This text is part of the special research section: Climate Issues
As a carbon sink, our forests play an essential role in reducing greenhouse gases (GHG). But how do trees respond to extreme weather events and, on a larger scale, climate change? To answer this question, a networked forest project at the University of Quebec at Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT) will enable the analysis of valuable data in real time.
The study, led by Fabio Gennaretti, professor at the UQAT Forest Research Institute, will assess the distribution and impact of short-term weather events such as droughts and frosts on tree growth. In the Duparquet Lake Teaching and Research Forest (FERLD), located in the middle of the boreal forest of the Canadian Shield, sensors will continuously record a wide range of information and transmit it in real time to a collection center connected to the cellular network.
Ultimately, the information collected should be useful for thinking about better forest management in the context of climate change. Can we expect significant changes in carbon sequestration? What about biodiversity? Availability of wood? Fabio Gennaretti’s team is giving three years to identify response elements for the resilience and resilience of forest ecosystems in the face of the greatest challenge of our century. The professor also holds the Canada Research Chair in Dendroecology and Dendroclimatology, whose mission is to advance knowledge of climate variability and tree functioning in the boreal region.
Valuable information
The data analyzed in this contiguous forest pays particular attention to sap flow. “In trees there is a very distinct diurnal cycle, the movement of the sap is faster during the day and almost completely absent at night,” explains Fabio Gennaretti. This indicates the transpiration rate, which is the amount of water that passes through per square centimeter of wood per second, a phenomenon necessary for temperature regulation and photosynthesis. »
Carbon flux is also analyzed. “This ecosystem measurement is not tied to a specific tree, but represents an assessment of our forest, that is, the balance between all those captured and those released,” adds the professor. It tells us the net productivity of our ecosystem and the ability of the forest to sequester carbon depending on environmental variability. »
The team can also use thermal images to gain information about the vulnerability of trees during periods of drought. For certain selected trees that are deprived of rainwater through a roof, a special system is introduced to place them in a situation of simulated water stress. The results provide information about which species, conifers or deciduous trees, are more or less sensitive.
This content was created by Le Devoir’s Special Publications team, reporting to Marketing. The editors of Le Devoir did not take part.