Faculty of Forestry

Review of Elephant Hill fire calls for Indigenous leadership in wildfire management and recovery

Four years after the Elephant Hill megafire burned more than 190,000 hectares and destroyed over 100 homes in B.C.’s south-central Interior region, a new Indigenous-led report is recommending fundamental changes to the way wildfire management and post-fire recovery is conducted in B.C.

Dec 6, 2021

Juvenile gorilla beringei. Credit: Douglas Sheil/CIFOR

A planet without apes? New research highlights danger to gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos in shifting habitats

New analysis published today reveals that if the pressures on great ape habitat remain unchecked, Africa’s great apes could lose between 85 and 94 per cent of their range by the year 2050. Jacqueline Sunderland-Groves, a great ape expert in UBC’s faculty of forestry explains what can be done to ensure the long-term survival of gorillas, chimpanzees and other great apes.

Jun 7, 2021

Migrating sockeye salmon. Credit: Dr. Scott Hinch

Female salmon are dying at higher rates than male salmon

Female adult sockeye from the Fraser River are dying at significantly higher rates than their male counterparts on the journey back to their spawning grounds, finds new UBC research.

Mar 24, 2021

SISȻENEM (Halibut Island). Credit: Tara Martin/UBC

Culturally significant island in Salish Sea returns to W̱SÁNEĆ First Nations

On Friday, February 26, SISȻENEM—a culturally important island located in the Salish Sea off Sidney Island—will be returned to its rightful owners.

Feb 26, 2021

The Fraser River estuary is the largest on the Pacific coast of North America. Credit: Connor Stefanison

It’s not too late to save 102 species at risk of extinction

The Fraser River estuary in British Columbia is home to 102 species at risk of extinction. A new study says it’s not too late to save these species if action is taken now.

Nov 26, 2020

Camera traps show impact of recreational activity on wildlife

The COVID-19 pandemic has fired up interest in outdoor activities in our parks and forests. Now a new UBC study highlights the need to be mindful of how these activities may affect wildlife living in protected areas.

Sep 24, 2020

UBC Forestry professor receives ‘Nobel Prize’ of forest research

The Faculty of Forestry at UBC has announced faculty member and Canada Research Chair in Remote Sensing, Nicholas Coops, is the recipient of the world’s most prestigious forestry honour, the Marcus Wallenberg Prize.

Apr 28, 2020

The ringed plover and red salamander are two species that have more than 50 per cent of their distribution in Canada fall within Indigenous-managed lands.

Biodiversity highest on Indigenous-managed lands

More than one million plant and animal species worldwide are facing extinction, according to a recent United Nations report. Now, a new UBC-led study suggests that Indigenous-managed lands may play a critical role in helping species survive.

Jul 31, 2019

UBC scientists find high mutation rates generating genetic diversity within huge, old-growth trees

The towering, hundred-year-old Sitka spruce trees growing in the heart of Vancouver Island’s Carmanah Valley appear placid and unchanging.

Jul 8, 2019

Cellulose nanocrystals used for bone implants. Photo: Clare Kiernan/UBC

From foam to bone: Plant cellulose can pave the way for healthy bone implants

Researchers from the University of British Columbia and McMaster University have developed what could be the bone implant material of the future: an airy, foamlike substance that can be injected into the body and provide scaffolding for the growth of new bone.

Mar 19, 2019

Surveying the fury: drones count the costs of the 2017 B.C. wildfires

Researchers at the University of British Columbia are using drones to survey the aftermath of the 2017 wildfires in B.C.

Dec 15, 2017

Trees can make or break city weather

Even a single urban tree can help moderate wind speeds and keep pedestrians comfortable as they walk down the street, according to a new UBC study.

Jul 26, 2017

UBC researcher sees future for flax and hemp as particleboard alternative

Wood scientist Solace Sam-Brew envisions a future where Canadian homes are furnished with products made from flax and hemp.

Apr 10, 2017

UBC students step up to Ikea hacking

Wood science students at UBC have become Ikea hackers, transforming $20 Bekväm step stools into refined furniture pieces.

Apr 3, 2017

UBC PhD student recycles chopsticks for home décor startup

A research interest in bamboo and a love for sushi has inspired a UBC student to launch a line of home décor products made from recycled chopsticks.

Sep 15, 2016

UBC researchers use augmented reality to teach kids about climate change

While Pokémon Go has helped to bring augmented reality to everyday life, UBC researchers are using similar technology to teach high school students about climate change.

Sep 13, 2016

African bird shows signs of evil stepdad behaviour

An African desert-dwelling male bird favours his biological sons and alienates his stepsons, suggests research published today in Biology Letters.

Aug 24, 2016

UBC prof creates swimming buoy out of ‘nature’s foam’

UBC wood scientist Phil Evans has created a pull buoy for swimming out of balsa wood, a more environmentally-friendly material than the foam that is typically used.

Jun 29, 2016

The fight to keep a rare woodpecker in Canada

Nestled high in the remote mountainside trees of southern British Columbia, a rare bird is disappearing.

May 31, 2016 - by Corey Allen

Salmon smolts find safety in numbers

Using tags surgically implanted into thousands of juvenile salmon, UBC researchers have discovered that many fish die within the first few days of migration from their birthplace to the ocean.

May 9, 2016