PROJECT TEAM
Debra Wertman, PhD, Mitacs Elevate Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Allan Carroll, PhD
Capital Regional District, Infrastructure and Water Services
Red alder as a keystone tree species
Riparian and early seral ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest of North America are dominated by red alder, Alnus rubra, a nitrogen-fixing hardwood tree species. Woody riparian vegetation like red alder supports important ecosystem services and biodiverse communities. Recent work by FIDEL suggests that a scolytine beetle complex, consisting of the alder bark beetle, Alniphagus aspericollis, and eleven native and non-native species of ambrosia beetle, is contributing to the decline of red alder throughout southwestern British Columbia, Canada.
“The development of forest health management plans for red alder is crucial for promoting forest resilience and mitigating future climate change effects on riparian and early seral ecosystems.”
– Debra Wertman
Biotic agents in red alder
The Greater Victoria Water Supply Area (GVWSA) on southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia is a protected, Douglas-fir dominated watershed that features red alder as an important component of its riparian and early seral stands. I am quantifying the abundance and distribution of red alder within the GVWSA, determining whether red alder representation among GVWSA ecosystems is within the regional historic range of variability, and developing an alder bark beetle susceptibility model for red alder to be deployed in the GVWSA. Results of my work will be applied to protecting and restoring riparian and early seral red alder in the GVWSA, ultimately supporting forest resilience, diversity, and the long-term availability of high-quality drinking water for people in the Greater Victoria area.
