Current Research

Lichen and bryophyte conservation

On big project I'm involved in at the moment is the L-ACER project - that stands for lichens, acidification, and cut edge reponse. This project is attempting to quantify the interrelationships and relative importance of different threats to cyanolichens, and to test experimental conservation measures. This research will ensure that future management activities can more effectively and judiciously conserve cyanolichens, and the ecosystems of which they are a part, throughout Nova Scotia.

Another project that is in the early stages is focused on understanding how epiphyte communities of old growth forests will respond to urgent threats such as Climate Change and invasive species, and how our approach to studying them could impact our ability to detect or predict those responses. This project is particularly focused on old growth hemlock forests of Nova Scotia, which are currently under threat from the invasive hemlock wooly adelgid.

Cryptogam biogeography in Atlantic Canada

Given my interest in the ecology of lichens and bryophytes, it is natural that I spend a fair bit of time collecting and identifying these little things. As such, I keep track of what I've collected, and regularly add specimens to the herbarium at the Nova Scotia Museum. I also contribute to provincial and national ranking and assessment activities for the species within these groups. All of these things make me well-positioned to write and publish accounts of cryptogam biogeography in the region. Stay tuned for discoveries of new species in the province!

Cryptogam cultivation techniques

Similar to the work on cryptogam biogeography, my work on the ecology of lichens and mosses has given me the opportunity to develop methods for cultivating mosses and lichens. The purpose of this work was primarily to do experiments on them, with the goal of improving our understanding of how they interact with their substrates and microclimate. Nevertheless, there is very little research on cultivation techniques for mosses and lichens outside of the laboratory, and its something I intend to continue studying and integrating into my research.