The Latest Breaking News from La Conversation Canada

Fall is here: Why do some trees lose their leaves while others stay green?

The autumn has arrived and northeastern North America’s forests will soon grace us with a breathtaking palette of reds, yellows and golds. These vivid colours will then fade, giving way to bare branches, as the fallen leaves blanket the forest floor, thereby returning their nutrients to the soil. The spectacle…

The Conversation · Oct 9, 2024

Québec's hardwood trees could move north. Here's how that could affect the boreal forest landscape

In Québec, there are two distinct types of forest: the northern temperate forest in the south, and the boreal forest in the north.

The Conversation · Nov 27, 2023

Québec's summer 2023 wildfires were the most devastating in 50 years. Is the worst yet to come?

After a summer of exceptional wildfires, the return of cooler temperatures and snowy conditions will provide Québec’s forests a brief respite.

The Conversation · Nov 13, 2023

A hundred years of logging threatens the Innu link to their land

“Nutshimit,” which means “the interior of the land,” is Innu poet Joséphine Bacon’s favourite word because it is intimately linked to Innu identity. Nutshimit, the place where the Innu soul is deposited, is what created the links with the land that have ensured the survival and cultural and social development…

The Conversation · Jul 19, 2023

'Zombie fires' are occurring more frequently in boreal forests, but their impacts remain uncertain

“Zombie fires” are fires that ignite in one fire season, smoulder through the winter months under the snow, and re-emerge early in the spring before lightning and human caused ignitions begin in earnest.

The Conversation · Jul 12, 2023

Can the boreal forest be used to concretely fight climate change?

CO2 emissions from fossil fuel use and deforestation are the causes of global climate warming exceeding 1°C over the past 100 years. At the current rate, this warming will most likely climb to 2°C before 2100, causing climate disruption around the world.

The Conversation · Jul 5, 2023

Is it possible to measure sustainable development?

Is it possible to measure sustainable development? Can we go beyond just embracing virtuous principles and actually apply the concept in a concrete manner?

The Conversation · Jun 21, 2023

Climate change is making trees bigger, but also weaker

As global temperatures rise, trees in colder areas are benefiting from an extended growing season. A longer growing season results in thicker growth rings and, as a result, higher overall wood production.

The Conversation · Jun 14, 2023

The invisible effects of human activity on nature

Discussions at the recent COP15 biodiversity conference in Montréal highlighted once again the impact of human activities on wildlife. Many species are forced to migrate, are seeing their populations declining, or worse, are finding themselves on the brink of extinction. For example, the populations of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus) are…

The Conversation · Jun 7, 2023

Beavers are the undiscovered engineers of the boreal forest

While hiking near a river, chances are you’ve seen the tell-tale tree stumps with cone-shaped tips. Who carves these? A large, flat-tailed rodent called the Canadian beaver (Castor canadensis), who also happens to be the emblem of our country.

The Conversation · May 31, 2023