Tara Androschuk, BSc, MSc (PhD Student)

Underlying causes of low seed yields in lodgepole pine seed orchards in Alberta

I joined Dr. Thomas’ Tree Improvement Lab as a PhD student in September 2019. I received my master’s degree in Environmental Science from the University of Toronto and my bachelor’s from MacEwan University in Biological Sciences. My research interests lie in applied science particularly reforestation and conservation. My PhD project will look at determining the underlying causes of low seed yields in lodgepole pine seed orchards in Alberta. The objectives of this project are to understand the influence of grafting on conelet abortion, determine the relationship between site conditions and conelet abortion, and determine if unsuccessful pollination is linked to conelet abortion.

Office: Earth Sciences Building 4-52

E-mail: tandrosc@ualberta.ca

Dr. Shes Bhandari, PhD -  Postdoctoral Fellow

Silvicultural Regimes to Maximize Gain

I am investigating the growth performance of improved and unimproved seed stands of white spruce and how this growth performance is affected by the site quality. Furthermore, I am also investigating how the intervention of silvicultural treatments improves the growth performance of those stands. The preliminary results showed that the site quality has a bigger influence on growth performance than the source of seed (improved vs unimproved).

Office: Earth Sciences Building 3-32C

E-mail: sheskant@ualberta.ca

Raiany Dias de Andrade Silva, BSc, MSc (PhD Student)

Mechanisms driving clone size and gender performance in trembling aspen in Alberta

I joined Dr. Thomas’s lab in May 2019 as a PhD student. I received my MSc in Forest Biology and Management from the University of Alberta in 2019, and my BSc in Environmental Management from the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2016. My research interests are forest management, conservation, restoration, and genetics.  My PhD project will focus on patterns and mechanisms driving clone size and gender performance in trembling aspen in Alberta. The specific objectives of this project are to: describe the pattern of clone size and gender distribution in the active aspen forest management regions in Alberta using a genetic marker for sex; determine if drought stress influences clone size and gender distribution; and determine seedlings response to abiotic drought stress under greenhouse conditions.

You can learn more about my work on LinkedIn

Office: Earth Sciences Building 4-52

E-mail: diasdean@ualberta.ca

Eden McPeak, BSc (MSc Candidate)

Establishment of realized gain trials

I received my BSc in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Alberta, and am currently an MSc candidate in the Thomas Lab. My project is focused on assessing the first Realized Gain Trials in the province for overwinter survival and growth. This includes comparing the survival and growth of white spruce and lodgepole pine seedlings grown from wild and genetically improved seed.

Office: Earth Sciences Building

E-mail: emcpeak@ualberta.ca

Sarun Khadka, BSc (MSc Student)

Nursery Thinning Impacts on Seedling Genetic Diversity in Improved Seedlots

Office: Earth Sciences Building

E-mail: sarun1@ualberta.ca

Dr. Stefan Schreiber, Research Associate

Clonal drought responses of female and male Populus tremuloides previously exposed to drought

E-mail: sschreib@ualberta.ca

Stacy Bergheim, BSc (Forestry) - Tree Improvement Lab Coordinator

Formerly RES-FOR project coordinator

RES-FOR website

Office: Earth Sciences Building 3-32B

Email: sberghei@ualberta.ca

Phone: 780-492-0447

Cell: 780-499-5914

Kennedy Mitchell, BSc (Forestry) 

Emelie Dykstra