News

Congratulations Rooney Lab grad Jenny Gleason on having your latest manuscript from your MSc. thesis accepted for publication in the Journal Freshwater Biology. 

Titled "Pond permanence is a key determinant of aquatic-macroinvertebrate community structure in wetlands," this paper uses multivariate analyses to identify hydroperiod as the main driver of macroinvertebrate community structure in prairie pothole wetlands, invoking a trait-based classification scheme that focuses on strategies for surviving desiccation.

In a new paper published in the journal Landscape Ecology, collaborators Ian Evans, Derek Robinson, and Rebecca Rooney examine over 1000 landscapes spanning a gradient in human disturbance to characterize how the configuration of wetland habitat is affected.  The paper, available freely at this link, provides a method for landscape-level habitat assessments and paves the road for the development of landscape performance indicators and suitable targets for large-scale reclamation projects.

New research published from the Rooney Lab highlights the weak relationship between aquatic macroinvertebrate community structure and surrounding land use in prairie pothole wetlands.  Macroinvertebrates are one of the most popular bioindicators used in freshwater ecosystems, but efforts to develop bioindicator tools with these taxa in wetlands has generated mixed results.  Recent Grad from the Rooney Lab, Jenny Gleason, suggests that the strong environmental filter of wetland hydroperiod (i.e. permanence class) may be responsible.

A new paper by Rooney Lab PhD student, Courtney Robichaud, was just published in the Journal for Great Lakes Research!  This article explores some of the more subtle effects of invasion by Phragmites australis on the wetland bird community.  Through a comparison with a study done in 2001/02, her work suggests that a time lag exists between the initial invasion and the realization of some of these effects. You can access it free at this link until July 8th, 2017.    

Abstract:

The Rooney Lab is seeking to fill an MSc. position to investigate the threat that invasive common reed (Phragmites australis) poses to an endangered species of spike-rush. Known from only two populations in Canada, bent spike-rush (Eleocharis geniculata) is losing its habitat to this hardy, invasive perennial grass.  The research project will entail field work in the Long Point Wilderness Area and experiments in the University of Waterloo greenhouse facility.

MSc. student Graham Howell was making headlines in the Dundalk Herald this week with his research on the invasive grass Phragmites australis. He will be presenting to stakeholders at a workshop hosted by the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority and the Township of Southgate. The workshop will take place 16th March at 9 am at 392137 Grey Road 109, Holstein, Ontario at the Optimist Community Centre.  For more information, contact Jo-Anne Harbinson 519-367-3040 ext. 235 or by e-mail at j.harbinson@svca.on.ca.

Rooney Lab MSc. student Sarah Yuckin has her research featured by the University of Waterloo as part of our annual World Wetlands Day celebration.  Read more here.

The Rooney Lab is currently seeking a PhD student with experience in community analysis, multivariate statistics, and R software who is interested in wetland ecology, restoration ecology, and the interactions among communities.  The successful applicant will commence a fully funded PhD program working with a comprehensive dataset from temporary marshes in Alberta, Canada.  The dataset includes vegetation, bird, and macro-invertebrate data, water chemistry, sediment chemistry, and hydrology environmental covariate data from nearly 100 wetlands spanning two Natural Regions.

Rooney Lab MSc. Student, Courtney Robichaud, co-authored a blog post for the Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative on her thesis work.  She repeated a study from a decade ago and found markedly greater changes to the bird community in response to Phragmites invasion that was reported previously.  Read more about it here.

February 12, to celebrate Darwin Day, the Biology Department at the University of Waterloo hosted a bonspiel. The Rooney Lab was represented by both veterans and novices to the sport, but all brought their enthusiasm for evolution by natural selection to the ice!