Reptiles, Wetland Resilience, and Landscape Restoration
Reptiles, Wetland Resilience, and Landscape Restoration
Monday, September 23 @ 7:30 pm
Let’s join Dr. Chantel Markle and learn more about reptiles, wetland resilience, and landscape restoration. Reptiles are one of the most endangered group of vertebrates on Earth and are extremely vulnerable to climate-mediated disturbances because they rely on their environment to meet thermoregulated physiological needs. The effects of climate-mediated disturbances such as wildfire, drought, and winter weather whiplash have consequences for the long-term persistence of endangered reptiles and the wetland ecosystems they depend on. It is becoming clear that the cumulative impacts of climate and land use changes will require conservation and management strategies that cut across traditional disciplinary boundaries. I will discuss my recent and ongoing research which integrates ecohydrology, climate science, and ecology to advance the conservation and management of endangered species and spaces. This includes research on identifying wetlands resilient to winter weather whiplash, assessing impacts of wildfire and drought on refugia, and developing and assessing habitat restoration strategies for at-risk reptiles.
Dr. Markle is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo, where she is a Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Wildlife Ecohydrology and Global Change. Dr. Markle has been involved with reptile conservation since 2011 and has worked in many populations across Ontario. She completed her PhD at McMaster University (Biology) in spatial ecology of freshwater turtles and applications for conservation. She then completed a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in the McMaster Ecohydrology Lab (School of Earth, Environment and Society), where she led reptile habitat restoration projects.
This will be a hybrid meeting and you can choose to attend either in-person or via Zoom. Meeting starts at 7:30 PM and the presenter will be on at approximately 8:00 PM or shortly thereafter.
To attend via Zoom, register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIof-CsqDIjEtxPggcZEv9L7tlQZD-QTMkB
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
