Overstory retention and climatic stress: effects on microclimate, biodiversity, and regeneration in forests of British Columbia

Project Title: Overstory retention and climatic stress: effects on microclimate, biodiversity, and regeneration in forests of British Columbia

Recipient: Mothertree Consulting Ltd.

Region: Multiple Regions

Theme(s): “Old-Like in a new light”

Awarded Amount:  $40,000

Project Period: 2025-2027

Description: Climate change is affecting forests globally, but the degree to which silvicultural practices can help buffer these impacts remains unclear. This study will instrument existing silviculture experiments, including the “Mother Tree Project”, with microclimate data loggers to investigate relationships among tree retention, microclimate, biodiversity, regeneration, and productivity. These data will be used to assess geographic variation across a climate gradient and changes over time to quantify microclimate effects on biodiversity and productivity across silvicultural systems.