Alain Leduc

Dr. Alain Leduc is a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM), where he has been conducting research in landscape ecology since 1993. He is a regular member of the Forest Study Center (CEF) and a key member of the NSERC/UQAT/UQAM Industrial Chair in Sustainable Forest Management. His work focuses on the application of landscape ecology principles to sustainable forest management, particularly in the boreal forest.

Dr. Leduc earned his PhD in Environmental Science from UQAM in 1992 under the supervision of Yves Bergeron, following an M.Sc. in Biology (ornithology) from the University of Montreal in 1986 and a B.Sc. in Biology from the same institution in 1982. His academic journey reflects a deepening specialization from general biology to landscape-scale forest ecology.

Dr. Leduc's research centers on understanding how spatial and temporal scales influence ecological relationships in forest ecosystems, with particular emphasis on boreal forest management. His work has evolved to address critical challenges in sustainable forestry, including the integration of natural disturbance regimes into management practices, the development of adaptive strategies for fire-prone landscapes, and the prediction of young stand development following harvesting. He has made significant contributions to regionalization approaches that better reflect ecological realities of northern forests, particularly through incorporating fire regime variation.

His recent publications (2021-2025) demonstrate a clear trajectory toward addressing climate change impacts on boreal forests, with increasing focus on fire management adaptation, mixed-species plantations (particularly involving tamarack and black spruce), and understanding post-disturbance forest dynamics. This research is highly relevant to current challenges facing Quebec's forest industry as it confronts increasingly severe fire seasons.

Dr. Leduc has received recognition through numerous research grants supporting his work on sustainable forest management. His research has been funded by NSERC and other agencies supporting the Industrial Chair in Sustainable Forest Management, reflecting the applied relevance of his work to forest industry challenges.

As an advisor, Dr. Leduc has supervised numerous graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, contributing significantly to training the next generation of forest ecologists. His students have pursued diverse research topics within the broader framework of sustainable forest management, with recent theses focusing on mixed-species plantations, fire adaptation strategies, and young stand development.

Dr. Leduc is actively involved with the Forest Study Center (CEF), a major research network focused on forest ecosystems. His work often involves collaboration with researchers across Quebec's university system and with government and industry partners through the Industrial Chair framework.