Photo: Hannah Sachs, OSU master’s student researching under Dr. Matthew Betts in partnership with the UBC Mother Tree Project & Program sites.
Hannah Sachs, a Master’s student from Oregon State University’s Forest Ecosystems & Society program has joined forces with UBC Forestry’s Mother Tree Project & Program (MTPP) to uncover how microclimates within British Columbia forests influence regeneration, biodiversity, and resilience in a warming world.
Exactly as it sounds, a microclimate is a localized climate within a small area that can differ from broader climates in the surrounding region.
“My supervisor, Dr. Matthew Betts, and his lab at OSU have shown that old-growth forests are substantially cooler than second-growth forests, this project builds naturally on those findings. By tracking the subtle shifts in temperature and moisture that occur under different patterns of forest cover, we’re beginning to see why some seedlings thrive while others struggle—and how these small differences shape the future resilience of BC’s forests.” — Hannah Sachs OSU Master’s student and research collaborator with UBC Mother Tree Project & Program
Funded by the BC Silviculture Innovation Program and the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program, the study took shape in spring 2025, when Sachs and her father engineered and installed 180 temperature and humidity sensors across Mother Tree Project sites spanning BC’s diverse climatic gradient. Together, Sachs and fellow researchers are building what is thought to be one of the broadest microclimate-monitoring efforts in the province.
As a Registered Professional Forester and former silviculture forester with Simpcw Resources Group (SRG), Sachs brought practical field experience to the project, identifying the most suitable locations for the sensors—sites that ultimately aligned with the Mother Tree Project network of sites.
“We positioned sensors in the forest’s contrasting micro-worlds—from breezy ridges to cool valleys, bright gaps to quiet canopy cover—so we could understand the range of conditions young seedlings grow up in.” — Hannah Sachs OSU Master’s student and research collaborator with UBC Mother Tree Project & Program
MTPP lead and UBC ecologist Dr. Suzanne Simard is excited about the results that will be collected from this project.
“These sensors open up an entirely new dimension in our research. They let us see how temperature and moisture shift across different forest conditions and how those changes affect regeneration, resilience, and biodiversity. It’s an incredible opportunity to connect what’s happening in the canopy with what’s happening below ground — and to use that knowledge to guide better forest management.” — UBC Forestry ecologist and Mother Tree Project & Program Director Dr. Suzanne Simard