The Flat Top was established in 1969 to study the effect of stand density management on hardwoods by the Canadian Forest Service (CFS). It has been monitored ever since, and it is one of the oldest density management experiments focused on Hardwoods as far as we know! In 2024, CFS, the Northern Hardwoods Research Institute (NHRI) and UNB decided to partner up to keep studying the site!
This project will investigate how to better monitor forests combining uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) and permanent sample plots (PSP), and what is the effect of stand density on tree architecture, in White Spruce-dominated stands belonging to Vanderwell, in the Slave Lake, Alberta. The overall goal is to improve monitoring and better inform growth and yield predictions to help management decisions.