Free, educational talks held in conjunction with BC’s Pinot Noir Celebration

What: Science of wine explained by UBC researchers
Who: UBC Chemistry Professors Wesley Zandberg, Susan Murch and Biology Professor Daniel Durall
When: Saturday, August 17 at 9 a.m.
Where: Room COM 201, The Commons, 3297 University Way, UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC researchers are taking the opportunity to explain what’s going on in their research labs, in a series of talks hosted in conjunction with this year’s BC Pinot Noir Celebration.

Coordinated by the Faculty of Management and the Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences, the scientists will share their knowledge in a free session, open to the public, held in conjunction with this year’s Pinot Noir Celebration, taking place for the first time at the Okanagan campus.

Chemistry Professors Susan Murch and Wesley Zandberg along with Biology Professor Daniel Durall will provide an overview of their current research projects including the yeast associated with pinot noir grapes, the chemistry and terroir of Okanagan wines, and ways to predict smoke taint on grapes and prevent it before fermentation.

After UBC’s science of wine talks, the BC Pinot Noir Celebration will host educational sessions focusing on the pinot noir varietal.

“UBC’s Okanagan campus is committed to research and education that supports development of the BC wine territory. We are delighted the organizers have chosen to host the BC Pinot Noir Celebration at our campus,” says Gino DiLabio, dean pro tem with the Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences. “To complement the celebration, we are also very pleased to offer the public session explaining how science research at the university is benefiting the wine industry’s development.”

The celebration, hosted by the BC Pinot Noir Committee, also offers a salon-style wine tasting, dinner, dance and address from keynote speaker Madeline Puckette, author of Wine Folly: The Essential Guide to Wine.

The free UBC educational session and the educational sessions provided by the BC Pinot Noir Committee at a small fee, provide an opportunity for participants to learn more about pinot noir and other types of wine in a unique format, says Jak Meyer, BC Pinot Noir Committee co-chair.

“We just feel it is something more to offer than the usual tasting and it gives us an opportunity to let people know why we are so passionate about this particular varietal,” says Meyer.

To register for the free UBC-sponsored session, or to find out more about the BC Pinot Noir Celebration, visit: www.bcpinotnoir.ca

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca.

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UBCO researchers say tagging has many powerful uses to help keep tabs on animals

They’re the central questions of ecology—why are there so many species and where are they found?

Over the years, ecologists and conservation officials have experimented with numerous tracking and identification methods in a quest to get the data they need to answer these questions.

Now, in a recent article published in Ecological Applications, researchers from UBC Okanagan and the University of Alberta have found that genetic tagging—tracking individual animals using DNA collected in their habitat—can be a powerful tool in collecting this data.

Described as a non-invasive approach to identifying and tracking animals, genetic tagging uses an animal’s DNA from their feces, saliva and hair.

“This research was motivated by a recognition that this way of doing ecology is really taking on an important role,” says Adam Ford, assistant professor in biology at UBCO and Canada Research Chair in Wildlife Restoration Ecology. “Not only is it cost-effective and logistically feasible, but it checks a lot of the ‘science’ boxes we need to conserve wildlife.”

The team pored through genetic tagging studies from around the world before embarking on a case study in the East Kootenay region of British Columbia. Using data collected from the DNA of grizzly bears, the team genotyped the DNA to identify each animal, and then created individual detection histories over hundreds of square kilometres.

“Using these detection histories, we’re able to get so much information on what’s going on in nature,” says Ford. “We’re using this data to generate density maps, detect trend populations, identify migrants, and individually identify problem wildlife. We can also use DNA to incriminate poachers.”

While Ford believes there’s still a use for more invasive methods like ear tags and collars, he says genetic tagging can offer ecologists some of the same data without the cost, time and stress on the animal.

“Tags work well, particularly for smaller mammals, but you have to capture the animal first, and then somehow recapture it—and do this in a way that’s safe for you and them,” says Ford. “GPS collars are linked to satellites so we know the animal’s location, but again, you have to capture the animal. These collars can cost a couple thousand dollars each and we wouldn’t have the funds to use these in a large study.”

Bears, he says, have a certain behaviour that makes genetic tagging an ideal, and much more natural, alternative.

“Bears scratch their back on what we call ‘rub trees’,” says Ford. “We can identify these rub trees because many bears will rub on the same one—we believe it’s a communication method. We can collect bear hair left on the bark, or on wire that pulls hair off the animal. We return to the tree every three weeks, send the hair to the lab and we know who’s in the area.”

By taking a closer look at measuring tools like genetic tagging, Ford says ecologists will not just be able to describe a trend of the animals, but also understand why numbers are shifting and what they can do about it.

“I want people to know how much information you can get in a less invasive manner,” says Ford. “It’s part of our ethical obligation to conduct research in a way that causes the least amount of harm. This tool is helping us get there.”

This grizzly bear hair, caught in wire on a tree, can help identify and track the individual animal who rubbed against this tree. UBCO researchers say genetic tagging is an economical and ethical way to keep tabs on wild animals.

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca.

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Celine Edwards is this year’s Pushor Mitchell LLP Gold Medal Leadership Prize winner.

Near-perfect grades, volunteerism and desire to help others leads to Pushor Mitchell recognition

It’s been a dream of Celine Edwards for as long as she can remember—to attend medical school at UBC and improve healthcare delivery for rural populations.

This week, Edwards graduates with a Bachelor of Science in microbiology. She walks the stage not only as a new graduate, but also with the Pushor Mitchell LLP Gold Medal Leadership Prize—the highest award available for an Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences student.

Now in its tenth year, the $10,000 prize recognizes a top graduating student who has excelled academically and shown leadership while earning their degree.

Andrew Brunton, managing partner at Pushor Mitchell LLP, says the firm is proud to recognize the accomplishments of another exceptional student at UBC Okanagan.

“We are happy to support Celine in her further studies and development as a community leader,” he says. “We hope she continues to chase her dream of improving healthcare in rural communities. We are proud to be a supporter of UBC Okanagan and to be able to add Celine to the distinguished list of Pushor Mitchell LLP Gold Medal Leadership Prize winners.”

Originally from a ranch in the small town of Falkland, BC, Edwards moved to Kelowna to attend UBC Okanagan after receiving a UBC Major Entrance Scholarship. Throughout her studies, she has received many undergraduate awards that recognize her academic excellence and her well-rounded character. Edwards’ decision to major in microbiology was based on its challenging nature and the fascinating research avenues it presented in health care.

Aside from her academic achievements, Edwards gave back to the campus community by working as a teaching assistant, a supplemental learning leader, running the Microbiology Course Union and conducting research on both Alzheimer’s disease and lung cancer. She also serves as a support group facilitator for people with Alzheimer’s, and has devoted much of her time to fundraising for Alzheimer’s research.

Edwards shifted her research direction from neuroscience to cancer last spring when she joined the Early Detection Research Team at the BC Cancer Agency. During her time as a medical physics research intern, she’s been working on characterizing the lung cancer treatment pathway in order to improve the quality and access of care.

UBCO Biology Instructor Janet Kluftinger says Edwards is more than deserving of the award.

“I had the pleasure of teaching Celine in two very challenging courses and in both her level of achievement was exceptional,” says Kluftinger. “Despite a rigorous academic commitment, Celine also managed to find time to pursue valuable volunteer and research opportunities. These experiences seem to have solidified her aspiration to pursue a career in medicine.”

Edwards plans to continue her research at the BC Cancer Agency this summer, before moving to Vancouver in August for her first semester of UBC Medical School. She is thrilled to have been accepted into her top choice of UBC’s Island Medical Program.

“Being selected as the recipient of this prestigious award not only means a lot to me and my family, but also my community,” says Edwards. “I’ll be using the award to finance my studies in medicine, enabling my dream of improving the healthcare and quality of life of people living in rural communities.”

UBCO graduate Celine Edwards crossed the stage at the 11 a.m. ceremony on Thursday, June 6.

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca.

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A multi-year study on four different crop fields found there could be environmental consequences of adding bio-fertilizers to soil.

UBCO scientist suggests nature knows what’s best

A UBC researcher is using her latest study to question whether soil additives are worth their salt.

Miranda Hart, who teaches biology at UBC’s Okanagan campus, says despite a decades-long practice, there could be environmental consequences of adding bio-fertilizers into soil. It’s common practice for farmers to use bio-fertilizers as a method to improve crop production. These added microorganisms will live in the soil, creating a natural and healthy growing environment.

However, after a multi-year study on four different crop fields, Hart says the inoculants may not be doing much for the soil. The study, which involved researchers from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, was published recently in Science of The Total Environment.

“There are so many companies producing microbes and they are lobbying farmers to be part of a green revolution,” says Hart. “These products are considered more environmentally friendly than fertilizers and pesticides, but there is no evidence they are working or that they are even able to establish, or grow, in the soil.”

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi live in and around plant roots, helping the plants take up nutrients. Hart explains that many farmers will use commercially produced AM fungi to improve soil quality and increase yields. However, after the study, she says there is still little evidence that the inoculants work.

“It’s very hard to determine if the microbes established in the soil,” she says. “What we showed is that they often didn’t establish. And even when they did, there was no difference in crop performance.”

Hart’s research team studied four fields during the course of two growing seasons in Saskatchewan and Alberta. For their study, a common commercial AM fungal inoculant was introduced into the fields.

The results showed extreme variation, she says. There were areas where the inoculant failed to establish in some fields, while it grew prolifically in others. In one site, it became invasive and took over the resident fungal community in less than a year.

“Bio-fertilizers have been sold for decades and it’s an industry worth millions of dollars,” says Hart. “An important takeaway from this study is that there seemed to be no effect on the crops. If the farmer invested thousands on the inoculate, it may have been a waste of money.”

Hart’s second takeaway is the general lack of knowledge of what these inoculates are actually doing to the land.

“I’m particularly concerned because there is no evidence that these inoculates are helping the environment,” she adds. “What we’re doing is releasing invasive species into the environment and we don’t know the long-term effect of what’s happening to the soil.”

Hart’s research was partially funded by Agriculture and Agrifood Canada.

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca.

The post Do additives help the soil? appeared first on UBC's Okanagan News.

A guide to helping fungi and roots while battling weeds

Miranda Hart digs dirt. The associate professor in UBC Okanagan’s Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences is a researcher and naturalist who has dedicated her career to studying microbes in soil. Specifically, she investigates how soil biodiversity helps ecosystems function, and what happens when we destroy this life in our soils.

While the focus of her research—soil microbial communities—may sound complex, that’s what’s happening in every backyard garden around the world. We asked Hart, who teaches biology, to break down her science for people who love mucking about in the dirt as much as she does. Here are some tips for gardening, whether it’s flowers, a crop of vegetables in a community garden or a few herbs in a window basket.

We’ve heard recently that some researchers suggest tilling, or overtilling, is not effective and is actually harmful to soil. Yet, we’ve been doing it for hundreds of years. What are your thoughts on this?

This is not easy to answer. Tillage has been with us as long as agriculture—but it is hard on the soil. It leads to loss of topsoil (erosion) and also disrupts the network of roots and fungi below ground. This leads to a less resilient system and therefore, less efficient?

For intensive agricultural systems or gardens, this might not be a problem because you’re adding nutrients and biocides.

The main reason we’ve been able to move to ‘no till’ agriculture is due to herbicide use. Currently, farmers control weeds with herbicides, not tillage. But this is not sustainable, because weeds develop resistance to herbicides. Plus, there is increased scrutiny on the environmental and health consequences of using herbicides.

Long story short: if you have a garden, weed by hand.  If you have a farm—you need to weigh your weed problem versus how much topsoil you have.

Your work examines arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and how it benefits plant nutrition and crop production. Your latest research examined how a commercial AMF inoculant worked in different grain-cropping practices. Did the commercial product out-perform the natural process?

No, the commercial product did not perform better than control plots—we added a native AMF and also had plots without AMF additions. I think the reasons are two-fold:  1) The AMF isolate failed to establish on many sites. 2) the resident fungi were probably already doing a good job and I don’t think the inoculants were necessary.

In general, if your soil is in pretty good shape and you have had plants growing on it recently, you likely have resident fungi that are good enough and you don’t need to add anything else.

Is commercial fungi perhaps the way of the future?

Not yet. We still don’t understand what factors allow a fungus to establish in foreign soil. And even if they do establish, are they good for that soil? Or that particular crop?

It’s hard to imagine that there is a ‘silver bullet’ fungus that will be a good fit with all systems and cropping types. Further, we don’t know what happens to these fungi in natural ecosystems—can they become invasive? Do they affect the biodiversity of resident microbes and plants? We need to answer these questions before I can recommend their use in the field.

Is it possible to transfer your knowledge of soil health to information a backyard gardener could use?

Absolutely. The key to “healthy” soils is to promote a biodiverse ecosystem that is well adapted to the soil and climate. Use native plants wherever you can, and take it easy on the inputs (nutrients and fertilizers) because plants that are adapted to our climate are not used to high levels of fertilizer etc.

However, for a production garden, then you’ll definitely want to augment nutrients. I recommend organic fertilizers over synthetic, such as compost or manure, since they will stimulate the soil food web by including carbon for the microbes to eat. This leads to higher biodiversity in your soils and more resilient plants.

To summarize, for a wonderful garden:

• Don’t till, weed by hand instead
• Commercial fungi aren’t necessary, stick to what’s natural like compost and manure
• Biodiversity is key
• Enjoy the journey

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UBC hosts ecologist who explains the science behind pollinator conservation

What: What's the Buzz? Understanding the status of native bees and what you can do to help
Who: York University ecologist Sheila Colla
When: Tuesday, April 16 at 6 p.m.
Where: room ASC 130, Arts and Sciences Building, 3187 University Way, UBC Okanagan

As April showers bring May flowers, those flowers are going to need something to help with pollination. Enter the simple bee.

In Canada, bees make up the most important group of pollinators. However, the status of most wild bee populations in Canada is unknown. UBC Okanagan’s Institute for Biodiversity, Resilience, and Ecosystems Services is hosting York University ecologist Sheila Colla, who will talk about the conversation of bees.

Her research uses scientific principles to address conservation issues and focuses on the lesser understood native species such as bees, butterflies and flowering plants.

On April 16, Colla will host a public talk where she will discuss native bee diversity and the ecosystem services they provide. She will give an overview of their conservation status and describe how people can help declining species at both the policy and individual levels.

While in Kelowna, Colla will meet with UBCO Professor Nancy Holmes, who runs the Border Free Bees project and UBC Assistant Professor Adam Ford who runs UBCO’s Wildlife Restoration Ecology Lab. She will also take part in a biodiversity seminar series, present her research at a graduate student seminar, meet with students and faculty and explore Kelowna’s nectar trail and.

Colla’s talk is open to the public, but registration is required. To register, visit: eventbrite.ca/e/whats-the-buzz-tickets-60139222032

About UBC's Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca.

Is it a bobcat or a lynx? Even experts, when using publicly-submitted images, have trouble telling the two wildcats apart. Photo credit: James Gagnon.

Telling similar animals apart challenges even the experts

Two UBC Okanagan biologists, who have publicly solicited images of wild cats for their research, say telling the difference between a bobcat or a lynx can be difficult.

Biology Professor Karen Hodges and master’s student TJ Gooliaff collected and compared wildlife images for several years as part of their research tracking bobcat and lynx distributions in British Columbia. Camera trapping and solicitation of wildlife pictures through citizen science have become common tools in ecological research, explains Gooliaff.

While it’s generally easy to collect many images of animals, some species are difficult to tell apart, making species classification challenging.

“Camera-trapping and citizen-science studies collect many wildlife images for which correct species classification is crucial,” says Gooliaff. “Even low misclassification rates can result in erroneous estimation of the geographic range or habitat use of a species—including underestimation of the occupancy, habitat preferences or distribution of a species. This potentially hinders conservation and management efforts.”

There are some species, such as mountain goats and porcupines, where it’s obvious. But for others, including bears, deer, lemurs, wild cats and antelopes, classification to a species may be unreliable as the animals can be similar in size, shape or colour. It gets even trickier when the pictures are blurry, taken in poor lighting, show only part of the animal or when only one image is available for a given animal.

In a 2018 study published in the Journal of Wildlife Management, Gooliaff and Hodges solicited 4,399 images of bobcats and lynx from the public across British Columbia to examine the provincial distribution of each species. They used pictures, trapping records and other data sources to develop current range maps.

Because lynx and bobcats are similar, Gooliaff and Hodges then measured agreement among experts who were asked to distinguish between bobcats and lynx from those images. The researchers asked 27 individual bobcat and lynx authorities to classify the species in a subsample of 300 images to see how often the experts agreed on whether it was a bobcat or a lynx.

What became clear was that the experts found it difficult to tell bobcats and lynx apart—indeed, many images were labelled as “unknown” by the experts—and they did not always agree with each other. Experts were inconsistent even with themselves, changing their classifications of some images when they were asked to reclassify the same pictures months later.

Gooliaff and Hodges also examined if agreement among experts varied with what part of the animal was in each image (paws, head, tail, etc.), the habitat in the background, and whether it was day or night.  These factors all affected how many experts agreed on the species in each image.

“These results are particularly troubling given that the images were all of high photographic quality,” says Gooliaff.

Hodges says this study helps researchers improve how they work with images, by knowing when misidentifications are most likely. Further, classification of images of similar‐looking species should not be relied upon for critical conservation or management decisions. Instead, physical or genetic evidence should be required in these cases.

She also emphasises that pictures provided by the public are becoming a powerful tool in wildlife research and eventual conservation and management efforts. This research benefits citizen science and image-based studies, as they continue to refine how people use submitted images.

“We encourage researchers who use images to be more willing to call the species in a picture “unknown” or to use them as a screen for habitats or regions where more survey work should be done, rather than trusting images alone.”

The image study, partially funded by a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council grant, was recently published in Ecology and Evolution.

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca.

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UBC Okanagan Associate Professor Soheil Mahmoud, third from left, teaches students in a small lavender field on the Okanagan campus.

Team identifies complete genetic makeup of lavender plant

A team of researchers, including UBC’s Soheil Mahmoud, have recently sequenced the genome of lavender.

Mahmoud, an associate professor of biology at UBC Okanagan, says lavender has many uses, from essential oils, to fragrances, personal hygiene and pharmaceutical industries.

“We have studied lavender for a long time,” says Mahmoud. “We have always been curious about this plant. Why is it drought tolerant? Why is it pest tolerant? What makes it smell so sweet?”

The reason why scientists want to get to the root of lavender’s secrets is because it’s an important crop plant that significantly contributes to the multi-billion dollar, and continually growing, essential oil industry.

Thanks to the work of fellow researches, Professor Ping Liang from Brock University and doctoral student Radesh N Malli, the team has sequenced the lavender genome. Basically, creating new pathways to further development and research.

“The best way to describe our findings is that we have built the roadmap for the discovery of the genetic elements that define lavender. Now researchers can follow our map and go into the wilderness and explore even further,” says Mahmoud. “It’s opening the door for more analysis of the plant for its future potential.”

For example, the draft genome helps scientists quickly discover genes that direct essential oil production, to understand regulatory elements that control the expression of these genes, and to learn how the genome works as a whole. Additionally, the genome sequence can help researchers develop genetic markers for ‘fingerprinting’ and identification of various lavender species and varieties.

Mahmoud also explains that the genome sequence can help researchers improve the plant. For example, many high-yield lavender species actually produce some undesired elements such as camphor. Researchers want to learn how to produce the desired oils without increasing the amounts of undesired ingredients. They can do that through targeted breeding and plant biotechnology, but the first step is to have a complete understanding of the molecular elements that control production of the lavender’s essential oil components.

“The quality of lavender’s essential oils greatly depends on the characteristic scent of the oil, which is determined by certain phytochemicals called monoterpenes,” explains Mahmoud. “Camphor contributes an off-odour, and its presence in the oil lowers quality and hence market value. On the other hand, high levels of linalool and linalyl acetate are desired in lavender oils.”

Liang, who is a Canada Research Chair in Genomics and Bioinformatics, works out of Brock University’s bioinformatics and comparative genomics lab. He says the newly-published research provides specific markers other that researchers can follow.

“They now have access to the lavender genome sequence and from here, they can discover more about the plant,” he says. “Given the economic status of lavender and its applications of essential oils in many industries, the lavender draft genome sequence serves as a significant genetic resource for continued lavender research.”

The research, supported by grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Canada Research Chair Program and the Investment Agriculture Foundation of B.C., was published this week in Planta, an international journal of plant biology.

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world. For more visit ok.ubc.ca.

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Study shows females under-represented in top research journals

After an in-depth study, a UBC Okanagan researcher says almost every aspect of two top science journals continue to under-represent women—from published articles to photos, feature profiles and even advertisements.

Associate Professor Miranda Hart, who teaches biology in the Irving K Barber School of Arts and Sciences, is an avid reader of two science publications—Nature and Science. Whether it’s unintended or not, Hart says there is a definite discrepancy in the representation of men over women in these two leading journals.

Miranda Hart, associate professor of biology in the Irving K Barber School of Arts and Sciences.

“Publications like Science and Nature are a window into scientific culture,” says Hart. “These journals reflect what scientific role models look like, including gender stereotypes.”

The idea first occurred to her while flipping through issues of these journals at home.

“I became so tired of seeing page after page after page of men,” she says. “There were profiles of men, men doing science and men recruiting men to science. It was so disappointing and I was starting to get sick of reading them.”

Hart realized it would be easy to do a comparative study and actually count how many articles, images and advertisements included men or women. And what those images portray.

For her study, Hart and undergrad researcher Becky Loverock looked at three months of issues of Science and Nature to see if women and men were truly represented differently in terms of authorship and images. Her study confirmed her belief about gender bias in both journals, with women accounting for less than 15 per cent of all corresponding authors published during that three-month period. More surprisingly, notes Hart, women were grossly underrepresented in photographs, advertisements and stock photographs.

“I thought ‘is it just me?’ But when we looked back through three months of issues and started quantifying the numbers of pictures, articles and profiles, it became very clear,” Hart says. “Despite societal awareness, gender bias persists. These magazines are perpetrating a role model that is predominantly, and sometimes exclusively, male.”

“Elite journals such as Science and Nature carry significant weight in their ability to influence the scientific culture. They reflect who is doing science, and what scientists look like,” says Hart. “Changing gender stereotypes requires exposure to counter stereotypes and these journals have an important role to play in this change.”

Hart’s study was recently published in FACETS.

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world. For more visit ok.ubc.ca.

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An American pika in North Cascades National Park (Photo credit: Andrew Veale)

UBC scientists say mammal threatened by climate change

UBC researchers have determined that the American pika, long cast as a sentinel mammal for the impacts of climate change, maybe in more trouble than once thought.

Professor Michael Russello, a population geneticist at UBC’s Okanagan campus, has been studying the effects of climate change on wildlife species—including the American pika—for over a decade.

“Climate change poses a major threat to biodiversity,” he says. “The full magnitude of the impact will partially depend on how individual species respond to their changing environments.” Russello explains there are generally three ways in which species respond to climate change—they adapt to new conditions, move to an area where the environment is more favourable or they perish.

“As climates have warmed, American pika populations at low elevations have disappeared at different points throughout western North America,” says Russello.

Until recently, scientists believed that American pikas were simply moving to higher altitudes seeking cooler areas to live. Not so, shows newly published research from his lab.

The research team travelled to North Cascades National Park in Washington State where they sampled DNA from American pikas in eight different locations spanning a wide range of altitudes. The researchers then used DNA sequence data at more than 30,000 variable sites in the American pika genome to determine that individuals are not moving to higher altitudes as long thought.

“We have been able to track how individuals are moving between populations. In this case, we were able to determine that individuals are not moving up in elevation, but in fact were moving from higher, more populated sites to lower, less populated sites,” says Matthew Waterhouse, a former PhD student in Russello’s lab at UBC Okanagan and first author on the paper. “In addition to fine-scale movement, our findings provide a relatively rare mammalian example of genetic changes associated with contemporary climate conditions.”

While the team, which also included Erik Beever (United States Geological Survey) and Liesl Erb (Warren Wilson College), suggests continued research is necessary to determine whether the American pika may be able to keep pace with its changing environment, they also hint that eventually more active conservation strategies may be required.

“Although not necessary at this time, future conservation efforts could consider translocations as a wildlife management tool,” says Russello. “Given their thermal sensitivity and the fact that their habitat is largely not altered by direct human activities, the American pika may represent an important mammalian system for evaluating such conservation strategies for mitigating the harmful effects of climate change.”

Their research was recently published in Molecular Ecology and was partially funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

An American pika sounding the alarm (Photo credit: Philippe Henry)

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world. For more visit ok.ubc.ca.

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