A new researcher at Thompson Rivers University will soon be studying the impact of drought and wildfires in the Kamloops area.
A non-profit called Canada Foundation for Innovation has provided nearly $75,000 to start a new Fire and Forest Ecology Centre. Through that centre, TRU researcher Dr. Jill Harvey, who is based in Edmonton, will study the impacts of past wildfires, and the impacts of drought following those fires.
“Understanding the connections between wildfire, drought and forest responses is crucial to protect natural resources and determine how British Columbia landscapes may change in the future,” Harvey says in a news release.
“I will examine historical wildfires, cultural legacies of Indigenous burning and how forests are recovering after recent wildfires. This research will provide important information to understand how forests and grasslands are changing over long periods of time.”
TRU associate vice president of research and graduate studies, Will Garrett-Petts, says the university is “delighted” to have Harvey do this research.
Dr. Harvey’s research lab will be a regional catalyst, working across the fire and climate change research domains, expanding research partnerships with fire and tree-ring researchers in western Canada,” he says.
(Photo: TRU)