A new website section highlights the work of the Borden Forest Research Station, an Environment Canada research facility which has been in operation for more than 25 years in a forested area of the Canadian Forces Base Borden, near Angus, Ontario.

Led by Dr. Ralf Staebler, one of the primary roles of the station is to investigate how climate influences the year-to-year variations in carbon uptake by the forest. The results are used to determine the role of forests in the global carbon cycle.

Measurements of air quality and climate variables from a 41 m high instrumented tower are taken at the station. Also, measurements of the exchange rates between the forest and the atmosphere of carbon dioxide, energy and water vapour have been continuously made at Borden since 1995, making the Borden forest flux record the longest in Canada.

In addition to the continuous measurements, the site is frequently used for focused field studies, often in collaboration with university partners or other federal agencies, to investigate the role of the forest in a variety of air quality issues. 

The new web pages provide a description of the station, including its instrumentation, the parameters measured and data available, as well as sample research findings. A list of the 50 publications resulting from research at Borden is also available. 

Contact: Ralf Staebler, (416) 739-5730, Atmospheric Science and Technology Directorate