Mark Johnston

How is the climate changing forests?

Scientists often tout forests’ impressive ability to counteract climate change by inhaling massive amounts of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and exhaling oxygen through photosynthesis.

They have even suggested that we can create CO₂ “sinks” by planting trees on vacant land and letting them clean emissions from our air.

Less talked about is how climate change is affecting these forests.

Enter Dr. Mark Johnston, an SRC ecosystems expert who works with forest managers across the country to understand how climate change is affecting the forests that cover almost half of Canada.

“Forests across Canada are highly sensitive to climate change, making forestry potentially vulnerable,” says Johnston, who focuses much of his work on prairie forests. “We need to understand both the impacts of climate change and the options for forest managers to adapt.”

The SRC distinguished scientist and other ecologists are modeling forests’ ecosystems to find their vulnerabilities to climate change. They are using this research to develop decision-making tools that will help forest managers and policymakers find the best way to adapt forests to Earth’s changing climate.

To arrange an interview with Mark Johnston or another SRC expert, please contact SRC Communications:
Ph: 306-933-5400
Email: media@src.sk.ca

Expertise

• Forest ecology
• Forest fire ecology
• Climate change impacts and adaptations in the forestry sector
• Environmental effects of forestry operations
• Ecosystem-based approached to sustainable forest management

Credentials

• B.Sc., M.Sc.,PhD
• ESA Certified Senior Ecologist
• Member, Canadian Institute of Forestry
• Member, Association for Temperate Agroforestry
• Member, Ecological Society of America
• Published or presented more than 60 research articles and reports.

Major Projects

• National forest climate change project funded by the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers
• Prairie forest climate change project funded through Natural Resources Canada's Regional Adaptation Collaboratives initiative