CSEE President’s Award 2023

Deadline for receipt of nominations: Friday 3 February 2023

Award Description:  The CSEE President’s Award is the highest distinction conferred by the Society, and is given every two years to a Canadian scientist in recognition of outstanding scientific contributions that support the research objectives of the Society.

Eligibility:  To be considered eligible, the applicant/nominee must be affiliated with a Canadian university, government body, not-for-profit, or other business. The applicant/nominee does not have to be a Canadian citizen.

Application/Nomination Materials:  Nominations for this award may be submitted directly by an applicant or on behalf of an eligible candidate. To apply or nominate, please complete the CSEE President’s Award 2023 Nomination Form. This form requires the name, affiliation, and contact information of the applicant/nominee, and a brief (2 page max.) description of the contributions and merit of the applicant/nominee.

Submitting Your Application/Nomination: Completed nomination forms should be emailed to both Jasmine Janes (Jasmine.Janes@viu.ca) and Eric Vander Wal (eric.vanderwal@mun.ca). 

Time lines: The deadline for receipt of all materials including letters of reference is 3 February 2023.

Share

CSEE Excellence in Doctoral Research Award 2023

Deadline for receipt of application materials: February 3, 2023

Award Description: The CSEE Excellence in Doctoral Research Award showcases excellent Ph.D. student research in ecology and evolution from society members. The selection committee will consider applications through the lens of CSEE’s Diversity and Inclusivity Statement and draft Code of Ethics. Five awardees will receive a $600 award and an invitation to present their doctoral research during the Graduate Student Award Symposium at the annual meeting. In addition, awardees are eligible to receive up to $1,100 allowance to assist with travel and participation in the annual CSEE meeting. For example, childcare services are considered an eligible expense for the allowance.

Eligibility: Applicants must be: 1) registered in a PhD program within the year of application (2022), 2) be in an advanced stage of their dissertation (i.e., final two years), and 3) a member of CSEE at the time of application. Applicants should have advanced to candidacy, but should not have completed their degree requirements as of December 31st, 2022. Individuals who have completed degree requirements as of December 31st, 2022 are encouraged to apply for the CSEE Early Career Award instead. There is no citizenship or residence requirement for this award. Candidates must adhere to the draft CSEE Code of Ethics. Applicants from last year who were not selected for the award, but still meet the eligibility criteria, are encouraged to re-apply.

Application materials: Applicants must apply directly. Established researchers may encourage doctoral students to apply but, in order to show their consent, nominees/applicants must apply directly. Applications must contain all of the following supporting materials in the stated order:

  1. A completed Applicant Awards Declaration Form .
  2. Thesis Summary (300 words maximum): A summary of the applicant’s thesis, including how their research advances the state of knowledge in their field.
  3. Relevant Activities (250 words maximum): Describe any professional and extracurricular activities that demonstrate your communication and leadership skills.
  4. Select Contributions (1 page maximum): Using three headings, highlight
    (i) peer-reviewed papers,
    (ii) talks and/or posters, and
    (iii) other accomplishments.
    The applicant must remove their name from all publications and replace it with “Applicant”, in bold.
    1. Peer-reviewed papers include those that are published, in review or revision (include the submission number) and pre-prints (include a DOI).
      1. NOTE: this is a change from previous years.
  1. Talks and/or posters can include conference talks, invited talks, seminars, and panels.
  2. Other accomplishments: this can include any additional accomplishments the students want to highlight. This work should not simply repeat what is reported in the “Relevant Activities” section, though we expect there to be overlap.
    1.  NOTE: this is a change from previous years.

Letter of Reference: One letter of support (1 page maximum) from your PhD advisor or a committee member is required for each applicant. Letters should speak to the criteria listed above and should clearly state that the applicant is close to completion of their thesis. Letters must not contain the name of the applicant, but rather non-identifying terms such as “The Applicant”, or similar. For example, “The applicant has been a member of my lab…”.

Submitting Your Application: Sections 2 through 4 should be submitted as a single pdf file with the filename “lastname_firstinitial_CSEE_PhDaward.pdf”, along with Section 1 (Declaration Form) to cseestudent@gmail.com (e.g., Smith_J_CSEE_PhDaward.pdf).

The letter of support should be submitted directly from the referee to the same email address (cseestudent@gmail.com) and should have the same format as the application with “_Letter” added to the end (e.g., Smith_J_CSEE_PhDAward_Letter.pdf). All materials are due by the deadline indicated above. We will respond to each email to confirm receipt within one week.

Please note: The name (first or last) of the applicant must not appear anywhere within the application other than the file names. This anonymization is meant to reduce bias during the evaluation process. Failure to properly anonymize applications could result in disqualification.

Other Important Information

Successful applicants will give a 30-minute talk (23 minute talk and 7-minute question period and transition) in the Graduate Student Award Symposium, and will not be able to give a separate talk during the conference. Awardees can present a poster if space is available. Successful applicants must respond to accept the award and confirm their registration within one week of notification. Successful applicants will be ineligible for Student/Post-doc travel awards as they are already eligible for an allowance to assist with travel costs.

Share

Early Career Award 2023

Award Description:  The CSEE Early Career Awards recognize outstanding accomplishments and promising future research potential in ecology and evolution by scientists early in their career. The selection committee will consider the applications through the lens of CSEE’s Diversity and Inclusivity Statement and draft Code of Ethics. Awards will be given to two candidates each year. Two awardees will receive a 10-year membership to CSEE/SCEE, a $600 cash award and an invitation to give a keynote lecture at the annual meeting. In addition, awardees are eligible to receive up to $1,100 allowance to assist with the costs of care during the CSEE August 2022 meeting. For example, childcare services are considered an eligible expense for the allowance.

Eligibility:  Applicants must have: 1) a research background in the field of ecology and evolutionary biology, and 2) received their doctorate within five years of the application deadline, not including time taken for parental leave(s). There are no citizenship requirements. However, applicants must be either currently working at a Canadian institution, or have obtained their PhD from a Canadian University. Applicants must adhere to the draft CSEE Code of Ethics.

Application Materials:  Applicants must apply directly.  Established researchers may encourage outstanding early-career scientists to apply, but to show their consent nominees/applicants must apply directly.  Applications must contain all of the following supporting materials in the stated order:

  1. A completed Applicant Awards Declaration Form.
  2. A modified curriculum vitae in which major identifying features are removed. For example, please remove your name from publications and presentations and replace it with “The Applicant”.
  3. A summary of research accomplishments (maximum 2 pages). Please use non-identifying language. For example, you can refer to the specific labs you have been affiliated with, but should refrain from identifying yourself by name.
  4. A statement of research plans for the next 5 years (maximum of 2 pages).

Letters of Reference: Three letters of reference are required for each applicant and must be sent directly by the referees. Referees must use non-identifying terms, such as “The Applicant”. For example, “The applicant has been a member of my lab…”. In addition to commenting on the candidate’s accomplishments and future research potential, letters of reference should highlight how the applicant has demonstrated conduct that aligns with the draft CSEE Code of Ethics, and how they have demonstrated leadership and commitment that aligns with CSEE’s Diversity and Inclusivity Statement.

Submitting Your Application: All materials and reference letters must be sent in PDF form to both Jasmine Janes (Jasmine.Janes@viu.ca) and Eric Vander Wal (eric.vanderwal@mun.ca).  All materials should be sent with the following filename convention: lastname_firstinitial_CSEE_ECRaward2023.pdf OR lastname_firstinitial_CSEE_ECRreference.pdf.

Time lines: The deadline for receipt of all materials including letters of reference is 3 February 2023. Applicants will be notified of outcomes in March.

Please note: The name (first or last) of the applicant must not appear anywhere within the application other than the file names. Anonymization intends to reduce bias during the evaluation process. Failure to properly anonymize applications could result in disqualification.

Share

Early Career Award 2022

Deadline for receipt of all application materials: Friday 1 April 2022

Award Description:  The CSEE Early Career Awards recognize outstanding accomplishments and promising future research potential in ecology and evolution by scientists early in their career. The selection committee will consider the applications through the lens of CSEE’s Diversity and Inclusivity Statement and draft Code of Ethics. Awards will be given to two candidates each year. Two awardees will receive a 10-year membership to CSEE/SCEE, a $600 cash award and an invitation to give a keynote lecture at the annual meeting. In addition, awardees are eligible to receive up to $1,100 allowance to assist with the costs of care during the CSEE August 2022 meeting. For example, childcare services are considered an eligible expense for the allowance.

Eligibility:  Applicants must have: 1) a research background in the field of ecology and evolutionary biology, and 2) received their doctorate within five years of the application deadline, not including time taken for parental leave(s). There are no citizenship requirements. However, applicants must be either currently working at a Canadian institution, or have obtained their PhD from a Canadian University. Applicants must adhere to the draft CSEE Code of Ethics.

Application Materials:  Applicants must apply directly.  Established researchers may encourage outstanding early-career scientists to apply, but to show their consent nominees/applicants must apply directly.  Applications must contain all of the following supporting materials in the stated order:

  1. A completed Applicant Awards Declaration Form.
  2. A modified curriculum vitae in which major identifying features are removed. For example, please remove your name from publications and presentations and replace it with “The Applicant”.
  3. A summary of research accomplishments (maximum 2 pages). Please use non-identifying language. For example, you can refer to the specific labs you have been affiliated with, but should refrain from identifying yourself by name.
  4. A statement of research plans for the next 5 years (maximum of 2 pages).

Letters of Reference: Three letters of reference are required for each applicant and must be sent directly by the referees. Referees must use non-identifying terms, such as “The Applicant”. For example, “The applicant has been a member of my lab…”. In addition to commenting on the candidate’s accomplishments and future research potential, letters of reference should highlight how the applicant has demonstrated conduct that aligns with the draft CSEE Code of Ethics, and how they have demonstrated leadership and commitment that aligns with CSEE’s Diversity and Inclusivity Statement.

Submitting Your Application: All materials and reference letters must be sent in PDF form to both Jasmine Janes (Jasmine.Janes@viu.ca) and Eric Vander Wal (eric.vanderwal@mun.ca).  All materials should be sent with the following filename convention: lastname_firstinitial_CSEE_ECRaward2022.pdf OR lastname_firstinitial_CSEE_ECRreference.pdf.

Time lines: The deadline for receipt of all materials including letters of reference is 1 April 2022. Applicants will be notified of outcomes in May.

Please note: The name (first or last) of the applicant must not appear anywhere within the application other than the file names. Anonymization intends to reduce bias during the evaluation process. Failure to properly anonymize applications could result in disqualification.

Share

CSEE BIPOC Spotlight Library Microgrants

One barrier to entry of underrepresented minorities, including BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour), into STEM is the shortage of visible models.  CSEE can help by drawing attention to BIPOC ecologists and evolutionary biologists.  This project will build a library of short videos by both emerging and established BIPOC scientists, and make that library available to university and K-12 instructors, youth groups, etc. across Canada.  By shining a spotlight on BIPOC models – who are underrepresented, but not absent – the library will create opportunities to support better representation in future.  It will also help our community diversify its teaching, its seminar series, and so on.  The program will also address another barrier to increasing BIPOC participation in science, which is financial; the library microgrants will provide direct remuneration plus no-cost membership and conference registration.

The microgrants

CSEE offers a microgrant to ecologists or evolutionary biologists who identify as BIPOC (up to the program’s budget limit).  A microgrant consists of $200 cash a free 2-year membership in the Society, and reimbursement of registration fees for one CSEE annual meeting within the 2 years following the award.

Microgrant recipients are asked to make two short videos of themselves:

  • One (2-3 min) video of them talking about who they are; what their current position is; how they got interested in E&E or their study system and (optionally) something about the path they’ve taken to their current position; and mentioning one exciting question in E&E they’d like to answer in their career.
  • The other (6-10 min) would include the same elements PLUS one question in E&E (big or small) that the recipient has answered, or is answering, in their work (not a Powerpoint, simply video of them).

The two videos constitute different resources for the community. The shorter videos will be appropriate for use at any level, and stress membership in the scientific community.  Because they are short, they will lend themselves well to being shown in combination.  The longer videos will be more appropriate for use in classes at the high school or postsecondary level, and demonstrate in addition contributions to knowledge.  It is perfectly appropriate for the content of an applicant’s shorter video to be reprised in the longer one – that is, we expect the two videos to overlap considerably.

Both videos should be pitched to a non-specialist audience – even if they are used in postsecondary ecology courses, a non-specialist pitch will make them accessible to all students. The editorial committee will supply advice on making a video like this (e.g. equipment, things to consider before/during filming, minor editing) and is happy to provide feedback or advice on proposed content, etc.  Applicants will also be connected with each other, when possible, so they can swap tips and experience.

All the videos will be shared on CSEE social media, hosted on the CSEE Youtube and made available on our web site for use in classes and presentations by professors, high-school teachers, outreach groups like Pint of Science, Let’s Talk Science, and youth groups like Scouting, etc.  CSEE will actively reach out to these organizations to publicize the video library.

Applying for a microgrant

Applicants should send a very brief proposal (no more than 200 words, describing very briefly the videos’ intended content) to the Chair of the Editorial Committee, peter.soroye@gmail.com.

Applicants should be members of CSEE, or non-members of CSEE who are Canadian or working or studying at a Canadian employer or institution.  Applicants are welcome from any career stage, but CSEE will seek to balance awardees between faculty, industry professionals, and students.  Should senior applicants wish to participate while waiving financial compensation, CSEE will use the budget room to recruit more early-career participants.

Editorial committee

CSEE Council will establish a committee of 3 Society members, at least 2 of them BIPOC, to provide guidance and insure that submissions align with the goals of the project.  It will report to the chair of the Awards Committee.  This is the same committee that will handle Resources Library submissions (see below).  BIPOC members of the editorial committee who do not serve on CSEE Council will receive a stipend for their service.

Budget

CSEE has budgeted $3000 in 2020 for this initiative (but we envision the project continuing into future years).  The cash payment portion of the microgrant is crucial, because it is unfair to ask BIPOC to do unpaid work to fix a problem that isn’t of their making. The cash amount is intended to represent fair market pay for the labour involved.

Share

Early Career Award 2021

Deadline for receipt of all application materials: Friday 26 February 2021

Award Description:  The CSEE Early Career Awards recognize outstanding accomplishments and promising future research potential in ecology and evolution by scientists early in their career. The selection committee will consider the candidate’s application through the lens of CSEE’s Diversity and Inclusivity Statement. Awards will be given to two candidates each year.  They consist of a 10-year membership to CSEE/SCEE, $500 cash award, up to $1000 allowance to cover expenses associated with attending the 2021 CSEE meeting in August 2021, and an invitation to give a keynote lecture at the annual meeting.

Eligibility:  Applicants must be active researchers in the field of ecology and evolutionary biology who received their doctorate within five years of the application deadline, not including time taken for parental leave (i.e., one year of parental leave extends the eligibility period to six years post-Ph.D.).  Candidates need to be Canadian citizens, or landed immigrants, or have completed their PhD at a Canadian University, or be currently working at a Canadian University. Candidates must support the goals of the CSEE Diversity and Inclusivity Statement.

Application/Nomination Procedures:  Candidates may apply directly or may be nominated.  Established researchers are encouraged to nominate outstanding young scientists.  Applications must contain all of the following supporting materials in the stated order: (1) a completed Applicant Information Form, including names and email addresses of 3 referees (indicate the nominating scientist where applicable) who will provide supporting letters, (2) a curriculum vitae, (3) a summary of research accomplishments (maximum 2 pages), (4) a 2-page statement of research plans for the next 5 years, (5) three recent publications (a list is sufficient; attachments not required).
The three letters of reference must be sent separately from the candidate’s nomination package.  In addition to commenting on the candidate’s accomplishments and future research potential, letters of reference must specifically address the candidate’s commitment to CSEE’s Diversity and Inclusivity Statement. All nomination materials and reference letters must be sent as PDFs to either of the co-chairs of the CSEE Awards committee, Julie Sircom (jsircom@grenfell.mun.ca) or Jasmine Janes (jasmine.janes@viu.ca).

Time lines:  The deadline for receipt of all materials including letters of reference is 26 February 2021.  The recipients will be notified of the award in April and they will formally receive their award at the annual meeting.

Share

CSEE Excellence in Doctoral Research Award 2021

Deadline for receipt of all application materials: April 16 2021

Award Description:  The CSEE Excellence in Doctoral Research Awards aims to showcase excellent student research from within the society. Successful applicants will have conducted high-quality research that addresses fundamental questions or is of an applied nature in the fields of ecology and/or evolution. In addition to demonstrated scholarship and merit, the selection committee will aim to promote diversity in science through the lens of CSEE’s Diversity and Inclusivity Statement, and to balance field of study and institutional representation. Awards will be given to five candidates each year.  They consist of a $500 cash award, up to $1000 allowance to cover expenses associated with attending the 2021 CSEE meeting in August 2021, and an invitation to present their research in our Graduate Student Award Symposium at the annual CSEE meeting.

Eligibility: Applicants must have been (i) registered in a Ph.D. program at an advanced stage of their dissertation (typically the final two years) and (ii) a member of CSEE at the time of application. There is no citizenship or residence requirement. Successful applicants are expected to attend the CSEE annual meeting and to present their work as part of the CSEE Graduate Student Awards Symposium (exceptions will be considered on an individual basis). Applicants from last year who were not selected for the award but still meet the eligibility criteria are encouraged to re-apply. Applicants must support the goals of the CSEE Diversity and Inclusivity Statement.

Materials: Applications must include the following sections:

  • Applicant information form
  • Thesis Summary (300 words maximum): A summary of your thesis (i.e., thesis abstract). You may use subheadings for different thesis chapters if desired. The applicant should make it clear how their research advances the state of knowledge in their field.
  • Other Relevant Activities (300 words maximum): In this section, describe any professional and extracurricular activities that demonstrate your communication, and leadership skills including mentorship, academic and civic engagement, community outreach and/or involvement with EDI initiatives.
  • Select Awards and Contributions (1 page maximum): Using three headings, highlight (i) awards that you have received, (ii) talks or posters that you have given and (iii) papers you have published. Do not include papers that are in preparation, submitted, or being revised for a journal (including preprints)—only include manuscripts that are published or have been given final acceptance and are ‘in press’. If in press, provide the manuscript number. The applicant must remove their name from all publications and replace it with “Applicant”, in bold.
  • Letter of support (1 page maximum) from your PhD advisor or a committee member. Letters should speak to the criteria listed above and should clearly state that the applicant is close to completion of their thesis. Letters must not contain the name of the applicant but rather non-identifying terms such as “The Applicant”, or similar. For example, “The applicant has been a member of my lab…”. In addition to commenting on the candidate’s accomplishments and research potential, letters of reference must specifically address the candidate’s commitment to CSEE’s Diversity and Inclusivity Statement.

Sections 1 through 3 should be submitted as a single pdf file with the filename “<lastname_firstinitial>_CSEE_PhDaward.pdf” to cseestudent@gmail.com (e.g., Smith_J_CSEE_PhDaward.pdf). The letter of support should be submitted directly from the referee to the same email address and should have the same format as the application with “_Letter” added to the end (e.g., Smith_J_CSEE_PhDAward_Letter.pdf). All materials are due by the deadline indicated above. We will respond to each email to confirm receipt within one week.

The name (first or last) of the applicant must not appear anywhere within the application other than the file names. This anonymization is meant to reduce bias during the evaluation process. Failure to properly anonymize applications could result in disqualification.

Other Important Information
Successful applicants will give a 30-minute talk (23 minute talk and 7-minute question period and transition) in the Graduate Student Award Symposium and will not be able to give a separate talk during the conference. Awardees can present a poster if space is available. Successful applicants must respond to accept the award and confirm their registration within one week of notification. Successful applicants will be may ineligible for Student/Post-doc travel awards as they are already given a stipend.

 

Share

CSEE Early Career Award 2020

We are thrilled to announce the 2020 recipients of the CSEE Early Career Award: Dr. Diana Rennison and Dr. Kiyoko Gotanda. Dr. Rennison is an Assistant Professor at UC San Diego, where she uses methods from the fields of evolution, ecology, and genomics to investigate the evolution and maintenance of biodiversity (https://rennisonlab.com). Dr. Gotanda is a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge whose contributions span ecology, evolution, behaviour, and conservation (http://www.kiyokogotanda.com/).

In lieu of giving plenary lectures at the annual meeting, Diana and Kiyoko will give online research talks on Friday, June 26th at 4pm EDT, and Friday July 3rd at 4pm EDT:

June 26 4pm EDT – Dr. Diana Rennison: Uncovering the genetic and ecological underpinnings of parallel adaptation

July 3rd 4pm EDT – Dr. Kiyoko Gotanda: Human influences on adaptation on the Galapagos Islands

Both talks will be streamed live to our CSEE YouTube channel and will feature a live question period: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoP8jVN1m84wvV5PQKS8ziQ .

Thank-you to the awards committee for their effort and care with this process, and for their attention to CSEE’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity. We had an incredible group of applicants for this award. While this made our deliberations difficult, it also filled us with excitement for the future of ecology and evolution research in Canada and beyond.

Early Career Award Talks: Friday June 26th, 4pm EDT

 Dr. Diana RennisonRennison

 Uncovering the genetic and ecological underpinnings of parallel adaptation.

This talk will give an overview of the integrative work I conduct to determine the mechanisms central to the origin and maintenance of the spectacular species diversity we see in the world today. The core questions I seek to address are: How do sources of selection interact to shape the course of evolution and the generation of biodiversity? & Why do organisms follow certain evolutionary trajectories when many are possible? To tackle these questions I integrate population genomics, field collections and experimental estimates of natural selection. I will give an overview of two of my studies which have shed light on these important questions. The first study uses a manipulative selection experiment to test whether evolutionary divergence between species is caused by differential predation. The second study takes a comparative approach to establish what genetic and ecological factors constrain or promote adaptive evolution.

Early Career Award Talks: Friday July 3rd, 4pm EDT

Dr. Kiyoko GotandaGotanda

 Human influences on adaptation on the Galapagos Islands

The Galápagos Islands are renowned for their unique, endemic biodiversity which inspired Charles Darwin to develop his theory of evolution by natural selection. In particular, Darwin’s finches are an iconic example of adaptive radiation due to natural selection, where ~18 species have evolved from a single, common ancestor. Adaptive radiations can occur when exploitation of new ecological niches can lead to speciation, that is, the formation of entirely new species. Each species of Darwin’s finches is able to specialize on niche specific food items as well innovate in order to take advantage of new food sources, for example, by utilizing tools. Humans can pose major threats to such adaptive radiations by changing selection pressures on Darwin’s finches, and thus, influence their adaptation and evolution. On the Galápagos Islands, humans have direct and indirect effects on the adaptation of Darwin’s finches. My research focuses on three human influences: introduced predators, novel foods, and urbanization, and how these iconic finches are adapting to the presence of humans on the islands.

Share

Winners of the Excellence in PhD Research Award!!

Wishing you had more science in your life?

For the month of May, CSEE will be premiering the five fantastic winners of the Excellence in PhD Research Award, with a 30-min research talk by them every Friday. Talks will streamed LIVE on Youtube starting at 4pm ET and you’ll have a chance to ask questions for a live Q/A session afterwards.

Full schedule below:
May 1, 4pm ET – Quinn Webber
May 8, 4pm ET – Anne McLeod
May 15, 4pm ET – Sarah Amundrud
May 22, 4pm ET – Ruth Rivkin
May 29, 4pm ET – Ken Thompson

Visit our Youtube channel or click here to watch: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoP8jVN1m84wvV5PQKS8ziQ?view_as=subscriber

CSEE Excellence in PhD Research Award Talk
May 1st, 4pm ET
Quinn Webber
My core narrative as a PhD student has been to link animal social behaviour and space use. Animal social behaviour, habitat selection, and movement are inherently linked through density dependence and their effects on fitness. Using caribou (Rangifer tarandus) as a model system, I empirically tested these processes across scales and contexts. First, I tested whether social network position and habitat specialization are predictors of fitness in and vary as a function of population density. Second, I tested whether social group size varies as a function of population density. Third, I tested whether collective movement affects habitat selection. I found that social network position and group size are density-dependent, while habitat specialists tend to have higher fitness than generalists, but there was no effect of sociality on fitness. I found that individuals foraged alone, but moved together, highlighting that collective movement occurs between, but not within, foraging patches. The impact of my work is the establishment of the idea that social behaviour, habitat selection, movement, and population density are inter-related aspects of caribou socioecology. While much of my research is fundamental, caribou are federally threatened in Canada and my work has potential to inform caribou management.

May 8th, 4pm ET
Anne McLeod
Natural communities are undergoing accelerated changes due to human pressures such as habitat fragmentation, over-harvesting, and species invasions.  Here, I use bioinformatics and mathematical models to examine the environmental and ecological drivers of food-web structure and dynamics. First, I use a spatially expansive food-web to examine drivers of spatial turnover in food-web interactions across an environmental gradient. I demonstrate that predicting local realizations of community structure is very difficult, but critical since environmental perturbations occur at the local scale. Then, I integrate empirical data and mathematical models to explore the consequences of different structural metrics, including omnivory, on food-web stability and persistence. I demonstrate that the importance of omnivory depends on both the type of omnivory and the food-web within which it appears. Finally, I derive a novel multi-trophic metacommunity model which demonstrate how movement is a product of both a species’ ability to move and the landscape across which it moves. Treating patch connectivity as a species’ specific property can change our conclusions about multi-patch stability. Overall, my thesis integrates data and theory to test the impacts of environmental gradients and change on food webs and provide testable predictions to guide future research in spatial food web ecology.
May 15th, 4pm ET
Sarah Amundrud
Species distributions and the composition of ecological communities result from the interplay of three constraints: physical barriers to dispersal, species-specific environmental requirements, and species interactions. While the relative importance of these factors is known to depend on spatial scale, the effects of climate change on the interplay of abiotic and biotic constraints are still poorly understood. I combined manipulative experiments, observational surveys along environmental gradients, and species distribution models to explore the relative importance of abiotic and biotic constraints on aquatic invertebrate communities inside bromeliad plants across a range of spatial scales: the geographic scale (Central and South America), the landscape scale (elevational gradients in Costa Rica), and the local scale (the bromeliad system). While species interactions were the main drivers of community change at the local scale, biotic effects were not important in driving species distributions at the large geographic scale. Notably, the relative importance of abiotic and biotic processes at the landscape scale depended on environmental context, an important insight given that environmental conditions are already shifting as a result of climate change. This hierarchical set of studies demonstrates the scale-dependence of the interplay of abiotic and biotic processes in affecting species distributions and community assemblages, as well as the potential role of environmental context at the intermediate scale of the landscape.May 22nd, 4pm ET
Ruth Rivkin
Urban habitats are more fragmented and degraded than nonurban habitats, which can impact both the ecology and evolution of species interactions. Species interaction may be particularly sensitive to urbanization because the species involved may be responding to urbanization separately, and together through effects on the strength of and direction of the interaction. We studied the effects of urbanization on a mutualistic interaction and an antagonistic interaction. We measured reproductive success of Brassica rapa plants across 30 experimental sites in Toronto, ON, and tracked within-site pollen dispersal and pollinator community variation among these sites. We found that urbanization influences plants reproductive success, but whether the effects on fitness were positive or negative depended on season and pollinator dispersal. We also studied the interaction between Darwin’s finches and Tirbulus cistoides in towns on three Galapagos Islands. We tested the effects of urbanization on seed predation rates, selection on mericarp size and defense traits, and ground finch community composition across 40 sites per island. Predation rates were elevated in urban sites, which corresponded to stronger selection on mericarp morphology and altered ground finch communities due to urbanization. Together, our results demonstrate the sensitivity of the ecology and evolution of species interactions to urbanization.

May 29th, 4pm ET
Ken Thompson
In my talk, I’ll describe the progress I made during my Ph.D. to ‘push the peanut forward’ in arriving at generalities about the mechanisms of natural and sexual selection that act on hybrids in nature. Because the phenotype of otherwise viable and fertile hybrids determines their fate, we must document patterns and test theoretical predictions to better understand the mechanisms of so-called ‘extrinsic’ post-zygotic isolation and its importance for speciation. I’ll discuss the results of a systematic literature review where I find that hybrid traits are typically more dominant than intermediate, resulting in hybrids that are often quite ‘mismatched’ for divergent parental traits. Using recombinant hybrid sunflowers grown in a common field environment, I experimentally demonstrate negative fitness consequences of trait mismatches in the field. I’ll then talk about some preliminary results from ongoing work illustrating the extent to which mismatched traits are expressed in first-generation vs. segregating (backcross and F2) hybrids. Finally, I’ll conclude with a brief summary of an ongoing field experiment in threespine stickleback testing whether parallel phenotypic evolution is an engine of speciation in nature
Share