Earth Day 2021: TWU Researchers Share Top Five Recommendations on How to Protect a Forest

On April 22 Earth Day, the global community draws special attention to considering how climate change is making an impact on our world.

Last summer, researchers from Trinity Western University, led by lead research assistant Vanessa Jones (BSc Biology, 2019), helped to track signs of climate change in Burnaby, B.C., Canada. They did an intensive study of Burnaby’s Central Park, a popular and expansive 86.4-hectare “magnificent coastal rainforest” located in the middle of a busy city and just minutes from a mega shopping centre. Central Park is home to a mature forest featuring coniferous trees such as Douglas fir, western red cedar and western hemlock.

Jones and her team found that, with the projected changes in climate, plant communities within Burnaby's Central Park are under threat. The research team detected concerning signs of climate change, including symptoms of tree decline in 6% of cedars and 19% of hemlocks, with an additional 31% of the hemlock population already dead. They reported that this is likely primarily due to inadequate springtime rainfall and high summer temperatures in recent years. Other factors that negatively affect tree health are soil compaction, animal damage, invasive plants, and gall disease.

Based on their research, they provided their top five recommendations on how to protect a forest, plus ways that kids can help. They shared their tips with Canadian Teacher Magazine.

About Trinity Western University

Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is Canada’s premier Christian liberal arts university dedicated to equipping students to establish meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. It is a fully accredited research institution offering liberal arts and sciences, as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has four campuses and locations: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, and Ottawa. TWU emphasizes academic excellence, research, and student engagement in a vital faith community committed to forming leaders to have a transformational impact on culture. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.

 

For media inquiries, please contact: media@twu.ca