Jim Fyles

Biography

BSc Biology, University of Victoria MSc Ecology, University of Victoria PhD Botany and Soil Science, University of Alberta

Research Interest

The values that ecosystems provide humanity emerge from the relationships between the plants, animals and microorganisms and the soil that supports them and the ways in which these relationships response to climate, disturbance and human activity. These relationships and responses influence which species survive and which don’t, how productive an ecosystem is, how much of the produced organic matter and the nutrients it contains are returned to the soil each year, what useable materials can be harvested, the scenic beauty of the land and how fast the ecosystem responds to change. My research interests revolve around understanding the important system relationships that influence some of the aspects of ecosystems that are particularly valued by humans: forest productivity, threatened bird species, Lyme disease carriers, and tree-killing invasive species such as the Emerald Ash Borer.