UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship congratulates Salar Ghotb on receiving the David Martell Graduate Student Paper Prize at the Canadian Operational Research Society (CORS) Annual Conference, held in London, Ontario from June 3 to June 5, 2024.
About Salar’s Research
Dr. Salar Ghotb is a PhD student in the Department of Wood Science. His thesis is on the “Optimization of log logistics at the operational level considering sorting decisions and synchronization requirements.”
About the Canadian Operational Research Society
The Canadian Operational Research Society (CORS) is the leading Canadian professional society for operational researchers. Established in 1958, CORS brings together OR professionals with annual conferences held across Canada, special interest groups, traveling speaker programs, and student support. CORS sponsors the INFOR journal, an ISI-listed journal focusing on operations research, operations management, analytics, and information systems and also publishes the CORS Bulletin, a newsletter of the Society and related activities. CORS also represents the Canadian OR community in the International Federation of Operational Research Societies (IFORS).
About 10th David Martell Student Paper Prize in Forestry
This award recognizes outstanding scientific contributions on the theory, methodology and/or practice of OR in forestry by an undergraduate, a graduate student or a postdoctoral. The competition is for the best student paper submitted, published or accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal in the two years before the year of the competition. The award was named in honour of Professor Martell for his outstanding contributions to the development and application of OR in forestry in Canada and beyond as well as for his many contributions to the COR Society.
A longstanding history of giving to world-class forestry research, education and community outreach
After the Second World War forced Paul and Edwina Heller to leave their home in Warsaw, Poland, in 1941, they found a new one in Vancouver, BC.
The family thrived, with Paul revamping what became the highly successful Pacific Pine and Company lumber business with his brother, Sam. Paul had graduated with an engineering degree from the Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge, England, and found this skill set was well-suited to the millions of acres of forest covering BC.
“Being an engineer, my father used the forestry experience he gained in Poland to optimize Pacific Pine’s sawmill production, upgrading its functionality and techniques, and making great changes to the operation of the mill,” says Dr. Irene Bettinger, one of Paul and Edwina’s two daughters.
In the late 1980s, the Hellers established the Paul Heller Fellowship in Forestry to commemorate Paul’s 75th birthday, beginning a longstanding tradition of giving to UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship. After the passing of Edwina in 2012 at age 97 and Paul a year later at age 101, the Edwina and Paul Heller Memorial Fund and the Fellowship at UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship were established.
As the trustee of her parents’ estate, Irene utilizes Heller funds to support the changing world of wood science.
“The funds are directed to UBC Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship Wood Sciences Department in support of education and research that are responding to evolving needs in the forestry profession and broader community,” states Irene. “Engineering was my father’s lifeblood. He enjoyed the intellectual thought process of working towards more innovative ways to make changes to production and management; and, I believe he would have reveled in how UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship students and faculty are developing novel approaches and processes.”
Support that is moving wood science forward
A distinguishing feature of the Heller Fund is its flexibility. Department of Wood Science faculty members Prof. Scott Renneckar, Asst. Prof. Cristiano Loss and Assoc. Prof. Julie Cool have the flexibility to direct Heller funding to hard-to-fill financial gaps, such as field work, Spring 2024 | Branchlines 26 miscellaneous equipment needs, conference attendance and student recruitment and retention.
“The Heller Fund is open for the professor to use as they see fit to advance their specific area of research,” says Emma Tully, Asst. Dean of Development, Alumni and External Relations. “I guess you could call this ‘trustbased philanthropy’, where the donor trusts the organization to make the best use of their support to the stated field for maximum impact.”
For example, Heller funding supported UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship Asst. Prof. Julie Cool’s research into sawmill optimization, enabling the research team to purchase essential equipment and conduct data analysis.
“Heller funds supported the paid work of two UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship graduate students who analyzed existing data on the sawing process and collected new data from sensors during the cutting process,” notes Julie. “This data could further advance the optimization and control of sawmilling processes to maximize log utilization, increase product value and decrease production costs associated with such things as maintenance and energy consumption to ensure a sustainable forest industry.”
Scott directed Heller funds to costs associated with open-access rights to his publications, as well as to international conference attendance for UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship students assisting with his research and the wages of some of his research associates. Funds also made possible “collaborations with scientists from other faculties, such as Microbiology, which has opened doors to the exploration of new research areas,” says Scott, who is a Canada Research Chair in Advanced Renewable Materials.
Muzaffer Karaaslan, a research associate working in Scott’s lab, was able to participate in Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada-supported research projects thanks to the additional support from the Heller Fund. This included an innovative collaboration with Domtar, a sustainable paper company, into the production of carbon aerogels from lignin for energy storage applications.
“This experience enhanced my research skills, problem-solving abilities and interdisciplinary collaboration,” states Muzaffer. “It also provided relevant experience and a strong professional network to prepare me for success as I continue to pursue academic or industry contributions that push the boundaries of knowledge, solve complex problems and translate research findings into practical solutions that benefit society.”
Building student success
Rojini Kathiravel
The Heller Fellowship has also ventured outside the world of wood science to support other labs at UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship, including graduate students in the labs of UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship Asst. Prof. Haibo Feng and Dominik Roeser, Assoc. Dean, Research Forests & Community Outreach. This support relieves some of the financial burden on bright young minds, such as Master of Science in Forestry students Rojini Kathiravel and Zexi Liu (BSF’23).
After completing her degree at UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship, Rojini is aiming for a career in the engineering industry. Under the direction of Haibo, Rojini’s graduate research has focused on engineering and construction, including timber structures and sustainable timber modelling.
Zexi Liu
Zexi has conducted research with Assoc. Prof. Dominik Roeser in the Forest Action Lab, which supports sustainable forest management through innovation, research and development initiatives. Zexi worked on a research paper on the use of very-high-resolution imagery to calculate the slash pile burning occurrence rate in the province, and is currently validating the quantity measurements and assessing the quality of forest biomass with advanced technologies for his master’s thesis.
“My goal is to optimize forest biomass utilisation in BC by considering the ecological, economic and social interaction,” says Zexi. “The Heller scholarship helps me to better concentrate on my studies.”
“The generosity of the Heller family has inspired me to help others and give back to the community,” adds Rojini. “I hope one day that I will be able to help students achieve their goals just as they have helped me.”
To learn more about how you can give to UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship, contact Emma Tully, Asst. Dean of Development and External Relations, at emma.tully@ubc.ca or 604.822.8716.
This article was originally published in the Spring 2024 issue of Branchlines Magazine. View the full issue here.
Resource Technologist Co-op – BC Ministry of Forests
This summer, I’m delighted to return to my position as a Resource Technologist with the Ministry of Forests in Merritt, BC. Building on the valuable experience and enjoyment I found last year, I’ve eagerly chosen to continue contributing to the impactful work of the Wildfire Risk Reduction (WRR) program. This type of work requires good project management and collaboration skills as you often engage with several groups including First Nations communities. Contracting is another important piece that I have helping out with.
In addition to WRR, I have been more involved in the silviculture side of things. For example, I am currently working to develop a local spatial geodatabase that tracks polygons in areas of interest that have been laid out or planted. I am thankful for the courses I took at UBC that helped me develop my GIS abilities as I regularly use ArcMap or ArcGIS pro for creating maps among other things. I have also gone out and conducted free growing assessments which evaluate the success of reforestation efforts after an area has been logged.
Additionally, I continue to play a role in the Forest and Range Evaluation program (FREP), assessing sites for values such as water quality and stand retention. This program supports our commitment to evaluating the effectiveness of forestry practices under the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA), reinforcing our dedication to sustainable forest management practices.
Returning to this role allows me to further develop professionally while reinforcing my dedication to environmental stewardship and community engagement. I look forward to another productive summer, collaborating with a passionate team and making meaningful contributions to forest management initiatives.
My name is Ivy Guo and I am working at the Prince George office of Forsite Consultants Ltd. for my second and third co-op work term. Forsite Consultants Ltd. is a large forestry consulting company that operates within the province of British Columbia and other various provinces around Canada.
For my current job, I assist my supervisor and co-workers in day-to-day tasks relating to various Forsite projects. These consisted of timber cruising, forest reconnaissance, and forest layout.
I gained unique professional field experience at Forsite at Prince George, and I am looking forward to more unique experiences during my next few months.
For the first few weeks working as a Parks Laborer with the Shade Trees Team at the City of Surrey, I have been inspecting tree wells to ensure they have adequate granular material surrounding them and to verify that the tree bases are in safe condition. My inspection provides contractors with the necessary information to improve the conditions of the tree bases and promote tree health.
In addition, I have gained experience using a tensiometer to measure the soil moisture of trees. This is important for newly planted street trees, ensuring they receive enough water to establish and thrive.
Through these tasks, I have developed a deeper understanding of the essential role of proper tree maintenance in supporting healthy street trees to enhance the urban ecosystem.
UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship is proud to be sending our largest delegation to date to attend the IUFRO World Congress in Stockholm, Sweden from June 23-29.
This event, held by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations, is a global platform for forest science collaboration and innovation. Our faculty and students will be presenting cutting-edge research, participating in discussions on sustainable forest management, and networking with leading experts from around the world. Join us as we contribute to shaping the future of forestry at this landmark conference.
UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship Booth
UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship welcomes all to visit our booth #A04:20 to chat with current faculty and students or to collect materials about our programs and research.
In addition to our UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship booth, we will be represented at the IUFRO Canada Education booth #A01:10.
Keynote Speaker – Sally Aitken
Sally Aitken, Professor in the Department of Forest and Conservation Science at UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship, is a keynote speaker at this year’s IUFRO World Congress. Her presentation titled Valuing Diversity in Uncertain Times is on Theme 3 (Friday) of the conference, Forest Biodiversity and its Ecosystem Services. Read the summary of her presentation below.
“With unprecedented rates of climate change and uncertainty around future abiotic and abiotic conditions, species and seed-source decisions for reforestation are challenging. At the same time, we are counting on healthy managed forests to provide carbon sequestration, habitat for biodiversity, and a multitude of other ecosystem services. New approaches informing forest management and conservation decision-making will be discussed that integrate climate, species distribution, and genetic models.”
IUFRO Scientific Achievement Awards
We’re thrilled to have two UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship professors receiving IUFRO Scientific Achievement Awards at this year’s event.
Dr. Shannon Hagerman
Dr. Hagerman is an internationally recognized scholar in the interdisciplinary field of social-ecological systems. Her work addresses climate change and the role that forest interventions can play in adaptation and mitigation efforts. Her pioneering research on social aspects of emerging novel environmental interventions for forest management, including assisted migration of tree species, identified the interacting roles of values, trust, and the politics of knowledge, and blazed the trail for a new line of scholarly inquiry at the nexus of climate change and forests.
Through her innovative methodological approach, Dr. Hagerman’s research demonstrates the complex ways that people make sense of novel environmental risks, and how over time, decision logics about intervening in nature are changing along with the environment itself. Her work provides crucial insights for policy makers who might otherwise misdiagnose forest controversies as stemming from a lack of public support for forest interventions when, in fact, concern from publics and communities often has more to do with who is making the decisions, who is benefitting, and the types of knowledge that are considered (or not).
Dr. Cindy Prescott
Dr. Prescott is a world leader in decomposition, carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, and nutrient availability in forest soils. Her research is both theoretically groundbreaking and has important practical implications. She has elevated the importance of sustainable carbon and nutrient management in forests and has recommended forestry practices based on her research findings. Her recent publications presenting the scientific basis for plant surplus carbon underlying many ecological phenomena are paradigm changing.
Her research has improved our scientific understanding of the interactions between trees and the belowground ecosystem, and the influences of forestry practices on soil organic matter and nutrient availability. It has also improved our ability to restore forests on poor or degraded soils.
IUFRO Student Award for Excellence in Forest Science
Liam Gilson’s research, published in their M.Sc. thesis and subsequent peer-reviewed publication, contributes incremental science towards understanding responses of a tree species to environmental conditions outside those in its current geographic range. Their work therefore contributes to building strategies for mitigating effects of climate change on a very important tree species both ecologically and commercially.
Their research helps fill a gap in fundamental research on identifying climatic factors that explain growth differences observed at a wide range of geographic scales. Liam Gilson’s current research seeks to create climate-sensitive growth and mortality models for interior spruce (Picea glauca X Picea engelmanii), a species of commercial and cultural importance in British Columbia, Canada.
UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship presentations at IUFRO World Forest Congress
From Monday to Friday, UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship delegation will present on topics ranging from forest therapy, strategic forest management, urban forestry and more.
Here is a detailed breakdown of all UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship presentations:
Date & Time
Room
Session
Title
Speaker
Monday, June 24, 12:45 – 12:50 PM
Poster Stand 1
[Poster session 1] – S1.3 Forests in a changing world – impacts on carbon and nutrient dynamics
Spruce and aspen density treatments within the boreal forests and their effects on soil carbon and nutrients
Dr. Guanyu Wang and his team are hosting two guided forest therapy walks in addition to their sessions. All are welcome to attend the walk but registration is required.
Dates: June 25 & 27
Time: 6:30 -7:30 PM
Location: Prästgårdsparken, 12 minutes walk from Stockholmsmässan
When: Tuesday, June 18, 2024 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM Where: Online & In Person (Centre for Advanced Wood Processing Caseroom – Room 2916 | Forest Sciences Centre)
This event is free and will be held virtually and in person. Lunch will be provided to the first 20 in-person attendees and granted on a first-come, first-served basis. Please bring your own drink.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an approach to course design and delivery that aims to maximize learning outcomes by fostering accessibility and inclusivity in the learning space. In practice, UDL means that all course participants are appropriately challenged by the learning materials regardless of their barriers to engagement, and it should result in a greater number of expert learners by the end of the course. Some of the principles of UDL were implemented in “Tree and Stand-Level Measurements” (FRST 239), a course which involves extensive mathematics and physical hands-on learning. Over the past year, two representatives from Forestry (Lee Salmon and Frederick Qi) participated in the UBC UDL Fellows Program to enhance this course. Join us for this seminar to learn more about UDL’s implementation in FRST 239, with an emphasis on what barriers to learning were addressed, the solutions deployed, whether these solutions were successful in developing expert learners, and what could be incorporated into other courses within the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship.
Lee Salmon is a professional forester who specializes in forest development planning and management. These practice areas are his passion and represent his core teaching interests. Coming from a professional background, his teaching approach is centered around experiential and active learning. Lee is committed to preparing students for their careers after UBC while improving himself as a teacher.
Frederick Qi works as the Teaching & Educational Technology Specialist in Forestry’s Teaching & Learning Support Team. He supports teaching teams in exploring and implementing a diverse range of educational technologies, and is committed to facilitating an accessible, inclusive, and engaging learning environment.
UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship is pleased to congratulate Dr. Warren Cardinal-McTeague on being named Canadian Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Governance and Environmental Relations.
About Warren’s Research
Warren’s research centres on plant biodiversity, Indigenous relationships with the land, and the monitoring of ecosystem health and function. His work seeks to address questions about how plant biodiversity has evolved, and how we might use that information for trait improvement and environmental sustainability. As an Assistant Professor in the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, Warren’s approach to research and teaching blends together science, art, Indigenous perspectives (specifically Métis and Cree), and the decolonial return of land and lifeways.
About Canada Research Chairs Program (CRCP)
The Canada Research Chairs Program (CRCP) enables Canadian universities to achieve the highest levels of research excellence and become world-class research centres. Chairholders aim to achieve research excellence in engineering, natural sciences, health sciences, humanities, and social sciences. Their contributions deepen our knowledge and quality of life, bolster Canada’s international competitiveness, and help facilitate the training of future skilled professionals through teaching, student supervision, and collaboration with fellow researchers.
The NSERC Discovery Grant Program is a competitive grant program supporting basic discovery research at Canadian universities in the natural sciences and engineering.
A new proposal has emerged in response to the November 2021 floods that swept Sumas Prairie in the Fraser Valley, causing mass evacuations and millions in damages.
Highway 1, Sumas flood by Dru! available under a Creative Commons license.
New paper finds restoring the lake will help in climate adaptation, endangered species restoration and Indigenous reconciliation
A new proposal has emerged in response to the November 2021 floods that swept Sumas Prairie in the Fraser Valley, causing mass evacuations and millions in damages.
Instead of rebuilding the dykes to manage water flows and prevent future floods, scientists at UBC, along with members of the Sumas First Nation and other research partners, suggest an alternative: let Sumas Lake, which was drained in the early 1920s and converted into the farmland known as Sumas Prairie, return to its natural state.
This can be done by buying out properties on the lakebed – a solution that is projected to cost around $1 billion, less than half of the estimated $2.4 billion cost of repairing the dykes and installing a new pump station.
“Dyke rehabilitation programs tend to assume that future waterflows will be predictable, however climate projections show that flooding events are likely to increase in the future – and the water needs somewhere to go,” says study author Riley Finn, a researcher at the Martin Conservation Decisions Lab at UBC in a paper published today in Frontiers of Conservation Science.
“By restoring Sumas Lake – Semá:th Xhotsa – we can help the region adapt to future floods, facilitating climate resiliency in the long term. It is the most ecologically responsible solution for flood management in the region.”
Ecological reconciliation
The authors note that restoring the lake will also promote healthy food systems and ecological reconciliation, addressing the ongoing harms caused by the loss of the lake to the Semá:th people.
Before its conversion to agricultural land, Sumas Lake supported thriving populations of salmon, sturgeon, ducks, and food and medicinal plants, many of which are now endangered.
Chief Dalton Silver, Sumas First Nation said “For the Semá:th people, the lake represented life and livelihood. In 1924, the lake was drained in an instance of land theft, decimating an ecology that supported a rich and diverse Indigenous food system and replacing it with a settler food system.
“My grandpa used to say that in the Coast Salish Territory, Semá:th was the central location where the people used to gather. The people gathered in the summertime as we had Semá:th Lake that once offered every species of fish right there at the front of our village and in the wintertime, people gathered there from all parts of the Coast Salish Territory for the winter ceremonies.”
Managed retreat
The study integrates Indigenous laws and oral tradition and the concept of “managed retreat” – the purposeful relocation of people and infrastructure to safer areas.
“In a time when climate-change induced flooding is predicted to increase, our study shows that incorporating Indigenous laws and knowledge is essential for developing more sustainable and just solutions,” said Dr. Tara Martin, the study’s senior author and a professor of forest and conservation sciences at UBC. “We need to explore innovative solutions, not just build more dykes.”
Humans seem to want to build bigger and better infrastructure but it is always at the detriment of our ecosystem and environment, added co-author Murray Ned, a member of the Sumas First Nation and executive director of the Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance.
“Mother Nature signaled to us in 1990 and 2021 that the spirit of the Semá:th Xhotsa is alive and well, and ready to return with or without our cooperation. This research demonstrates that there are more economical and logical options that would allow us to reconcile some of the past harms of draining the lake a hundred years ago, and still maintain agricultural opportunities and the farming community in the region,” said Ned.
Interview language(s): English Written by Lou Bosshart via UBC News
