Grant: Canada Research Chairs

Global biodiversity has been negatively affected by climate change and other anthropogenic stressors, threatening ecosystem services and human well-being. Some of the universal biotic coping mechanisms to global change have been shifts in phenology (timing of seasonal events), changes in other life history traits (e.g., body size), and shifts in geographic distribution. Understanding the spatiotemporal variations in the magnitude and direction of these biotic responses is a critical step toward determining the underlying mechanisms driving changes in biodiversity. Empirical studies have predominantly used basic climate change metrics (e.g., average temperature), while disregarding possible interplays between different anthropogenic stressors (e.g., change in land use, pesticides). Consequently, such studies have had limited capacity to comprehensively elucidate spatiotemporal variations in biotic responses. The main objective of Dr. Khelifa's research program is to understand variation in spatial and temporal biotic responses to global change using novel conceptual and analytical approaches. Specifically, Dr. Khelifa's laboratory will investigate: i) drivers of shifts in the phenology in space and time; ii) the effects of temperature fluctuations and their interaction with other environmental stressors on life history; and iii) the causes and consequences of shifts in geographic distribution. The research program will focus mainly on insects; a barometer taxonomic group that has been widely impacted by global change. Dr. Khelifa’s laboratory will use a combination of laboratory experimental studies, long-term observation databases, and advanced statistical frameworks to address research goals. Ultimately, Dr. Khelifa's research program will fill important knowledge gaps in global change biology, which will help advance efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change and other anthropogenic stressors. The research program will also provide decision-makers in Canada and beyond with useful knowledge to make informed management and policy decisions for the conservation and sustainable management of biodiversity in a human-dominated world.