Originally born in Edmonton, Alberta, I spent four years studying in Corvallis Oregon in the United States and a year planting trees in Davis, California. I moved to Montreal in June of 1998 and spent 8 years there doing my masters and working as a Technician at McGill University. I moved to Rouyn-Noranda in July 2007 to do my PhD. My study, under the direction of Pascal Drouin (UQAT) and Yves Bergeron (UQAT) is on the The dynamics of the microbial population between the black spruce and aspen after clear cut and fire.
Formation académique
- Doctorat en sciences de l’environnement, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Rouyn-Noranda, Qc, 2007 à ce jour;
- Maitrise en Biologie, Université du Québec a Montréal, Montréal, 1998-2002.
Projet de recherche : Dynamics of the microbial populations between the black spruce and aspen after clearcut and fire.
It is known that a 0-41% of Aspen in a mixed group of Aspen Black Spruce is beneficial to the stability and productivity of the forest. The goal of this project is to determine the effect of the microbial fauna on the aspen and black spruce interaction. It will help determine the effects of clear cutting and fire on this system. The goal is to be able to develop a better way of managing the mixed forests.
- The first step is to use DDGE (Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis) and PLFA (Phosphor Lipid Fatty Acid) tests to determine the genetic and morphological diversity of the bacteria and fungi of the soils and Biolog plates to determine the functional diversity of what is in the soil and root systems of the Black Spruce and Aspen environments 100, 50 and 10 years after fire as well as in a clear cut stand.
- The next step is to determine the effect of the microbial ecology on the black spruce after cutting and fire to get a better idea of management practices. The DGGE and PLFA as well as biolog will be performed on 5 prepared sites of b the spruce trees after fire, clear cutting and three controlled treatments.
- The last step is a growth experiment testing the effect of the microbial faun on the growth of trees both separately and together.
Mark Fox, Linda E. Tackaberry, Yves Bergeron, Pascal Drouin, Robert L. Bradley, Hughes B. Massicotte, Han Chen. Microbial Community Structure of Soils under Four Productivity Classes of Aspen Forests in Northern British Columbia. 2013. Ecoscience 20(3):264-275
DOI : 10.2980/20-3-3611
Mark Fox, Pascal Drouin, Yves Bergeron. Impacts microbiologiques d’un sol perturbé sur la croissance de la pessière noire entourbée 14e colloque de la Chaire AFD. Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Rouyn-Noranda, Québec. (2012-11-29)