U of A research is first to show that growth rate of adult trees is linked to fungal networks colonizing their roots
Being highly connected to a strong social network has its benefits. Now a new University of Alberta study is showing the same goes for trees, thanks to their underground neighbours. The study, published in the Journal of Ecology, is the first to show that the growth of adult trees is linked to their participation in fungal…
Disturbances by humans or nature change the balance of fungi in soil, potentially making it harder for seedlings to regenerate
Disturbances can hit Alberta’s lodgepole pine forests hard – including life under the soil, new University of Alberta research shows. Fungal communities that nourish pine tree roots are being altered by both human-made and natural disturbances, which can stress forests and make it tougher for pine seedlings to regenerate, said Jean Rodriguez Ramos, a PhD…
Governments need to work with First Nations to ensure they have fair access to forest tenure and opportunities for partnerships
When you think of Indigenous engagement in the natural resource economy, you usually think of opportunities in the oil and gas industry or in mining. However, First Nations are increasingly getting involved in commercial forestry. Certain provinces – including Manitoba – have a sizable forest industry that plays a substantial role in the provincial economy.…
The first half of 2019 has been hard for Alberta’s forestry sector, according to data put together by ATB Financial’s Economics & Research Team. In its daily economic update The Owl, the financial institution said exports of wood products were down 20.7 per cent over the first six months of 2019 compared to the first…
Recent sawmill closures have exposed a raft of problems in the industry and government failure to ensure long-term productivity
Recent sawmill closures in British Columbia have brought to light the need for renewed focus on the mismanagement of B.C. forests over the past decades and what to do about it. That mismanagement is having a significant effect on the B.C. and Canadian economies. If you live in the B.C. interior, where more than 820…
About 18,880 Albertans work in the forestry and forest products sector: ATB report
Forestry and forest products contributed $2.2 billion of real gross domestic product to Alberta’s economy in 2018. That’s about 0.7 per cent of total provincial output, according to ATB Financial’s economics and research team. In the financial institution’s The Owl, daily economic update, it said Alberta’s share of the national forestry and forest product sector…