Dr. Lori Daniels

Biography

Lori Daniels is a professor in the Department of Geography at the University of British Columbia. Her research seeks to advance fundamental scientific knowledge of forest dynamics, which is imperative for conserving and managing contemporary forests and adapting to global environmental change. Her work characterizes natural disturbances and how humans and climate interact to drive temperate forest dynamics and resilience. Daniels has made key contributions through international collaborations that demonstrate widespread tree mortality in North and South America, disentangling the relative impacts of drought, insects, and pathogens. She has also investigated the increasing susceptibility of forests in the Canadian Cordillera to wildfires due to complex interactions among fire suppression, land-use, and climatic change. Furthermore, her novel forest reconstructions include tree-ring methods adapted to address aboriginal cultural uses and traditional management, which have largely been overlooked by forest managers. Through enduring partnerships with local and national governments, environmental organizations, forest management companies, community forests, and Indigenous Nations, she has helped translate scientific advances into operational conservation, restoration, and management policies and practices.

Research Interests