Historic forest fire season leads to new research in the Sault area
A historic fire season across the country is being studied for its impact on the Boreal Forest.
Leading the work is Pedro Antunes a professor at Algoma University and forest ecologist.
Michael Twiss, the dean of the science faculty at the university told CTV News the project comes with a lot of excitement around the university.
"What he's trying to do is study how the changing climate, changing temperature, changing amount of water can actually affect the organisms that are really important to forest health and those organisms are fungi."
The study is being conducted out of an area near White River, in the thick of the Boreal Forest.
"They've set up a series of what we call microcosms, little worlds, where they can study the effect of changing temperature on soil," said Twiss adding the study area sits in a great location, with forest fires relatively commonplace.
Experts said that though these fires are natural, they aren't what they used to be.
"The intensity of them has changed and the frequency has changed, and that is a great concern to us here in Canada," said Twiss.
- Want more Sault area news? Visit CTVNewsNorthernOntario.ca's Sault Ste. Marie news page
- Download the CTV News app now and get local alerts on your device
- Get local breaking news and updates sent to your email inbox
The work by Antunes is being funded by grants awarded through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
"With respect to the forest themselves, these are the things that control a lot of the carbon in the atmosphere,” said Twiss.
“Understanding the health of them, and how the climate affects them, helps us understand the impact that we might be having through our action on forests."
He added that the Antunes’ work could be used "to guide forest management plans, or prompt a different look at our consumption of fossil fuels."
The research will take several years to complete and will allow Algoma University graduate, and undergraduate students to get real world application for their learning.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks beat Oilers 5-4 in comeback to take Game 1
The Vancouver Canucks won the first game of their NHL playoffs series with the Edmonton Oilers 5-4 on Wednesday night coming back from a three-goal deficit.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.