Mountains of west-central Alberta, Canada Forest Ecology and Management 262: 2240-2249.
Daniels, L.D., T.B. Maertens, A.B. Stan, S.P.J. McCloskey, J.D. Cochrane and R.W. Gray (2011). Direct and indirect impacts of climate change on forests: three case studies from British Columbia. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology 33:108-116.
Malanson, G.P., L.M. Resler, M.Y. Bader, F.K. Holtmeier, D.R. Butler, D.J. Weiss, L.D. Daniels, D.B. Fagre (2011). Mountain treelines: a roadmap for research orientation Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 43: 167-177.
Maertens, T.B., Stan, A.B., C. Wootnon, L.D. Daniels, B. Klinkenberg, and S. Zeglan (2011). Investigative pathology: spatial and temporal patterns of Nootka cypress decline in British Columbia Proceedings of the Annual WIFDWC Meeting, Leavenworth, WA, October 2011.
Daniels, L.D. Z. Gedlaof, M.F.J. Pisaric, C.J., Courtney Mustaphi, E. DaSilva, H. Marcoux, V. Mather, J. Nesbitt, E. Paul-Limoges, Jl. Perrault, C. Steele. (2011). Historic climate-fire-vegetation interactions of the west versus east Kootenays: implications of climate change and fire suppression Report to Tembec Industries, R.W. Consulting Inc., B.A. Blackwell and Associates, BC Ministry of Natural Resource Opersionas, and BC Parks. July 2011. 33p.