Vulnerability and resilience of sugar maple forests to climatic and biotic stress
Description
Sugar maple-dominated forests are central to northern hardwood ecosystems in northeastern North America and support major ecological, economic, and cultural functions, notably through maple syrup production and hardwood timber production. However, the health of sugar maple forests is increasingly threatened by the accumulation of climatic and biotic stressors, including droughts, late frosts, defoliation events, invasive biotic agents, and shifts in forest composition.
This project aims to develop an integrated approach to quantify, map, and anticipate the vulnerability and resilience of sugar maple forests to climatic and biotic stress. By combining annual and intra-annual growth measurements from dendrometers and tree rings with climate data, lidar- and satellite-based remote sensing, the project will examine how stressors translate into growth anomalies and growth patterns, and how these responses vary along environmental, structural, and biotic gradients. These data will provide the basis for modelling growth responses, assessing decline and mortality risk, and identifying the environmental, structural, and biotic factors that shape tree sensitivity and recovery capacity. Ultimately, this approach will support the mapping of vulnerability and decline risk across large forest landscapes dominated by sugar maple, helping to reconstruct past growth trajectories and anticipate future forest dynamics under global change.
Research Field
- Forest Resilience
- Climate Vulnerability
- Maple Syrup Production (Acériculture) (ou Maple Syrup Forestry selon le contexte)
- Dendrochronology
- Remote Sensing (LiDAR and Satellite Data)
- Biotic and Abiotic Stressors
- Spatiotemporal Modeling
- Forest Growth
- Global Change
- Stand Mortality and Decline (ou Forest Stand Mortality and Decline)
Research Supervisors
Loïc D'Orangeville
Alexandre Morin-Bernard
Research Environment
Research Chair in Maple Syrup Production and Sugar Maple Forest Management, Department of Wood and Forest Sciences, Université Laval; metafor research collective.
The selected candidate will join the Research Chair in Maple Syrup Production and Sugar Maple Forest Management at Université Laval, whose mission is to support the sustainable development of the maple syrup sector by improving knowledge of the dynamics, productivity, and resilience of sugar maple forests in a context of global change.
The candidate will also join metafor, Université Laval's research collective on forest adaptation, which brings together researchers, students, and research professionals working at the interface of remote sensing, dendrochronology, silviculture, forest ecology, and modelling.
Web Site
Financial Aid Available by Program of Study
Doctorate in Forestry Science
Program descriptionFinancial Aid Available*
Financial Aid Related to Research Project
$30000 per year for 4 years.
Postdoctoral Position: 18 months, CAD $75,000 annually.
Program-Specific Financial Aid
Graduate Studies Awards
| Milestone |
Amount |
Doctoral exam and submission of research proposal by the end of the 4th semester
|
$4,500 |
Favorable report from the supervising committee by the end of the 7th semester
|
$3,000 |
Initial dissertation submission by the end of the 9th semester
|
$5,800 |
Publication of an article in a scientific journal by the end of the 6th semester
|
$1,450 |
| Total |
$14,750 |
Université Laval: Student Financial Aid
Supplemental Tuition Fee Exemption Scholarship Program: Entitles international students to pay Canadian student tuition fees, for overall savings of around $45,000.
* Amounts shown represent maximum financial aid available. Certain conditions apply. Subject to change without prior notice. For further information, contact sponsoring organizations directly.
Desired Profile
- Agroforestry
- Forestry
- Wood Engineering
- Geomatics Engineering
- Natural and landscaped environment
- Forest Management and Environment
Requirements and Conditions
Essential qualifications
For the postdoctoral fellowship
- Completed or nearly completed PhD in forest sciences, ecology, remote sensing, geomatics, environmental sciences, data science, or a related discipline.
- Experience analyzing spatial, temporal, or ecological data.
- Scientific programming skills, ideally in R or Python.
- Ability to write scientific manuscripts and work independently.
For the PhD position
- Completed or nearly completed MSc in forest sciences, ecology, remote sensing, geomatics, environmental sciences, data science, or a related discipline.
- Strong interest in quantitative research and interdisciplinary approaches.
- Experience or strong interest in data analysis using R or Python.
Assets
- Experience in dendrochronology, tree-ring analysis, or dendrometer data.
- Experience with satellite image time series, LiDAR, or other remote sensing data.
- Knowledge of temperate hardwood forests, sugar maple forests, or maple syrup production systems.
Required Documentation
- Cover letter
- Curriculum vitæ
- Student transcript
Interested candidates are invited to send the following documents:
- a cover letter describing their research interests and fit with the project;
- a curriculum vitae;
- academic transcripts, for PhD applicants;
- a writing sample, such as a publication, report, or thesis chapter, if available;
- contact information for two references.
Find Out More
Loïc D'Orangeville
Professeur
Faculté de foresterie, de géographie et de géomatique
loic.dorangeville@sbf.ulaval.ca