Joanne MacDonald

Organization:

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)

Position Title:

Research Scientist

Workplace Address:

Fredericton NB
Canada

Contact Information:

joanne.macdonald@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca

Area of Expertise

regeneration silviculture, conifer seedling physiological quality, plant growth regulators physiology, root system development

Languages spoken

English

About

Joanne MacDonald is a Natural Resources Canada Research Scientist with the Canadian Forest Service, who specializes in tree developmental physiology. She earned a PhD in Forest Biology from the University of Victoria and a Master of Science in Forestry from the University of New Brunswick. During her forestry career, she has investigated the environmental and internal controls of what makes trees function, grow, and survive abiotic stresses (specifically, drought, cold, and air pollutants). Joanne’s current research focus is the reclamation of Alberta oil sands, both mineable and in situ operations. Specifically, she is developing an innovative forest nursery practice to improve seedling quality and thus growth and survival growth after planting of conifer and native shrub seedlings. Joanne has a passion for conservation biology, which drew her to working on habitat recovery for an endangered Cold Lake woodland caribou herd in Alberta and developing a biodiversity protection strategy for the endangered eastern white pine on the island of Newfoundland. Joanne was recruited to Natural Resources Canada from Memorial University of Newfoundland, where she headed the Forestry Program and taught forest tree ecology and development, wood technology, soil science, and forestry practices. She has consulted with industrial forest nurseries in British Columbia and Alberta. She is also an Honorary Research Associate in the Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management at the University of New Brunswick, where she guest lectures annually in Forest Physiology.

Joanne MacDonald