I study how anthropogenic disturbances such as land management activities and invasive species impact biodiversity and species interactions, and how these changes to biotic communities in turn affect ecosystem processes, such as nutrient and energy flow through food webs, organic matter decomposition, plant pollination, and seed dispersal. My particular focus is on arthropods and their direct and indirect interactions, and in particular, taxa whose direct interactions with other species can be feasibly detected and quantified, such as plant-caterpillar-parasitoid interactions, ant-plant interactions, bee/wasp-parasitoid interactions, and plant-pollinator interactions.
Education
2014 PhD in Ecology, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
2009 MSc in Entomology, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
2006 BSc in Animal Biology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
Directed study in the multiple aspects of renewable resources. Open to second year (or higher) students upon consent of instructor.
Fall Term 2020) Introduction to the theoretical foundation for conservation science. Elements of population, community and landscape ecology will be reviewed, and their application to realworld challenges discussed. Objective is to provide students with the scientific tools to evaluate and develop conservation strategies for maintaining diversity in human-altered systems. Ethical and philosophical aspects of the sociopolitical arena in which conservation decisions are made and implemented are also explored. Not to be taken if credit received for ENCS 364 or BIOL 367. Prerequisites: *60, and BIOL 208 or (BIOL 108 and REN R 110).
Winter Term 2021Concepts of inferential statistics and null hypothesis testing, statistical versus scientific hypothesis testing, problem formulation, assumptions, and interpretation. One- and two-sample inferences for population means and proportions, one and two-way analysis of variance, linear correlation and regression, classical non-parametric statistics. Participants will gain general statistical literacy and learn how to implement common statistical tests with open-source software packages.
Fall Term 2020) Introduction to the theoretical foundation for conservation science. Elements of population, community and landscape ecology will be reviewed, and their application to realworld challenges discussed. Objective is to provide students with the scientific tools to evaluate and develop conservation strategies for maintaining diversity in human-altered systems. Ethical and philosophical aspects of the sociopolitical arena in which conservation decisions are made and implemented are also explored. Not to be taken if credit received for REN R 364.
Winter Term 2021