Global Forest Science's newsletter, The Leaflet is published three times a year. Stay up to date on the latest news about our forest research, children's education programs and what's new at the Global Forest Science headquarters.

Welcome to the first edition of The Leaflet. Global Forest, the conservation biological charity, is pleased to announce that we are currently funding 85 scientists affiliated with 28 international universities, working on 48 projects with 18 post- graduate students, on 3 continents, in 5 countries, encompassed by 11 program areas. Our innovative, ground- breaking basic forest science research is helping to shortcircuit ecological disasters around the world. Thanks to all scientists and research assistants for their tremendous work over the past 18 months; we are making a difference!

Prof William Davidson (left), Dean of Sciences, Simon Fraser University, and Dr Reese Halter of Global Forest.

Global Forest funds a winner at Simon Fraser University (SFU) - a new laboratory in biological sciences. An international quarantine insect laboratory at SFU in Burnaby, British Columbia, it will be named "The Global Forest Research Laboratory". This essential facility will spearhead the proactive research required to curtail the increasing spread of foreign defoliators worldwide. The laboratory will be used to rear foreign insects. This will enable scientists to determine the chemical constituents of an insect's scent, which is used to attract mates, in order to develop proactive measures to protect not only the native forests of Canada, but the United States and the rest of the world. The Brown Spruce Long- Horned Beetle, which is believed to have arrived from a European ship is spreading unchecked on the eastern shores of Canada. Our laboratory will help scientists combat such an explosive and potentially devastating invasion from occurring elsewhere with other insect species.

The work of Prof Robert Teskey at the University of Georgia, Athens, USA, highlights the importance of why basic forest science research is critical and urgent. His investigations into the recycling of carbon dioxide in trees have led to recent important discoveries. The initial findings of his current research project, which is funded by Global Forest, indicate that carbon dioxide constitutes as much as 10% of the xylem sap in trees.

The movement of these high concentrations in the transpirational stream affects the apparent rates of respiration and photosynthesis and alters our understanding of net primary productivity in forest ecosystems. The significance of his findings greatly call into question the validity of the calculations of present global carbon budgets. Prof Teskey writes, "It is likely that this idea would not have received support from a traditional funding agency because it involves new technologies and a different way of thinking about how forest ecosystems function. Without funding from Global Forest, we might not have learned about this fundamental process for a very long time." Whilst he is very excited about his laboratory's findings, he feels that there is still much to be learned about this process and his studies are ongoing.

Check out Phase 1 of our forest biology website! The site will be of particular interest to graduate students and other scientists wishing to search for reference materials, read about new research and browse our Canadian tree list and accompanying silhouettes.

A significant archaeological find was unearthed in Deep Cove, British Columbia, by "The Community Archaeology Project", which is supported by Global Forest. The project is a collaboration between the Tsleil- Waututh First Nation and the Archaeology Dept. of Simon Fraser University. Global Forest's commitment to establishing strong, long- term relationships with First Peoples has resulted in a relationship with the Tsleil- Waututh Nation. Seed money provided by Global Forest to this project enabled two band members to take part in the dig.

Stocking of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) into waterways has resulted in the near loss of an entire species of cutthroat trout. Westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki lewisi) were once widely distributed throughout much of western North America, occupying most of the mountain regions of Montana, Idaho, SW Alberta and the SE portion of British Columbia. Scattered populations were also known to exist in Washington and Wyoming. Detrimentally, stocking of rainbow trout, a close relative to the westslope cutthroat trout, has resulted in the mating between these two species (hybridization). The westslope cutthroat trout are being wiped out due to the genetic dominance of the rainbow trout. In Montana, where the largest populations once existed, the westslope cutthroat trout occupies less than 28% of its native range and less than 3% of the fish are genetically pure. These statistics are mirrored across most of this trout's native range except in SE British Columbia where results of a study undertaken in 1986 by the University of Montana (UMT) showed that only one stream was occupied by rainbow x westslope cutthroat trout hybrids. The source of those rainbow trout was Whiteswan Lake, British Columbia, which has been stocked with rainbow trout since 1931.

Since 1986, rainbow trout have been introduced into the Upper Kootenay River Watershed, British Columbia, through stocking of the Koocanusa Reservoir, which was created by the Libby Dam. In 1999, through funds provided by Global Forest, a study was initiated to retrace and continue the earlier work done by UMT to determine the present status of the westslope cutthroat trout. Results from this initiative revealed that hybridization is now extensive throughout the entire Upper Kootenay River Watershed and the only pure population of westslope cutthroat trout was found in the Bull River above the dam.

Further studies funded by Global Forest in the summer of 2000 will examine the ecology of the westslope cutthroat trout and determine the extent of the damage to this species. We are dedicated to developing a conservation plan that will prevent the local extinction (extirpation) of this truly unique and very important regional trout. Saving the Westslope Cutthroat Trout by Peter Corbett, RP Bio, Chief Scientist, Mirkwood Ecological Consultants

The Stanley Park Ecology Society and Global Forest have embarked upon a long- term partnership to develop ecological educational packages for primary schools. The educational materials will be piloted in four to six schools throughout the Lower Mainland, British Columbia. Phase 1 of the project will be implemented in September 2000 and will combine a practical, hands- on approach with classroom lessons. Children from Grades 4 and 5 will participate in innovative and exciting programs throughout the school year, which will culminate in a fabulous outing at the world- renowned Stanley Park in Vancouver. Stay tuned for further updates! Global Forest is proud to announce that GF Awesome, the children's component of the Global Forest Science website, will be released in early autumn 2000. Maurice the Mountain Goat and Lu Lu the Lynx, the hosts of the site, will offer children a plethora of fun and interesting ecological educational materials.

Special thanks are extended to the 14 teachers involved with the set- up of the state- of- the- art weather stations deployed by Global Forest in science classes in Australia, Canada, Israel, UK, and the USA. Some 350 children from around the world are involved in environmental monitoring through the Global Forest Worldwide Weather program. Weather updates from each of the stations will soon be accessible through the gfawesome. org website.

Global Forest is proud to annouce that GF Awesome, the children's component of the Global Forest Science website, will be released in early automn 2000. Maurice the Mountain Goat and Lu Lu the Lynx, the hosts of the site, will offer children a plethora of fun and interesting ecological educational materials.

Congratulations to the following graduates funded by Global Forest:

Song Anren, MSc Hokkaido University, Japan

Daniel Bailey, BSc (Hons) University of Winnipeg, Canada

Mandy Kellner, MSc Simon Fraser University, Canada

Doug Keinath, MSc University of Wyoming, USA