Growing Quantitative Skills from the Ground Up at the UBC Malcolm Knapp Research Forest

TitleGrowing Quantitative Skills from the Ground Up at the UBC Malcolm Knapp Research Forest
Faculty/College/UnitForestry
StatusActive
Duration1 Year
Initiation04/01/2026
Project Summary

Forest ecosystem management for diverse values and objectives (e.g. timber production, carbon storage, watershed hydrology, biodiversity) requires complex datasets collected through multiple methodologies (e.g. remote sensing, forest mensuration, biometrics) to support landscape-level analysis. Developing these analytic competencies is central to undergraduate programs within the Faculty of Forestry.

This project will create exercises based on a standardized field dataset from the UBC Malcolm Knapp Research Forest (MKRF), a UBC-owned living laboratory in Maple Ridge. The goal is to lower barriers to developing quantitative skills essential to the complexities of forest management and land stewardship. Students will engage with the same dataset throughout their program, advancing from field data visualization in the lower-level courses to statistical modelling and interpretation in upper-level courses.

Each exercise will align with instructors' expertise and course learning objectives. Developing this dataset will strengthen course continuity, integration, and sequencing, ultimately enhancing student learning and program coherence.

Funding Details
Year 1: Project YearYear 1
Year 1: Funding Year2026/2027
Year 1: Project TypeSmall TLEF
Year 1: Principal InvestigatorTzeng Yih Lam
Year 1: Funded Amount48,693
Year 1: Team Members

Tzeng Yih Lam, Assistant Professor, Forest Resources Management (FRM), Faculty of Forestry
Anna Tobiasz, Lecturer, Faculty of Forestry / Planning Forester, Malcolm Knapp Research Forest (MKRF)
Ionut Aron, Associate Director, Education Engagement, MKRF
Hélène Marcoux, Director, MKRF
Andrés Varhola, Director, FRM / Forest Operations Programs / Assistant Professor of Teaching, Faculty of Forestry
Bianca Eskelson, Professor, FRM, Faculty of Forestry
Suborna Ahmed, Assistant Professor of Teaching, FRM, Faculty of Forestry
Ignacio Barbeito, Assistant Professor, FRM, Faculty of Forestry