Keynote Speaker

 
 

Dr. Line Rochefort

Line Rochefort is a professor at Université Laval and hold a Research Chair in Ecosystem Restoration. She is also the director of the Peatland Ecology Research Group (PERG / GRET in French). Her research focus is the study of bryophyte ecology in northern disturbed ecosystems, of which a great part of her career has focused on the biology of Sphagnum mosses, which led her to become a leader in peatland ecological restoration in Canada and one of the world's pioneers in this field.

Since 2010, wetland restoration types and approaches have diversified to include fens, peatlands degraded by mineral-based road construction, winter roads, drill rigs for oil sands and seismic lines. Equally, the restoration of disturbed mineral bare ground (post ore mining, sand pits) using bryophytes and lichens (biocrusts) is a developing branch of study in her laboratory.

Line Rochefort is one of the lead authors the Global Peatlands Assessment (UNEP 2022). She is also a board member on the International Mire Conservation Group representing North America (IMCG). Since 2019, she is the National Correspondent for the Government of Canada of the Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) of the Ramsar Convention, and since 2023, she also represents North America as a regional and technical expert on the Management Working Group of the Standing Committee of the Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) of the Ramsar Convention.