Daniel Kneeshaw

Daniel Kneeshaw is a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM), where he holds the UQAM Strategic Research Chair on the resilience and vulnerabilities of temperate and boreal forests to climate change. He is a Regular Member of the Center for Forest Ecology (CEF) and has been actively contributing to forest ecology research since joining UQAM in 2001 after serving as a researcher at the Forest Research Branch of the Quebec Ministry of Natural Resources.

His educational background includes a Post-doctorate in forestry sciences (1999, Laval University), Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences (1997, UQAM), M.Sc. in Forest Ecology (1992, University of British Columbia), and B.Sc. in Forestry (1989, University of Toronto). Before his academic career, he worked in softwood forests in Manitoba and British Columbia.

Dr. Kneeshaw's research focuses on sustainable forest management tools, mortality and population dynamics in forest ecosystems, and the dynamics of forest gaps in maintaining old-growth forests. His work aims to develop and integrate indicators of sustainable forest management by better understanding forest dynamics, particularly in advanced development stages, tree mortality and regeneration, and competition in gaps. He employs modeling approaches to assess ecosystem responses to different management strategies across multiple spatial and temporal scales.

His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on climate change impacts on boreal forests, tree physiology in urban environments, forest insect outbreaks (particularly spruce budworm), and biogeochemical processes in forest ecosystems. His research spans from fundamental forest ecology to applied management solutions, with a growing emphasis on climate change adaptation and resilience.

• Prix de la Faculté des sciences de l'UQAM 2024 - Prix de la recherche - Professeur – volet carrière
• Prix de la ministre de l'éducation, du loisir et du sport for the book Aménagement écosystémique en forêt boréale (2009)

Dr. Kneeshaw has supervised an extensive number of graduate students (over 50 Master's and PhD students listed) and has collaborated with numerous researchers across Canada and internationally. His work has been supported by various grants, including NSERC funding for his postdoctoral research and ongoing projects related to forest dynamics and climate change. He has contributed significantly to developing ecosystem-based management approaches that mimic natural disturbance regimes in boreal forests.

His laboratory focuses on understanding forest dynamics at multiple scales, from tree-level physiological processes to landscape-level patterns. His team employs a range of methodologies including field measurements, dendrochronology, remote sensing (particularly LiDAR), and ecosystem modeling to address complex questions about forest resilience and sustainability in the face of climate change and other disturbances.