Charlene Wood just finished her master’s degree at UAlberta, but her research career is already off to an outstanding start with her discovery of seven new species of beetles. (Photo: John Ulan).
Seven beetle species new to science have been discovered by a young University of Alberta researcher just starting out in her career. Charlene Wood, who just finished her master's degree in the Department of Renewable Resources , noted the tinier-than-usual species while studying beetles in decaying aspen trees in northwestern Alberta. Her work is associated with the U of A's Ecosystem Management Emulating Natural Disturbance ( EMEND ) project. "It's a dream, as a biologist. I certainly didn't think I would discover new species when I began my project." Now Wood, in collaboration with fellow scientists, is preparing to describe the beetles for posterity and for science. Having studied them over the past four years, Wood is becoming recognized for her knowledge of this group, known by only a few other experts across the globe. Her study of deadwood—a largely overlooked part of the North American boreal forest—is one of the few studies in Canada focused on the rich diversity of beetles that dwell in decaying wood.
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