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Student Research
A
Parallel Study of Decay Rates of Two Old-Growth Forests in
Atlantic Canada
Lanna Campbell
My research is the first of this type in Atlantic
Canada and looks at two areas of old growth forest, one the
habitat of the pine marten, an endangered species. The information
I am gathering will tell us how long the structures on the
forest floor have been there. It is part of the pine marten
habitat that is often overlooked but is essential to their
survival. Many people walk through a forest hardly
noticing the wood they step over that is slowly rotting on
the ground, but I walk through and see these stumps as important
habitat for a multitude of plants and animals. My research
in the MAD Lab (Mount Allison Dendrochronology Lab) has tried
to put a time frame on how slowly these trees are rotting,
and in essence, how long they are providing a source of nutrients
and a habitat for plants and animals. By putting a time frame
on this slow decomposition, I hope to help managers rethink
their ideas of old-growth forest management.
Both Ben and Lanna received
grants from the Royal Canadian Geographic Society to carry
out their research.
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