Jake Ziegler
Degrees Received
M.Sc. McGill University Department of Biology 2012-2014
Advisors: Dr. Irene Gregogy-Eaves and Dr. Chris Solomon
Thesis: Littoral structure as a driver of food chain length in lakes
B.Sc. Hons. University of Regina, Saskatchewan 2007-2011
Advisor: Dr. Peter Leavitt
Thesis: Degradation of the widespread agricultural fertilizer urea in prairie stream ecosystems
Current Position
Ph.D. Student McGill University Department of Natural Resource Sciences
Advisors: Dr. Chris Solomon and Dr. Elena Bennett
Thesis: Social-ecological outcomes in inland recreational fisheries
Research interests
My masters research focused on determining the effect of habitat homogenization on food chain length using simulation modeling and empirical data. I demonstrated that habitat homogenization through loss of aquatic plants in shallow lakes can lower the trophic position of top predators, consequently altering the food web structure of an entire ecosystem.
My doctoral research focuses on human ecosystem interactions in inland recreational fisheries. Specifically, I focus on how land use and management practices on and among lakes influences ecological processes that ultimately affect the ability of these waterbodies to support fisheries that are of economic and cultural importance.
Selected Awards
- NSERC, Alexander Graham Bell Canadian Graduate Scholarship, Doctoral (2015-2018)
- McGill's Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Graduate TA Excellence Award (for Quantitative Methods in Ecology 2015)
- FQRNT, Doctoral Scholarship (declined)
- NSERC, CREAT EcoLac Trainee (2014-2017)
- Groupe de Recherche Interuniversitaire en Limnologie et en Environnement Aquatique, Publication Award (2015)
- NSERC, Alexander Graham Bell Canadian Graduate Scholarship, Masters (2013)
Publications
Peer-reviewed publications
Ziegler, J.P., Christopher T. Solomon, Bruce P. Finney, and Irene Gregory-Eaves. 2015. Macrophyte biomass predicts food chain length in shallow lakes. Ecosphere 6:art5. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/ES14-00158.1
Under review
Ziegler, J.P., E.J. Golebie, S.E. Jones, B.C. Weidel, and C.T. Solomon. In review. Unexpected social-ecological outcomes in recreational fisheries: The interaction of lakeshore development and stocking.
Ziegler, J.P., C.T. Solomon, I. Gregory-Eaves. Refuge increases food chain length:
modeled impacts of littoral structure in lake food webs.
Selected Presentations
Unexpected social-ecological outcomes in recreational fisheries: the interaction of lakeshore development and stocking. Canadian Conference for Fisheries Research. January 2016, St. John’s Newfoundland.
Decreased food chain length with loss of littoral structure in shallow lake. CSEE, SCZ and SCL joint conference. May 2014, Montreal Quebec.
A potential mechanism underlying the ecosystem size food chain length trend: shallow lakes as model ecosystems for addressing the predator prey interaction hypothesis. Ecological Society of America, August 2013, Minneapolis Minnesota.
Degradation of the widespread agricultural fertilizer urea in prairie stream ecosystems: a potential mechanism regulating water quality. University of Regina Department of Biology Summer Talk Series, August 2011. Regina.
Other Interests
Hiking, camping, and fishing
Contact information
Email: [email protected]
Department of Natural Resource Sciences
McGill University , Macdonald Campus
Macdonald Stewart Building
21,111 Chemin Lakeshore
Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9
Office: MS3-073