Portrait to come
Dr. Elena Rostova
Principal Investigator & Senior Hydrology Fellow
Freshwater Biogeochemistry
Forest Ecology & Canopy Buffering
High-density microclimate sensor networks measuring thermal buffering and drought resilience across mature boreal-temperate transition zones.
- Theme
- Ecology
- Location
- Laurentian Uplands Transect, Sector 4 (46°52'N 71°28'W)
- Timeframe
- 2022 — 2026
- Status
- Active Sensor Mesh & Radial Core Sampling
01
The question
To what threshold can mature coniferous canopy architectures insulate sub-canopy soils and seedbeds against ambient heatwave extremes?
This project investigates the thermodynamic buffer capacity of intact, multi-layered conifer canopies. We deploy vertical sensor arrays from the forest floor to 30 meters within the upper crown, capturing fine-scale vapor pressure deficits, photosynthetic radiation, and sub-surface soil moisture in real-time.
Understanding canopy-soil thermal decoupling enables conservation managers to identify resilient micro-refugia capable of protecting understory biodiversity under accelerating regional warming.
02
The place
Laurentian Uplands Transect, Sector 4 (46°52'N 71°28'W)
Located in the montane transition belt of the Laurentian Highlands, the Sector 4 transect encompasses mixed stands of Picea mariana, Abies balsamea, and Betula alleghaniensis situated across varying slope aspects and soil moisture gradients.
03
Methods
How the evidence was gathered, step by step.
- 01
High-resolution terrestrial and UAV LiDAR canopy scanning
- 02
Vertical thermal and humidity sensor profiles (0.5m to 28m)
- 03
Granier sap-flow thermal dissipation telemetry in mature stems
- 04
Annual radial growth increment analysis via high-resolution dendrochronology
05
Outcomes
Data demonstrate that multi-storied stands maintain understory maximum temperatures up to 5.4°C cooler than adjacent open canopy fragments during summer heat domes, significantly reducing seedling mortality and mycorrhizal stress.
06
Publications and citations
Journal article2025
Thermal stratification and nutrient pulses during unseasonal snowmelt in subarctic river basins
Dr. Elena Rostova, Dr. Marcus Vance, Prof. T. K. Bergmann
Cite as
Rostova, E., Vance, M., & Bergmann, T. K. (2025). Thermal stratification and nutrient pulses during unseasonal snowmelt in subarctic river basins. Journal of Hydrological Ecology, 48(3), 182-199.
Report2024
Catchment sediment flux monitoring protocol: Field acoustic sensing and manual grab sample integration
CIREE Field Methods Working Group (Ed. Dr. Marcus Vance)
Cite as
Vance, M. et al. (2024). Catchment sediment flux monitoring protocol: Field acoustic sensing and manual grab sample integration. CIREE Technical Guidance Series, Monograph No. 14, 1-64.
07
Field media
Next chapter
Coastal Wetlands & Blue Carbon