Canada's forests are threatened by global warming, introduced pests, and increased forest use. Biodiversity is a critical aspect of forest health, making forests more resilient to natural and human disturbances. Canadians therefore have a responsibility to better understand and protect it. The main goals of the Forest Insect Biodiversity Team are to understand and conserve biodiversity in Canada's forests and to promote the sustainable use of the forest resource.

This web site introduces the staff and research of the Forest Insect Biodiversity Team.

The Northern Forestry Centre's Forest Insect Biodiversity Team conducts research in five main areas:

1. Systematics and Diagnostics — Identifying and describing insect species and assessing relationships among species.
   
   
2. Faunistics — Taking inventories of insects in the region and charting their hosts and ranges.
   
   
3. Insect Ecology and Management — Understanding insect ecology and management, for both native and introduced pests and determining why some species experience population outbreaks.
   
   
4. Effects of Forest Structure — Assessing the effects of forest structure (e.g., the role of tree density, coarse woody debris, and litter) on individual behavior, population dynamics, and community structure.
   
   
5. Effects of Forest Practices — Assessing the effects of forest harvesting practices on invertebrate biodiversity and comparing them with natural processes such as fire and windthrow.

To support research activities at the Northern Forestry Centre and throughout the Canadian Forest Service, we maintain an extensive arthropod collection from western Canada.

Important Notices