Canadian Journal of Forest Research

Canadian Journal of Forest Research
Title	Canadian Journal of Forest Research
Discipline	Forestry
Abbreviation	Can. J. For. Res.
Publisher	NRC Research Press
Country	Canada
History	1971–present
Frequency	Monthly
Impact	1.9
Issn	0045-5067

Canadian Journal of Forest Research is a peer-reviewed scientific journal focused on forestry, silviculture, forest ecology, forest management, and forest products. It publishes original research, reviews, and technical notes that inform policy and practice across Canada and internationally, linking to institutions and initiatives active in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australasia. Contributors include researchers from universities, government agencies, and research organizations engaged with issues ranging from biodiversity and carbon dynamics to timber engineering and remote sensing.

History

The journal was established during a period of institutional consolidation when agencies such as the National Research Council (Canada) expanded publishing programs alongside partnerships with provincial agencies like British Columbia Ministry of Forests and federal bodies such as Natural Resources Canada. Early editorial leadership included scholars affiliated with universities like University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, and Université Laval, and contributed to dialogues involving organizations such as the Canadian Forestry Association and the Forest Products Association of Canada. Its evolution paralleled developments in international forums like the Food and Agriculture Organization and conferences such as the International Union of Forest Research Organizations meetings. Over decades the journal’s editorial board has included members from research institutes like the Canadian Forest Service, Ontario Forest Research Institute, and academic centers such as McGill University, Simon Fraser University, and Université de Montréal.

Scope and Topics

The journal covers a wide range of topics that intersect with agencies, academic departments, and applied programs: forest ecology and dynamics studied at institutions such as University of Alberta and Dalhousie University; silviculture and regeneration trials tied to provincial programs in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia; forest pathology and entomology addressing pests like those studied by teams at the Canadian Forest Service and international collaborators from Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and University of Helsinki. It also publishes work on remote sensing and geospatial analysis using platforms developed by groups at NASA, European Space Agency, and Canadian satellite programs, and on wood science and engineering relevant to companies represented by the Forest Products Association of Canada and research undertaken at the Forest Products Laboratory. The journal engages with conservation science studied in contexts such as Banff National Park, Algonquin Provincial Park, and global networks like the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Editorial Structure and Publication Practices

Editorial management has historically involved partnerships among research councils, university presses, and government laboratories, with editors and associate editors drawn from institutions like University of British Columbia, University of Alberta, Université Laval, Université du Québec, and McMaster University. Peer review follows processes similar to those used by journals linked to professional societies such as the Canadian Institute of Forestry, the Society of American Foresters, and international publishers like Springer Science+Business Media. Manuscript categories include original articles, reviews, short communications, and special issues guest-edited by scholars affiliated with centers like the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis and the World Bank technical groups. Production workflows connect to indexing services and repositories managed by organizations such as CrossRef, PubMed Central, and the Directory of Open Access Journals where applicable, and compliance with ethical standards aligns with guidelines supported by bodies like the Committee on Publication Ethics.

Abstracting and Indexing

The journal is abstracted and indexed in major services used by researchers linked to institutions and libraries such as Library and Archives Canada, University of Toronto Libraries, and international aggregators including Web of Science, Scopus, and BIOSIS. It is discoverable through subject-specific databases maintained by organizations like the Canadian Research Knowledge Network and cited in bibliographies produced by academies such as the Royal Society of Canada and the National Academy of Sciences (United States). Metadata and citations are harvested by vendors affiliated with consortia like OCLC and national catalogues including the Canadian National Catalogue.

Impact and Reception

The journal’s impact has been assessed in citation indices and rankings used by universities and research funders such as Canada Research Chairs and grant programs at Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Its articles have informed policy discussions in federal and provincial ministries, influenced standards developed by industry groups including the Canadian Standards Association, and been cited in international assessments by panels like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and initiatives coordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme. Academic reception has been reflected in curriculum adoption at departments such as University of British Columbia Faculty of Forestry, Yale School of the Environment, and ETH Zurich.

Notable Articles and Special Issues

Notable contributions include landmark studies on boreal forest carbon dynamics authored by researchers from Canadian Forest Service and University of Alberta, methodological advances in remote sensing developed in collaboration with NASA and European Space Agency teams, and synthesis pieces on forest management under climate change co-authored by scholars from McGill University, Utrecht University, and CSIRO. Special issues have been guest-edited by experts associated with networks like the International Union of Forest Research Organizations, thematic programs such as the Boreal Forest Research Project, and multinational consortia funded by bodies like the Global Environment Facility.

Category:Forestry journals Category:Academic journals established in 1971 Category:Canadian journals