Fruiting shrub ecology
Photo: Scott Nielsen
Ecology, distribution and productivity of fruiting shrubs
Alberta, Canada
Principle Investigator
Professor
Status: Active, Study began in 2014, currently in progress.

There are a number of ongoing research projects on fruiting shrubs.  This includes specific autoecological studies on species such as Canada buffaloberry (Shepherdia canadensis) to landscape modeling of dwarf to tall fruiting shrubs. One major project is modeling the distribution and local abundance of shrubs and the quantity and quality of fruit across the Lower Athabasca region in northeastern Alberta. This supports land use planning, assessments of wildlife habitat and aboriginal values, and work around possible wildlife enhancements using restoration and management tools (fire, tree thinning, and planting). We also have experimented with planting of fruiting shrubs in cutblocks in southwestern Alberta to enhance grizzly bear habitat.