QEFIR Lab
Lab Projects
Current and past research projects
Active Projects
Spruce Budworm Outbreak Forecasting
Developing spatially-explicit models to predict spruce budworm outbreak spread across eastern Canada. We combine historical defoliation records, climate data, and forest inventory to build early warning systems for forest managers.
Mountain Pine Beetle Range Expansion
Investigating climate-driven range expansion of mountain pine beetle into boreal forests. Using species distribution models and population genetics to understand invasion risk to jack pine forests.
Forest Health Early Warning Network
Establishing a network of automated monitoring stations combining acoustic sensors, pheromone traps, and environmental monitors to detect pest outbreaks early. Partnership with forest industry.
Trophic Cascades in Outbreak Systems
Understanding how insect outbreaks propagate through forest food webs. Focusing on bird-caterpillar interactions and the role of natural enemies in outbreak collapse.
Methods Development
R Package: forestpest
Open-source R package for analyzing forest pest dynamics. Includes functions for fitting population models, spatial analysis of defoliation data, and visualization tools.
Bayesian State-Space Models for Outbreaks
Developing hierarchical Bayesian frameworks for fitting mechanistic population models to noisy field data. Implemented in Stan with R interface.
Completed Projects
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Risk Assessment
Assessed invasion risk of hemlock woolly adelgid to Canadian hemlock forests under climate change scenarios. Results informed policy recommendations.
Long-term Defoliator Dynamics Database
Compiled and harmonized 100+ years of defoliation records across North America. Database is publicly available and supports ongoing research.
Collaborators
Our research benefits from collaboration with many partners. We work closely with the Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, provincial forestry agencies, forest industry partners, and academic collaborators across North America and Europe. Key collaborators include the USDA Forest Service, INRAE (France), and the Spruce Budworm Early Intervention Strategy team.