My research is focused on ecological recovery of forested (and sometimes grassland) ecosystems after both natural and anthropogenic disturbance agents including: Recovery of soil and vegetation on grasslands and forested lands on certified reclaimed wellsites. For more information visit the Ecological Recovery Monitoring project website. You can also learn more in our video that highlights our project here: VIDEO. Some of the current projects I am working on include:
Recovery of lodgepole pine plant and microbial communities after mountain pine beetle attack
Response of lodgepole pine plant communities in areas around the world where lodgepole pine has been introduced
Recovery of biodiversity after varying levels of forest harvest among varied boreal forest types.
I previously worked on ecological sustainability in rural landscapes - examining the role of forest, grassland, and wetland habitats in carbon sequestration/valuation and biodiversity conservation within Beaver County. (PI: Glynnis Hood, Co-PIs myself and Glen Hvenegaard)
My PhD student, Larissa Villasenor Gomez, is looking at how lodgepole pine plant communities recover in the grey attack stages of mountain pine beetle attack, along with examining successional trajectories of lodgepole pine forests, including exploring long-term pine stands in Jasper Nationa Park, some of which were burned in the 2024 Jasper fire.
My MSc student, Hailey Cole, explored the recovery of plant communities, forest structure, and plant traits on reclaimed well pads near Fox Creek, AB. She successfully defended her MSc in September 2024.
My MSc student, Raiany Silva, explored restoration of wetland areas degraded by off-highway-vehicle use in Eagle Point Blue Rapids near Drayton Valley, AB. She successfully defended her MSc in January 2019.
Online Research Presentation Resources
I presented a poster at the Virtual International Boreal Forest Research Association 2021 Conference August 2021. Information can be found HERE
I presented a poster at the Virtual Conference of the Association for Biology Lab Education June 2021. Information can be found HERE
I presented a poster at the Virtual Undergraduate Biology Conference of Alberta Conference May 13, 2021. Information can be found HERE
I presented a poster at the Association for College and University Biology Educators Annual (Virtual) Meeting October 24-25 2020. Information can be found HERE
I presented two posters at the Ecological Society of America Annual (Virtual) Meeting August 3-6 2020. Information on those can be found HERE