Laurentian Forestry Centre

The Laurentian Forestry Centre (LFC) is one of five research centres within the Canadian Forest Service. Its research priorities include:

Forest pests – Improving the control and mitigation methods of insects and diseases that threaten Canada’s forests. Understanding these pests and diseases better will allow earlier detection and enable more effective management responses. The insects of greatest research interest at LFC include spruce budworm, emerald ash borer, mountain pine beetle and hemlock looper, while the diseases of greatest research interest include white pine blister rust, butternut canker, sudden oak death, annosus root rot and butt rot.

Ecosystem dynamics – Advancing our understanding of forest ecosystem dynamics for best forest management practices and policies, and for international reporting. Specific areas of focus include the effects of climate change on forest fires, biodiversity and carbon cycling, as well as the adaptations of individual trees to changing environmental conditions.

Ecogenomics – Increasing our understanding of the genetics of pests and of the genetic diversity of commercial tree species to keep forests healthy and support the Canadian forest sector in the context of climate changes and global market competitiveness. Researchers are looking for ways to rapidly detect trees with desirable wood traits, resistance to pests or to dryness, and the presence of pests or defects in order to better control epidemics or invasions.

Forest productivity – Gaining a better understanding of forest productivity and dynamics in order to support sustainable forest management policies and maintain market access for Canadian forest products. Researchers are also investigating the level of biomass removals that is ecologically sustainable in the bioenergy value chain.