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Research in the rain forest.
World's tallest spruce trees.
Forest plants with surprising properties.
Both MSc and PhD research and training is conducted through the centre.
State-of-the-art greenhouse facilities.
Our mission is to carry out fundamental and applied research in forest biology, and to train graduate students and post-doctoral fellows in this field. We facilitate and coordinate research, provide graduate training opportunities, foster collaboration, and promote the appreciation of the role of forests and trees to the community. The Centre is made up of professors, graduate students, and staff, and we often involve undergraduate students in our research projects.
The research interests of participating faculty are diverse, but emphasize tree-environment interactions and adaptation. Projects focus on tree resistance to pathogens, plant-microbe interactions, biochemical and physiological responses of trees to stress, conifer and poplar genomics, evolution of biochemical pathways, and adaptive responses of forests to climate change. Our research is typically carried out by teams comprised of graduate students, technicians, and post-doctoral fellows.
Many research projects involve collaborations with scientists in government laboratories, including at the federal Pacific Forestry Centre and the B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations, and Rural Development. We foster linkages with the forest industry and private sector laboratories, and work to facilitate the transfer of knowledge to the broader community.
Research is conducted in our faculty member's laboratories, the Glover Greenhouse Research Facility, the Forest Biology Research Compound on Cedar Hill Cross Road, as well as at long-term field sites.
The UVic Centre for Forest Biology is committed to graduate student training and fosters collaborative and interdisciplinary research in forest biology. Because of this, it is essential that we strive to create inclusive research and work spaces. FORB members work together to create an equitable, diverse and inclusive culture. Consistent with this, we acknowledge and respect the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional territory the university stands, and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.