Changing Ecosystems
The world's ecosystems are facing multiple stressors—including climate change—that combine to affect the diversity of ecological services they provide and their ability to withstand further change. To support the conservation, protection, and recovery of Canada’s ecosystems, scientists and decision-makers need to better understand the cascading effects of environmental disturbance. Yet in many northern regions of Canada, our knowledge of ecosystem change is limited.
To enhance scientific understanding of impacts of climate change and other stressors on ecosystem health, our team leads field-based studies focused on migratory birds, freshwater wetlands, and trophic connections. Although we work primarily in Arctic and boreal regions, to help inform landscape management at a broader spatial scale, we are also conducting studies in the Canadian Prairies and with international partners.
Legacy lead in freshwater ecosystems (Dr. John Chételat and Frank Baldwin, Environment & Climate Change Canada): Lead shot likely persists in aquatic environments, despite regulations prohibiting it’s use over water. To evaluate the extent to which aquatic birds (especially diving ducks) may be exposed to legacy lead, we are analyzing multiple tissues from harvested waterfowl, including canvasback and lesser scaup.
Macroinvertebrate biodiversity in small freshwater ecosystems (Pan-American Research Initiative for the Study of Macroinvertebrates in Aquatic habitats): Biodiversity in fresh water ecosystems, particularly in small water bodies, may be disproportionately affected by global change, but for some regions, there are scarce data to test this idea. To facilitate future analyses and guide management and conservation priorities, we compiled a dataset describing freshwater macroinvertebrate assemblages and associated site-level characteristics from small water bodies across the Americas. Manuscript in review.
Arctic-nesting shorebird phylogenetics (Dr. Kees Wanders and Dr. Tamas Székely, University of Bath): To help improve predictions related to impacts of climate change on Arctic-breeding shorebirds, we are collaborating with researchers who are using genetics to identify the population structure and demographic history of key species.
Environmental factors associated with detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza infection in wild birds in Canada (Dr. Angela McLauglin, Dalhousie University and Dr. Jolene Giacinti, Environment & Climate Change Canada): Efficient and effective surveillance for wildlife disease is best focused on locations and species that are important for ongoing disease propagation. To inform targeted monitoring and better understand landscape-level transmission dynamics of avian influenza virus, we evaluated spatial, biological, and environmental factors associated with the detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in wild birds inCanada from 2021 to 2023.
Diet flexibility in lesser scaup (Adam DuBour, M.S., University of Alaska Fairbanks, co-advised with Dr. Mark Lindberg): Adam worked on the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge in interior Alaska to better understand how changes in invertebrate prey resources affect diet selection and growth in lesser scaup ducklings. Defended in 2019. Manuscript submitted.
View Thesis
Characterizing diets of Arctic shorebirds (Danielle Gerik, M.S., University of Alaska Fairbanks, advised by Dr. J. Lopez): To provide information on resource needs for chicks of Arctic-nesting shorebirds and evaluate potential trophic mismatch, Danielle used eDNA-based techniques to evaluate diet. Defended in 2018.
View Thesis
Interactive effects of pollution and climate change (Ella Lunny, M.Sc., Co-advised by Dr. Christy Morrissey, University of Saskatchewan): Working at the Karrak LakeResearch Station in Nunavut, Ella’s thesis was designed to evaluate potential cumulative effects of changes in ambient temperature and persistent organic pollutant exposure on reproduction in northern-breeding birds. Defended in 2019.
View Thesis
Understanding drivers of mercury exposure in birds (Ilsa Griebel, Ph.D. in progress, Advised by Dr.Mitch Weegman, University of Saskatchewan): To test hypotheses about factors that may affect mercury levels in black ducks in the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways (i.e., from the Maritimes and Ontario to Virginia and Kentucky), Ilsa is modeling relationships between mercury concentration of claw samples, spatial, and individual-level predictors, including behaviour.
