Annick St Denis

Annick St Denis is a Researcher at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM), Faculty of Science, Department of Biological Sciences. She works as a Research Professional in Christian Messier's laboratory and coordinates research work for the ArbrenVil Chair. Her academic journey includes a Postdoctorate in Natural Sciences from the University of Quebec in Outaouais (2022), a Doctorate in Biology from UQAM (2016), a Master's degree in Biology from UQAM (2008), and a Baccalauréat in Environmental Geography from the University of Montreal (2003).

Her research interests focus on urban forestry, forest ecology, and ecological restoration. She specializes in urban forest resilience, tree-soil interactions, and climate change adaptation strategies. Her work particularly emphasizes functional diversity in urban forests, precision restoration techniques for abandoned lands, and the development of decision-making tools like SylvCiT to improve urban forest planning. She has conducted extensive research on biotic interactions in forest restoration, including tree-herbaceous, tree-rodent, and tree-soil microorganism relationships.

Her recent publications demonstrate a strong trend toward urban forestry applications, with increasing focus on AI-based decision support systems, climate change adaptation, and equitable urban greening strategies. The research spans from fundamental ecological questions about forest restoration to practical applications for municipal forest management, reflecting her ability to bridge theoretical and applied research.

• Prix René-Pomerleau, Mérite arboricole de la Société internationale d'arboriculture du Québec (SIAQ), 2024
• Bourse Mitacs Accélération (en collaboration avec Habitat), 2021
• Bourse UFor (CREATE), 2021
• Bourse Robert Moreau, Fondation de l'UQAM, 2015
• Lauréate du Concours de vulgarisation de la recherche de l'ACFAS, 2007

Dr. St Denis has supervised multiple Master's students in computer science working on the SylvCiT project and has been involved in numerous research grants including Mitacs Acceleration, UFor CREATE, and BMP Innovation. Her current research projects include coordinating the experimental planting of 360 urban trees in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville and developing SylvCiT, an AI-based decision-making tool to increase functional diversity in urban forests. She has also worked on municipal urban forestry master plans for cities like Rosemère and Montréal, demonstrating strong connections between academic research and practical urban forest management.