Matthew Mitchell
Degrees Received
M.Sc. in Environmental Biology and Ecology, 2006 – Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta.
Supervisors: James Cahill Jr. and David Hik
B.Sc. (Honours) in Biology, 2002 – Department of Biology, University of Victoria
Current Position
Ph.D Candidate (started: 09/09) – Dept. of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University
Supervisor: Elena M. Bennett
Research interests
Think of the food that you eat each day: the fruits, vegetables, grains, and meat that makeup your daily meals. To produce these things, people around the world change their environment. We clear and fragment forests, plow and fertilize the soil, and plant and harvest crops. While these activities are essential to produce the food we eat each day, they can also degrade other benefits we receive from the environment. Things like clean air and water, places to recreate, and biodiversity. Society urgently needs information and tools to effectively manage these multiple ecosystem services.
My PhD research aims to understand how the forests and fields that make-up agricultural systems interact to produce different ecosystem services. My current focus is on fragmented forest patches surrounded by corn and soybean fields east of Montreal, Quebec. How do these forest patches influence ecosystem services in the surrounding fields? Does the size or isolation of these forest patches matter? How do ecosystem services change as we move away from these forest patches? And finally, do forest patches influence biodiversity that is important for service provision? Answers to these questions will help us understand how human actions affect the species and biophysical processes that supply different ecosystem services.
Ultimately, I hope that the knowledge and tools that result from my research will be used to help local stakeholders and communities make informed decisions about how to structure their landscapes for multiple ecosystem services. To help facilitate this exchange, I’m also working on creating links between scientists and communities to effectively communicate scientific knowledge and ideas.
Selected Awards
NSERC Ph.D. Postgraduate Scholarship (PGS-D) – 2009
McGill Principal’s Graduate Student Fellowship – 2009
Alberta Ingenuity Studentship – 2004
NSERC M.Sc. Postgraduate Scholarship (PGS-A) – 2003
University of Alberta Walter H. Johns Scholarships – 2003 & 2004
University of Alberta Entrance Scholarship – 2003
University of Victoria Entrance Scholarship – 1997
Publications
M. Mitchell, E. M. Bennett, and A. Gonzalez. In Press. Linking landscape connectivity and ecosystem service provision: current knowledge and research gaps. Ecosystems.
K. N. Liss, M.G.E. Mitchell, G. K. MacDonald, S. Mahajan, J. Méthot, A. L. Jacob, D. Maguire, G. Metson, C. Ziter, K. Dancose, K. Martins, M. Terrado, and E. M Bennett. In Press. Use of proxies to measure ecosystem services. Submitted to: Frontiers in Ecology and Environment.
Mitchell, M.G.E., Cahill, J.F., and Hik, D.S. 2009. Plant interactions are unimportant in a subarctic-alpine plant community. Ecology 90(9): 2360-2367.
Mitchell, M.G.E., Antos, J.A., and Allen, G.A. 2004. Modules of reproduction in females of the dioecious shrub Oemleria cerasiformis. Canadian Journal of Botany 82: 393-400.
Nigh, G.D., and Mitchell, M.G.E. 2003. Development of height-age models for estimating juvenile height of coastal Douglas-fir in British Columbia. Western Journal of Applied Forestry 18(3): 207-212.
Selected Presentations
Mitchell, M.G.E., Hik, D.S., and Cahill, J.F. 2005. Plant growth responses to competition, herbivory, and grazing history in an arctic-alpine meadow. Ecological Society of America 90th Annual Meeting. Montreal, Canada.
Mitchell, M.G.E., Hik, D.S., and Cahill, J.F. 2005. Interactions between plant competition, herbivory and abiotic stress in an arctic-alpine community (poster). 35th Annual International Arctic Workshop. Edmonton, Alberta.
Interests
Hiking, camping, running, ultimate frisbee, soccer, cooking, photography, traveling
Contact info
matthew dot mitchell2 at mail dot mcgill dot ca
Personal website
M.Sc. in Environmental Biology and Ecology, 2006 – Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta.
Supervisors: James Cahill Jr. and David Hik
B.Sc. (Honours) in Biology, 2002 – Department of Biology, University of Victoria
Current Position
Ph.D Candidate (started: 09/09) – Dept. of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University
Supervisor: Elena M. Bennett
Research interests
Think of the food that you eat each day: the fruits, vegetables, grains, and meat that makeup your daily meals. To produce these things, people around the world change their environment. We clear and fragment forests, plow and fertilize the soil, and plant and harvest crops. While these activities are essential to produce the food we eat each day, they can also degrade other benefits we receive from the environment. Things like clean air and water, places to recreate, and biodiversity. Society urgently needs information and tools to effectively manage these multiple ecosystem services.
My PhD research aims to understand how the forests and fields that make-up agricultural systems interact to produce different ecosystem services. My current focus is on fragmented forest patches surrounded by corn and soybean fields east of Montreal, Quebec. How do these forest patches influence ecosystem services in the surrounding fields? Does the size or isolation of these forest patches matter? How do ecosystem services change as we move away from these forest patches? And finally, do forest patches influence biodiversity that is important for service provision? Answers to these questions will help us understand how human actions affect the species and biophysical processes that supply different ecosystem services.
Ultimately, I hope that the knowledge and tools that result from my research will be used to help local stakeholders and communities make informed decisions about how to structure their landscapes for multiple ecosystem services. To help facilitate this exchange, I’m also working on creating links between scientists and communities to effectively communicate scientific knowledge and ideas.
Selected Awards
NSERC Ph.D. Postgraduate Scholarship (PGS-D) – 2009
McGill Principal’s Graduate Student Fellowship – 2009
Alberta Ingenuity Studentship – 2004
NSERC M.Sc. Postgraduate Scholarship (PGS-A) – 2003
University of Alberta Walter H. Johns Scholarships – 2003 & 2004
University of Alberta Entrance Scholarship – 2003
University of Victoria Entrance Scholarship – 1997
Publications
M. Mitchell, E. M. Bennett, and A. Gonzalez. In Press. Linking landscape connectivity and ecosystem service provision: current knowledge and research gaps. Ecosystems.
K. N. Liss, M.G.E. Mitchell, G. K. MacDonald, S. Mahajan, J. Méthot, A. L. Jacob, D. Maguire, G. Metson, C. Ziter, K. Dancose, K. Martins, M. Terrado, and E. M Bennett. In Press. Use of proxies to measure ecosystem services. Submitted to: Frontiers in Ecology and Environment.
Mitchell, M.G.E., Cahill, J.F., and Hik, D.S. 2009. Plant interactions are unimportant in a subarctic-alpine plant community. Ecology 90(9): 2360-2367.
Mitchell, M.G.E., Antos, J.A., and Allen, G.A. 2004. Modules of reproduction in females of the dioecious shrub Oemleria cerasiformis. Canadian Journal of Botany 82: 393-400.
Nigh, G.D., and Mitchell, M.G.E. 2003. Development of height-age models for estimating juvenile height of coastal Douglas-fir in British Columbia. Western Journal of Applied Forestry 18(3): 207-212.
Selected Presentations
Mitchell, M.G.E., Hik, D.S., and Cahill, J.F. 2005. Plant growth responses to competition, herbivory, and grazing history in an arctic-alpine meadow. Ecological Society of America 90th Annual Meeting. Montreal, Canada.
Mitchell, M.G.E., Hik, D.S., and Cahill, J.F. 2005. Interactions between plant competition, herbivory and abiotic stress in an arctic-alpine community (poster). 35th Annual International Arctic Workshop. Edmonton, Alberta.
Interests
Hiking, camping, running, ultimate frisbee, soccer, cooking, photography, traveling
Contact info
matthew dot mitchell2 at mail dot mcgill dot ca
Personal website