Biology Special Seminar - Tod Ramsfield

Forest pathogens – it’s not just trees that will respond to a changing climate

It is well understood that a changing climate will impact trees across Canada. For example, in the Prairie Provinces, it is predicted that the climate will be warmer and drier than our current conditions, inducing drought stress and potential geographic range shifts. These changing conditions will have a direct impact on trees in forest ecosystems, but how will these changes affect the interaction between trees and forest pathogens?. I will also discuss adaptation strategies that can be employed to mitigate pathogen impacts under future climate scenarios.