Université de Sherbrooke
Ph.D. candidate
Supervisor: Dominique Gravel
Guillaume Blanchet
Ciara Raudsepp-Hearne
Start: 2020-05-01
End: 2024-12-31

Project

Identification of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) in Quebec
Key Biodiversity Areas, or KBAs, are areas that contribute significantly towards the maintenance of global biodiversity. KBAs may be applied at the level of either ecosystems or species, and are identified using quantitative, standardised methods that are currently being adapted for use in Canada. My project will focus on the identification of KBAs for rare and at-risk species in Quebec. I will explore alternative methods for modelling the distribution of species for which occurrence data is very limited. In addition, I will use climate change scenarios to explore how these ranges may change in the future, to assess the potential resilience of identified KBAs.

Publications

1- Monitoring and Assessment of Wetland Condition Using Plant Morphologic and Physiologic Indicators
Mollard, Federico P. O., A. Lee Foote, Matthew J. Wilson, Varina Crisfield, Suzanne E. Bayley
2013 Wetlands

2- Experts and models can agree on species sensitivity values for conservation assessments
Bried, Jason T., Brandon E. Allen, Ermias T. Azeria, Varina E. Crisfield, Matthew J. Wilson
2018 Biological Conservation

3- Habitat heterogeneity stimulates regeneration of bryophytes and vascular plants on disturbed minerotrophic peatlands
Caners, Richard T., Varina Crisfield, Victor J. Lieffers
2019 Canadian Journal of Forest Research

4- Species richness is a surrogate for rare plant occurrence, but not conservation value, in boreal plant communities
Crisfield, Varina E., Jacqueline M. Dennett, Catherine K. Denny, Lingfeng Mao, Scott E. Nielsen
2019 Biodiversity and Conservation