This article forms part of a Black History Month initiative led by Samuel Adeyanju, a UBC Forestry PhD student, with support from the Faculty of Forestry Alumni Engagement Office and the Communications team. Please reach out to Sam samuel.adeyanju@ubc.ca to connect or learn more.
By Sarah Ripplinger, Faculty of Forestry Dean’s Office writer
Meet Shalom Addo-Danso. A leader in research advancement, Shalom’s work is informing national forest policy and shepherding the next generation of ecologists, especially those in Africa.
Dr. Shalom D. Addo-Danso (PhD(Forestry)’17) is a Senior Research Scientist at the CSIR – Forestry Research Institute of Ghana. He holds a BSc in Natural Resource Management, Silviculture and Forest Management from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology; an MSc in Forest Ecology and Management from Albert-Ludwigs University; and a PhD in Forestry from UBC Forestry. His research interests range from forest ecology to ecological restoration, agroecology, climate change, biodiversity conservation, land use changes, functional ecology and plant-soil interactions. Shalom also works as a consultant and youth development advocate and mentor. He currently resides in Ghana with his wife and their four daughters.
What drew you to the study of forestry?
Forestry is an important part of Ghana’s national economy. A lot of individuals and communities depend on the services and products that the forest provides. The study of forestry gave me an avenue to generate knowledge and data to help manage forests sustainably and address some of the key environmental issues that we are facing in the world, such as climate change. It is also a platform through which to support improvements in and for local communities.
Why did you decide to complete your PhD at UBC Forestry?
Mainly, I selected UBC Forestry because of its reputation as a top forestry school for research and academics. I had the privilege of having two wonderful supervisors, UBC Forestry Profs. Cindy Prescott and Rob Guy, to support my PhD work. Vancouver, and British Columbia in general, is also a beautiful place to live and study.
What was the focus of your PhD?
My research focused on how biomass and carbon dynamics recover and return to normal functioning following logging or other land use changes within the complex dynamic of tropical forest ecosystems. This research has policy implications in that protecting logged forest spaces can potentially promote the return of essential ecosystem services in support of communities and individuals. In Ghana, only around 10% of forested areas are primary forest. The rest has been logged. Yet, logged forest areas can provide climate change mitigation and water source protection services. My research found that an almost complete recovery of tropical forest ecosystem service functioning — similar to what is found in old growth tropical forests — can occur within 54 years after being logged.
Why did you pursue forestry research science as a career?
The simplest answer is that I love science, research and transferring ideas and knowledge to others. I see science as a pathway to improve people’s lives and make our world a better place within which to live.
What are your greatest career accomplishments so far?
One example would be a first-of-its-kind project in Africa that I’m working on right now in collaboration with a colleague in the United Kingdom. Our goal is to track forest response to climate change in Ghana using a weather station and thermal imaging cameras. This work is helping us understand the forest, and shaping a long-term view of how it is responding to climate change. The project is likewise establishing infrastructure to facilitate further research advancement and data collection in Ghana.
Another source of pride is my consultation work on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Restoration Barometer, which tracks the progress countries are making to meet forest restoration goals set out in the Bonn Challenge [“a global goal to bring 150 million hectares of degraded and deforested landscapes into restoration by 2020 and 350 million hectares by 2030”]. I synthesized data on Ghana from 2010 to 2021 to provide information on the state of the country’s efforts towards meeting its commitment to the Bonn Challenge.
What advice would you give to up-and-coming forestry students?
Be committed to what you do. People favour persistent and consistent people who strive for excellence. No matter what you do and no matter where you may be in the world, you have to pursue excellence. Another piece of advice is to have mentors whom you look up to. Throughout my academic and professional career, I have had the privilege of learning from exceptional mentors who have helped me get to where I am today. Also, network with others to build relationships. These can take you far.
I understand that you run a youth mentoring organisation. Can you tell me about it and what it does?
In 2022, I founded the Level Up non-profit annual event in Ghana. The event gives youth a space and platform to interact with industry professionals to help them enter the workforce or grow in their careers, as well as to help people generate ideas and collaborate.
What do you do to unwind?
I love listening to music. I also enjoy reading, and am currently making my way through the book Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends and Colleagues by David Bradford and Carole Robin. I was drawn to this book because I believe in the importance of honing communication and leadership skills to be better equipped to engage in networking opportunities and share information with others.