Grant: Canada Research Chairs

Global change is having a profound impact on the distribution of life and threatens the status of many wildlife populations. An understanding of why species are where they are and the factors that influence their range limits is critical to our ability to predict the response of species to environmental change. Yet, our empirical understanding of the distributions and range limits of many species remains limited. As Canada Research Chair in Global Change Biology and Macroecology, Dr. Lee-Yaw studies the ecological and evolutionary processes that shape species distributions and lead to the formation of range limits. Combining habitat suitability models, state-of-the-art genomic techniques for non-model organisms, and laboratory experiments, Dr. Lee-Yaw’s research is specifically evaluating the importance of climate in setting species distributional limits, testing leading explanations for constraints on adaptation at the edge of the range, and evaluating the impact of extreme, climate-related events on peripheral population dynamics. Through a combination of comparative studies and synthesis work, Dr. Lee-Yaw aims to see the bigger picture, assessing how these dynamics in turn influence broader patterns of diversity. This work is particularly relevant in a Canadian context where many species are at the edge of their range and where changes to biodiversity are expected to be especially pronounced as species’ ranges shift poleward under climate change. Dr. Lee-Yaw also works closely with government and conservation partners to translate results into conservation action. In particular, Dr. Lee-Yaw’s results are helping to clarify the distribution and status of several data-deficient species in Canada and informing conservation translocations for at-risk populations. Thus, Dr. Lee-Yaw’s research program both tackles big questions in global change biology and directly contributes to the protection and recovery of at-risk species in Canada.