In a temperate montane forest in southern Québec, all is quiet. But if you dig a little deeper, you’ll see the landscape has a story to tell. Waterloo plant ecologist Dr. Julie Messier, alongside her collaborators from Sherbrooke, is uncovering vital insights into the changes affecting our forests — knowledge that could be crucial in safeguarding Canada’s temperate forests.
Her study derives from previous research in 1970 and 2012 that showed some species were thriving after 40 years of global change, while others were declining, and it wasn’t clear why. “Many factors can change how favourable an environment is, and a lot of them are based on climate change and air pollutants,” Messier said. “This community experienced 1.5 C of warming since the first study and significant atmospheric nitrogen deposition, both are big changes to adjust to. In response, some species became more abundant overall, whereas others saw a decline.”
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