Vanessa Foord

Research Climatologist
BC Ministry of Forests and Range - Northern Interior Forest Region, Stewardship Division, Prince George, BC 

Regional Climate Research

Vanessa Foord is the Research Climatologist for the Northern Interior Forest Region, Ministry of Forests and Range, based in Prince George.  She holds a B.Sc. in Environmental Sciences from UNBC and a M.Sc. in Earth Sciences from SFU, and is also a Professional Agrologist.  Vanessa has been conducting climate research in northern BC since 2002.

Vanessa states, “One of the many impacts of a changing climate is uncertainty.  Research being conducted in the Northern Interior Forest Region is trying to decrease the amount of uncertainty on the impacts of climate change on our forests through field measurements.  For example, weather stations and temperature/relative humidity sensors have been installed to link microclimate changes to disease levels affecting pine stands in the central interior.  Weather stations, along with air, soil, rock, and snow temperature monitoring equipment have been installed in north-eastern BC to monitor changes in permafrost conditions and slope stability.  Measurements are also being made in mountain pine beetle attacked stands, near Prince George, to determine changes in solar radiation beneath the forest canopy and its potential impact on snow pack, summer evaporation, and the light available for regeneration.  These research projects, along with several others initiated by our research staff, are looking to quantify the impact upon our forests as the climate changes.  By making measurements on the ground, we hope to reduce the uncertainty that can come from relying on climate models alone, and to collect information that can be used to improve those models in the future.”

Contact: Vanessa.Foord@gov.bc.ca