Where have all the flowers gone?

Emily Gonzales is determined to find out

Talking with Emily Gonzales, PhD candidate in the Centre for Applied Conservation Research (CACR), about her experiences as a graduate student is as enjoyable as it is informative. She leans forward earnestly as she discussed the impacts of her research in Garry Oak ecosystems, recounts the organizations and individuals with whom she collaborates, and fondly describes the system she simply refers to as “Garry”.

“My mission is to let members of the public know who Garry is. I tell them that she’s complex, that … to work with her we have to understand that she is dynamic, that she is going to change through time, and that she has needs and issues. So we talk about some of those issues like herbivory, like exotic {invasions}, and fragmentation; …the key factors influencing the loss of ecosystem.”

Gonzales’ research questions are ambitious; she strives to determine which factors are contributing to the decline of one of Canada’s most endangered ecosystems, as well as how best to protect and restore what is left. Emily is studying the effects of exotic plants and large herbivores, including native deer and exotic goats and sheep, on native plant communities in the Gulf Islands of BC. The islands form a series of natural laboratories, with varying degrees of human impact, exotic plants, and herbivores, which allows the comparison and quantification of these impacts. “I have a fabulous project that involves visiting different Gulf islands, and comparing the vegetation … {I} try to understand what leads to the plant community composition there”. She is also running two experiments on islands with different complements of herbivores; Gabriola Island has deer, Saturna Island has goats and deer, and Salt Spring Island has sheep and deer.

 Emily, and her research advisor, Dr Peter Arcese, collaborate with the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, Parks Canada, the Garry Oak Ecosystem Recovery Team, various community groups on the island, and a handful of other academics who have ventured into this field of study. Gonzales describes her role in the process as “...providing answers to critical questions, and that’s not really being done by anybody else at this stage”. Her work complements the conservation efforts of local organizations removing invasive plants such as Scotch broom, purchasing properties and changing policies to protect different areas. “This ecosystem is so tied up with where people live that it’s very important to get the local people involved in protecting the community, in protecting the ecosystems, for {there} to be a partnering with the community level organizations. So I’ve been doing talks and workshops on the different islands and getting to know the folks that live where I work.”

 Gonzales has been involved in community and science since completing her Bachelor’s degree at Simon Fraser University, when she ran a non-profit organization called “Science AL!VE”. Even while working on her Masters degree at the University of Guelph, she contributed to British Columbia conservation efforts by studying the spread of the eastern grey squirrel on the west coast, and its effects on native Douglas squirrels. Upon graduating, she worked as the Public Programs Coordinator with the Stanley Park Ecology Society. When she decided to return to academia, the support and enthusiasm of Dr Arcese attracted Emily to UBC’s Faculty of Forestry. The multi-faceted nature of her work motivates her to continue. “I really enjoy the work I do; to try to understand what is going on and then to tell people about it – which is incredibly important – it is really fun for me”.

This article was written by MSc student Yona Sipos-Randor