2005

COURSES TAUGHT
Teaching Assistant for GEOG 307 & 317

I am interested in the drivers of fire that have created complex, multi-cohort stand structure in the Dry Cool Montane Spruce (MSdk) biogeocliamtic subzone of southeastern B.C. My research investigates changes in fire frequency associated with some potential drivers of fire: plot aspect, plot elevation, plot slope angle, plot latitude.

I am addressing three major research questions:

1) Is fire frequency similar in stands with similar structure? Is this frequency well described in our current Natural Disturbance Type's?

2) Spatially: is there a difference in fire frequency between randomly selected stands that are stratified by aspect (warm vs cool)? Or is fire frequency driven by other stand attributes such as elevation, slope angle, solar radiation or latitude.

3) Temporally: Does fire frequency change over time and if so, is this change concurrent with changes in forest land use and/or oscillations in climate?

I had a successful field season in Invermere (summer 2006), all samples are processed and my thesis is nearly complete (touch wood). Thank-you to everyone who has helped in the past two years, I couldn't have done it without your support!!!

Results have been presented at:

Northwest Scientific Association meeting in Victoria, B.C., Feb 21-23, 2007

North American Forest Ecology Workshop in Vancouver, B.C. June 18-22, 2007