From the devastating mountain pine beetle infestation to record-setting wildfires to the persistent impacts of climate change, the past decade has been one of extraordinary challenge and change for British Columbia’s forests.

With the support of a new Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery Grant, University of Northern British Columbia Ecosystem Science and Management Professor Dr. Dezene Huber is leading a research project to examine the impact these disturbances are having on the biodiversity of the insects and spiders that call the forest home.

“Forest insects provide a variety of ecosystem services. These include predating on herbivorous pests, pollinating plants and improving decomposition of woody debris,” Huber explains. “B.C. has experienced massive changes to its forests in recent years and now the mountain pine beetle has moved into pine forests in Alberta. This means that now is the time to collect data on the new baseline biodiversity so that we can begin to track recovery.”

Huber received $165,000 for his project titled Arthropod biodiversity following massive disturbances in western Canadian forests. The funding will also be used to support multiple graduate and undergraduate students working in Huber’s lab.

In addition to examining the impact these massive disturbance events are having on arthropod communities and their related ecosystem services during recovery and in the context of climate change, Huber’s research will also focus on identifying indicator species that can be used by forest managers to monitor forest health and recovery; collecting taxonomic data on what arthropods live in this under-surveyed region of Canada; and the detection and investigation of species of conservation concern.

UNBC’s location and the expertise at the University make it an ideal location to conduct the study.

“We have the benefit of being a research-intensive institution situated in the midst of the forests that have been impacted by major disturbances,” he says. “We have the facilities, personnel, and expertise to take on this sort of research.”

Through partnerships and collaborations, Huber says the project will have a lasting impact for decades to come.

“As the area is not well-surveyed, our collections will provide data to other researchers who are looking at related but different problems,” he says. “In addition, our specimens will be vouchered at major museum collections, and our DNA barcode data will be made publicly available in perpetuity.”