Description: Landscape Ecology Lab, Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia.
remote sensing (205) landscape ecology (11) air photos (5) sarah gergel (1) forest and conservation sciences (1) learning landscape ecology (1) univeristy of british columbia (ubc) (1) univeristy of british columbia (ubc)
Our lab is unified by a curiosity of understanding the impact of human activities on landscape dynamics. We are interested in the implications of landscape change on ecological processes as well as on the ecosystem services on which society depends. We particularly enjoy river and riparian habitats because they are so highly productive, dynamic, and greatly impacted by human activities. However, our research spans a variety of landscapes, both terrestrial and aquatic, from the Arctic to the Tropics.
Depending on the question at hand, our research uses fieldwork, historical aerial photography, modelling, satellite imagery, and interview techniques. Many of our projects employ a long-term perspective in understanding landscape change. We collaborate with managers, First Nations, and other local people who live and depend on the landscapes in which we work. These collaborations happen through the development of research projects of mutual interest, field tours, and educational workshops.
Reexamining the Forest describes our work contrasting ecosystem services of second-growth and old-growth forests. Lab alumnus Ira Sutherland worked closely with members of the Nuch-a-nulth First Nation to assess cultural services in Clayoquot Sound, BC.