Trees as indicators of past climates and forest dynamics in Central Canada

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The research focuses on how environmental factors (e.g., climate, insect, disease, fire) affect tree growth and tree-ring formation. In Canada, trees produce annual tree rings and often live for many centuries. We can thus utilize them or their tree-ring characteristics to reconstruct conditions prior to recording by instruments. This capability allows us for example to gain information on climate variability prior to European settlement. To do so however, we need a clear understanding of how today's environmental conditions affect tree growth in various species and habitats. This research goes from studying wood anatomy to the quantification of the impact of large scale phenomena like insect outbreaks, forest fires, and climate extremes. Tree-ring research not only allows for a better understanding of growth but it also allows to foresee how future environmental changes brought by human activities and/or natural variations may impact Canadians and their environment. This research mainly focuses on central Canada.