Dr. Richard Westwood and his team work in three broad areas of environmental management in Manitoba through client driven research projects. The first of these is environmental impact assessment: determining the impact of resource development on natural prairie and forest environments. In this research he uses plants, from trees to grasses, and insects as bio-indicators to measure the health of an area, and draw comparisons for the potential outcomes of development. This work is primarily undertaken for government and industries, such as logging and hydroelectric energy.

Understanding the ecology of plants and insects is critical to sustaining our environment. With a mantra of “manage, conserve, and protect”, Dr. Westwood also conducts research for governments and some other agencies on endangered species in Manitoba, such as butterflies and orchids. Dr. Westwood examines the effects of management policies, human development and impacts such as climate change on the long-term survival of endangered species in Manitoba. Current research indicates that insects such as butterflies are living longer during the summer in Manitoba, but the effect of climate change on plant species, such as spruce, pine, as well as other plants and insects, is not fully known. Dr. Westwood predicts climate change could have significant impacts on the sustainability of critical economic activities such as forestry and the more we learn about the potential problems the better our ability to plan for and mitigate negative impacts.

A third area of investigation for Dr. Westwood and his team is urban forestry, and again, it is primarily governments and other organizations that utilize the results. This research looks at conservation and protection of urban forest areas and has contributed to many successful local programs, most notably the fight against the spread of Dutch Elm Disease. Co-author of a definitive guide to butterflies in Manitoba, Dr. Westwood is now compiling a similar publication on moths.

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