1. Landscape Ecology and Spatial Analysis (LESA) Lab
Dr. Yolanda Wiersma
Monica G. Turner
John A. Wiens
Kimberly With
Sally A. Tinker
Dennis H. Knight

2. What is landscape ecology?
Landscape ecology is the study of spatial patterns and ecological processes.
Landscape ecologists try to understand the causes and consequences of spatial heterogeneity across spatial scales.
Monica G. Turner
John A. Wiens
Kimberly With
Sally A. Tinker
Dennis H. Knight

3. Or, we study… … what you can see from an airplane. Topography
Land cover types
Human land uses

4. What do landscape ecologists research?
Many things!!
Origin of spatial patterns (why are certain ecological features found in some places and not others?)
The effects of changes in landscape structure over space/time on ecological processes.
How landscape influences ecological flows (species dispersal, hydrology, fire, insect outbreaks)

5. What tools and techniques do landscape ecologists use?
Traditional field ecology research
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Remote sensing analysis (satellite imagery)
Process-based modelling
Spatial statistics
Geostatistics

6. My Research
Impacts of human development in and around national parks on the loss of mammal species.
Parks Canada
Parks Canada
Wiersma, Nudds, Rivard Models to distinguish effects of landscape pattern and human population pressures associated with species loss in Canadian national parks. Landscape Ecology 19:

7. My Research
Predictive habitat modelling for moose in the Liard Valley, Yukon.

8. My Research
Identifying minimum requirements for representative protected areas in Canada’s ecozones.
Wiersma, Y.F. and Nudds, T.D Conservation targets for viable species assemblages: data independent targets are not appropriate. Biodiversity and Conservation 15:

9. My Research
The effects of beta diversity patterns on identifying minimum representation requirements for Yukon protected areas. N
Wiersma, Y.F. and Urban, D.L Beta-diversity and nature reserve system design: a case study from the Yukon, Canada. Conservation Biology 19:

10. What’s happing in the LESA lab?
Effects of roads and culverts on stream connectivity in Atlantic national parks
Connectivity
Culvert passability
LMNO Engineering
Road density

11. What’s happing in the LESA lab?
Habitat modelling for shrimp and snow crab in NAFO Division 3L
DFO

12. What’s happing in the LESA lab?
Spatial aspects of predator-prey relationships between caribou and coyote in the Northern Peninsula
Google Earth
Mass Wildlife
Catherine Timberg

13. What’s happing in the LESA lab?
Movement dynamics of woodland caribou in Newfoundland
Catherine Timberg

14. What’s happing in the LESA lab?
Habitat use and foraging strategy of bats in different habitat on the west coast of Newfoundland
Hoary Bat
Little Brown Bat
Eastern Long-eared Bat
USDA-Forest Service
Angela Bakka
Michigan DNR

15. What’s happing in the LESA lab?
Systems planning for protected areas in Canada

16. Opportunities for students
MUCEPs:
Help with computer networking/GIS analysis
Literature review on parks and protected areas and relationships to forestry activities
Honours Students:
Research related to caribou/coyote dynamics
GIS-based research related to national parks
Grad Students:
Full lab right now, but let’s talk…

17. To find out more…
Phone:
Office: SN-4099
Visit the lab (under construction): SN-4166E
Monica G. Turner
John A. Wiens
Kimberly With
Sally A. Tinker
Dennis H. Knight