This text is part of the special section Higher Education
Consulting people from the forest industry and First Nations to develop the forests of Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean in a more sustainable way is what the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC) wants to do. With its new Regional Research Observatory on the Boreal Forest, the institution wants to make forest environments more resilient to climate change and other disturbances.
“If we don’t have a healthy forest that doesn’t function well, we will never be able to support the other products that the forest can provide,” says Yan Boucher, co-director of the Boreal Research Center (CREB ) from UQAC. This center oversees the observatory, created last May and which is financed by funds from the Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l’Habitation (MAMH), the Ministère de la Forêt, de la Faune et des Parcs (MFFP) and the First Nations and Inuit Relations Secretariat (SRPNI).
The new observatory is intended to be a round table for the various players in the forest industry, researchers and First Nations. The establishment intends to identify issues related to the forest. The CREB will then conduct research to ensure sustainable development and better resilience of boreal flora. “This is the region where we see the greatest savings associated with forestry,” recalls the man who is also a professor in the Department of Basic Sciences at UQAC.
Everything is done in collaboration with the various parties, but also with the Aboriginal people present on the territory, namely the communities of Pessamit, Essipit and Mashteuiatsh. “We really want to create a solid link with the First Nations, target their needs and implement a sustainable development strategy,” says the centre’s co-director.
Research on several fronts
What will the boreal forest look like in a context of climate change, fires and insect epidemics? “It’s important when you want a healthy forest that will last over time,” says the researcher.
The research carried out at CREB aims to protect environments against several scourges. More frequent fires, epidemics spreading to areas further north than in the past… Such changes will have an impact on the ability of forests to regenerate, adds the researcher.
Some studies therefore aim to make forests more able to renew themselves after a fire. “If there are too many fires, some places will turn into forest moors,” fears Mr. Boucher. Studies are also carried out on the consequences of harmful insects, such as spruce budworms, or on the growth and mortality of the canopy.
In terms of climate, some teams are also looking into the effects of forest carbon, the consequences of practices such as logging and fires on the diversity of birds. “We are looking at the impact of disturbances, whether natural or not, and of forest management on the carbon balance of our forests,” adds Mr. Boucher.
Discover new molecules
In addition to focusing on the preservation of the boreal canopy, researchers aim to make new breakthroughs, particularly in the medical field, by finding novel molecules. “We are going to see different types of plants and we are going to try to discover substances that can treat certain diseases, including certain cancers”, illustrates the co-director.
Certain studies are also carried out with the First Nations in order to identify the essential plants for the native pharmacopoeia. “We have a lot of chemists who focus on identifying molecules from the boreal forest. This is an important part of the work carried out at the Boreal Research Center,” underlines Mr. Boucher.
With such work, the CREB then wants to set up practices to maintain the resilience of forests, but also of rivers.
According to Mr. Boucher, the center will see “a package of research” develop in the future. This is why he hopes to obtain funding for the observatory’s next few years of operation. “The issues will appear and emerge based on new issues. It could be other species that will be involved in two years. So we want to keep a watch on the issues that affect the regional boreal forest, and then tackle them. »
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