Dr. William Nelson

Assistant Professor
Department of Biology, Queen’s University
Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada
Phone: 1-613-533-6130 Fax: 1-613-533-6617

I am interested in the interaction between ecological and short-term evolutionary dynamics, and how this influences patterns of diversity we see in nature. We use life-histories as a focal point to connect these processes, and are broadly interested in understanding how life-histories scale up to the biological dynamics of populations and communities. Our lab uses two study systems with pronounced stage-structure (freshwater zooplankton and cowpea weevils), and our research combines mathematical modeling, laboratory experiments, and field-based mesocosm experiments.

 

Clay Cressler (Post Doc)

I have broad interests in evolutionary ecology. Currently, I am working towards an energetic theory of host-parasite interactions using dynamic energy budget theory. I am interested in how host traits (e.g., resistance and tolerance) and parasite traits (e.g., virulence) can be understood from the perspective of dynamic energy budgets. My dissertation research used computational (e.g., genetic algorithms), analytical (e.g., adaptive dynamics), and comparative methods to understand the evolution of life history and behavior in response to the environment, focusing on the role of selection acting on multiple non-independent traits. Click here to go to my website.

 

 

Markus Dyck (Ph.D. student)

I am interested in examining how food quality alters life history traits of individuals, and the consequences for population dynamics; and how a heterogeneous food supply influences population dynamics (i.e., oscillating population cycles - stable cycles - or possible extinction); the southern cowpea weevil serves as a model species for this approach.

(co-supervised with Steve Lougheed)

 

 

Stefan Bengtson (Master's student)

The carbon to phosphorus ratio (food quality) of zooplankton algal food infliences both life history and population dynamics. Recently, it has been demonstrated that coexistence of multiple genotypes is prolonged at low food quality. My research asks over what range is this true, and is the phenomenon limited to particular genotypes or are there generalizations that can be made for coexistence within and among lakes?

 

Ariel Gittens (Master's student)

Andrew Lowles (Master's student)

I am using fish sampling data to examine how different environmental factors correlate with freshwater fish community composition along the Ottawa River system.

(co-supervised with John Casselman)

 

Japteg Singh (Honours thesis student)

(co-supervised with Steve Lougheed)

 

Jillian Gauld (Honours thesis student)

Tori Donovan (Honours thesis student)

Zooplankton undergo daily migration up and down the water column of most lakes, which can expose them to a strong gradient in dissolved oxygen. I am interested in the effects that dissolved oxygen have on zooplankton ppoulation dynamics, and on natural selection among genotypes of the common zooplankton species Daphnia pulicaria.

Shirley French (Lab technician).

"My interest in zooplankton and other aquatic life goes back a few years from lab work in oceanic upwelling systems, to working with plankton in fresh water. As a technician, I'm looking at the effect of food quality on Daphnia populations." (check out Shirley's March blog on Round Lake)

Lab party December 2010