Xavier Cavard

Xavier Cavard is a Professor at the Forest Research Institute of the University of Québec in Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT), and holder of the institutional Chair in Forest Carbon Management (UQAT and the Ministry of Forests, Fauna and Parks of Québec). His research focuses on various ecological aspects that determine forest carbon balance, such as vegetation productivity, wildfires, and soil-plant relationships.

As Chair in Forest Carbon Management, Professor Cavard’s goal is to develop the knowledge and tools to allow for a better integration of carbon in forest management. This work entails developing local partnerships between large GHG emitters and the potential carbon sink that is the forest industry, by having industrial partners from both mining and forest sectors. Professor Cavard’s current research program is focused on understanding how sylvicultural treatments and management strategies can affect boreal forest carbon dynamics and their response to climate change, in an effort to combine mitigation and adaptation strategies. This expansive program was funded by NSERC in 2020 and fieldwork is beginning in summer 2021.

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