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Haliburton Forest |  |
Pasoh Forest, Malaysia | Other sites |
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Ituri Forest, DR Congo |  |
Domica, Lesser Antilles |
Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Reserve, Ltd.
Most of the temperate forest research in the lab is conducted at Haliburton Forest, a privately owned area of ~25,000 ha about 3 hours north of Toronto, just south of Algonquin Provincial Park (www.haliburtonforest.com). Most of the forest is sugar-maple-dominated hardwoods that are managed under selection-system silviculture that maintains continuous canopy cover. The forest is regarded as a leader in "ecological" forest management, and most forest revenue presently comes from eco-tourism rather than logging. Scientific infrastructure at the site includes a permanent field camp with housing for 10-12 researchers (on our own small lake!), basic lab facilities, an off-road aerial lift for canopy access, and a network of permanent sample plots in both managed and primary forest.
Projects presently underway or planned for Haliburton Forest include: (1) studies of patterns and mechanisms of post-harvest mortality under selection management; (2) studies of age-related changes in canopy structure and physiology; (3) studies examining effects of the changes in tree herbivore and pathogen impacts with tree age, and the potential role of both in driving "age-related" changes in physiology; and (4) studies of remote-sensing tree physiological status and age.
Recent publications: Jones, T.A., and S.C. Thomas (2007) Leaf-level acclimation to gap creation in mature Acer saccharum trees. Tree Physiology 27:281-290.pdf Peng, Y.Y., and S.C. Thomas (2006) Soil surface CO2 efflux in an uneven-aged northern hardwood forest: effects of harvests and edaphic heterogeneity. Plant and Soil 289: 253-264.pdf Gradowski, T., and S.C. Thomas (2006) Phosphorus limitation of sugar maple growth in central Ontario. Forest Ecology and Management 226: 104-109.pdf
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Pasoh Forest Reserve, Malaysia
Pasoh is the best-studied forest in all of Southeast Asia, and the best-studied forest in the world with a "hyper-diverse" tree flora (>1000 tree species are found in the reserve).
Recent publications: Ickes, K., C.J. Paciorek , and S.C. Thomas (2005) Impacts of nest construction by native pigs (Sus scrofa) on lowland Malaysian rain forest saplings. Ecology 86: 1540-1547.pdf Thomas, S.C. (2004) Ecological correlates of tree species persistence in tropical forest fragments. Pages 279-314 in: E. C. Losos and E. G. Leigh, eds. Forest diversity and dynamism: findings from a large-scale plot network. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Ickes, K., S.J. DeWalt, and S.C. Thomas (2003) Resprouting of woody saplings following stem snap by wild pigs in a Malaysian rain forest. Journal of Ecology 91: 222-233.pdf
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Ituri Forest, Democratic Republic of Congo
The Ituri Forest, located in the exact geographic center of Africa, is one of the world's great remaining areas of primary tropical rain forest. It is also home to host of organisms found nowhere else, including the okapi and the owl-faced monkey, and home as well to one of only two large-scale mapped forest plot projects in Africa.
Recent publications: Makana, J.-R., and S.C. Thomas (2006) Impacts of selective logging and forest clearing on timber tree regeneration, forest structure and floristic composition in the Ituri Forest, Democratic Republic of Congo. Biodiversity and Conservation 15: 1375-1397.pdf Makana, J.-R., and S.C. Thomas (2005) Effects of light-gaps and litter removal on seedling performance in six African timber tree species. Biotropica 37: 227-237.pdf Makana, J.-R., and S.C. Thomas (2004) Dispersal limits natural recruitment of African mahoganies. Oikos 106: 67-72.pdf
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The small island-nation of Dominica (not to be confused with the Dominican Republic), is the only Caribbean island to have avoided both colonization and deforestation; it is now, justifiably, referred to as the "nature island of the Caribbean". A project is currently in the planning stages that focuses on forest dynamics in relation to conservation of Dominica's two endemic parrot species, the Sisserou (pictured), and Jaco.
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Other sites (tropical, temperate, and boreal)
The four field sites listed above have been (and/or are anticipated to be) the main focus for work in the lab. However, students have worked in wide variety of field sites, and we have well-developed relationships with research groups and research stations at a number of locations. In particular, prior field work has included projects at the following sites:
- Joker's Hill Reserve, Oak Ridges Moraine, southern Ontario
- Lake Abitibi Model Forest, northern Ontario
- Algoma region, Ontario
- Changbaishan Reserve, Jilin Province, China
- Sepilok Forest Reserve, Sabah (north Borneo), Malaysia
- Barro Colorado Island, Panama
