Laura Pollock

Assistant Professor,
McGill University

Department of Biology
E-mail: lajosy@gmail.com
Institution page
Personal page




Education

Bachelors, Biology and Environment/Natural Resource, University of Wyoming (2000/08 - 2004/05)
Master's, Plant biology, Southern Illinois University at Garbondale (2004/08 - 2006/12)
Doctorate, Ecology and Evolution, University of Melbourne (2007/07 - 2011/12)


Research

Collecting biodiversity information by considering taxonomic, genetic and functional diversity, as well as improving the predictions of how species and communities will be impacted by climate and land use changes

QCBS students

Wenyuan Zhang

Postdoctoral fellow
(Start: 2023)
Other QCBS (co-)supervisor: Andrew Gonzalez
Biodiversity spatial planning in Canada
Personal page

Abbie Gail Jones

Ph.D.
(Start: 2019)
Other QCBS (co-)supervisor: Brian Leung
Integrative species distribution models for extensive biodiversity datasets: insights and patterns from applications at large scales

Janaina Serrano

Ph.D.
(Start: 2021, End: 2025)
Assessing threat vulnerability and extinction risk for terrestrial vertebrates
Personal page



Publications

21- Spatial analyses of multi-trophic terrestrial vertebrate assemblages in Europe
Journal Article
Braga, J, Pollock, LJ, Barros, C, Galiana, N, Montoya, JM, Gravel, D, Maiorano, L, Montemaggiori, A, Ficetola, GF, Dray, S, Thuiller, W
2019 Global Ecology and Biogeography (Date Added: 2019-08-23)

20- Productivity begets less phylogenetic diversity but higher uniqueness than expected
Journal Article
Thuiller, W, Gravel, D, Ficetola, GF, Lavergne, S, Münkemüller, T, Pollock, LJ, Zimmermann, NE, Mazel, F
2019 Journal of Biogeography (Date Added: 2019-06-23)

19- Do joint species distribution models reliably detect interspecific interactions from co-occurrence data in homogenous environments?
Journal Article
Zurell, D, Pollock, LJ, Thuiller, W
2018 Ecography (Date Added: 2019-10-17)

18- Model averaging in ecology: a review of Bayesian, information-theoretic, and tactical approaches for predictive inference
Journal Article
Dormann, CF, Calabrese, JM, Guillera-Arroita, G, Matechou, E, Bahn, V, Bartoń, K, Beale, CM, Ciuti, S, Elith, J, Gerstner, K, Guelat, J, Keil, P, Lahoz-Monfort, JJ, Pollock, LJ, Reineking, B, Roberts, DR, Schröder, B, Thuiller, W, Warton, DI, Wintle, BA, Wood, SN, Wüest, RO, Hartig, F
2018 Ecological Monographs (Date Added: 2019-10-17)

17- Multifaceted biodiversity modelling at macroecological scales using Gaussian processes
Journal Article
Talluto, MV, Mokany, K, Pollock, LJ, Thuiller, W
2018 Diversity and Distributions (Date Added: 2019-10-17)

16- Functional traits modulate the response of alien plants along abiotic and biotic gradients
Journal Article
Carboni, M, Calderon-Sanou, I, Pollock, L, Violle, C, Thuiller, W
2018 Global Ecology and Biogeography (Date Added: 2019-10-17)

15- Integrating correlation between traits improves spatial predictions of plant functional composition
Journal Article
Wüest, RO, Münkemüller, T, Lavergne, S, Pollock, LJ, Thuiller, W
2018 Oikos (Date Added: 2019-10-17)

14- Combining functional traits, the environment and multiple surveys to understand semi-arid tree distributions
Journal Article
Pollock, LJ, Kelly, LT, Thomas, FM, Soe, P, Morris, WK, White, M, Vesk, PA
2018 Journal of Vegetation Science (Date Added: 2019-10-17)

13- Phylogenetically informed spatial planning is required to conserve the mammalian tree of life
Journal Article
Rosauer, DF, Pollock, LJ, Linke, S, Jetz, W
2017 Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (Date Added: 2019-10-17)

12- Large conservation gains possible for global biodiversity facets
Journal Article
Pollock, LJ, Thuiller, W, Jetz, W
2017 Nature (Date Added: 2019-10-17)

11- The role of plant functional traits in shrub distribution around alpine frost hollows
Journal Article
Lim, FKS, Pollock, LJ, Vesk, PA
2017 Journal of Vegetation Science (Date Added: 2019-10-17)

10- Phylogenetic approaches reveal biodiversity threats under climate change
Journal Article
González-Orozco, CE, Pollock, LJ, Thornhill, AH, Mishler, BD, Knerr, N, Laffan, SW, Miller, JT, Rosauer, DF, Faith, DP, Nipperess, DA, Kujala, H, Linke, S, Butt, N, Külheim, C, Crisp, MD, Gruber, B
2016 Nature Climate Change (Date Added: 2019-10-17)

9- Conserving phylogenetic diversity, with reference to victorian eucalypts
Journal Article
Mccarthy, MA, Pollock, LJ
2016 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria (Date Added: 2019-10-17)

8- Phylogenetic diversity meets conservation policy: Small areas are key to preserving eucalypt lineages
Journal Article
Pollock, LJ, Rosauer, DF, Thornhill, AH, Kujala, H, Crisp, MD, Miller, JT, McCarthy, MA
2015 Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (Date Added: 2019-10-17)

6- From species distributions to meta-communities
Journal Article
Thuiller, W, Pollock, LJ, Gueguen, M, Münkemüller, T
2015 Ecology Letters (Date Added: 2019-10-17)

5- Phylogenetic diversity and the sustainable use of biodiversity
Book Chapter
Faith, DP, Pollock, LJ
2014 Applied Ecology and Human Dimensions in Biological Conservation (Date Added: 2019-10-17)

4- Understanding co-occurrence by modelling species simultaneously with a Joint Species Distribution Model (JSDM)
Journal Article
Pollock, LJ, Tingley, R, Morris, WK, Golding, N, O'Hara, RB, Parris, KM, Vesk, PA, Mccarthy, MA
2014 Methods in Ecology and Evolution (Date Added: 2019-10-17)

3- Eucalypts face increasing climate stress
Journal Article
Butt, N, Pollock, LJ, Mcalpine, CA
2013 Ecology and Evolution (Date Added: 2019-10-17)

2- Chloroplast DNA diversity associated with protected slopes and valleys for hybridizing Eucalyptus species on isolated ranges in south-eastern Australia
Journal Article
Pollock, LJ, Bayly, MJ, Nevill, PG, Vesk, PA
2013 Journal of Biogeography (Date Added: 2019-10-17)

1- The role of functional traits in species distributions revealed through a hierarchical model
Journal Article
Pollock, LJ, Morris, WK, Vesk, PA
2012 Ecography (Date Added: 2019-10-17)