Carly Ziter

Regular member
Urban Ecology and Tree Biodiversity

Research Chair in Urban Ecology and Sustainability

Concordia Department Page  | Carly Ziter Lab  | Google Scholar 

Carly grew up in southern Ontario, in a house surrounded by fields (usually corn, sometimes soy) punctuated by small woodlots. In her mind, this mix of farmland, housing, and forest wasn’t an “ecosystem”; it was just where she walked the dog. Now, she realizes that these human-dominated landscapes are hard at work providing a multitude of ecosystem services we rely on, and she's fascinated by how we can manage these areas better. When she's not busy researching the intersection of landscape structure, biodiversity, and ecosystem services, Carly can be found enjoying the great outdoors, knitting, or supervising shifts at her community pottery studio.

TRAINING

• Ph.D. (2014-2018) - University of Wisconsin-Madison
• M.Sc. (2011-2013) McGill University
• B.Sc. (2007-2011) University of Guelph

RESEARCH THEMES

My research program centers on the ecosystem services concept as a lens through which to ask ecological questions related to sustainability, policy and practice. Within this framework, I use field observation/experiments, satellite and sensor data, and synthesis approaches to address basic and applied research questions across spatial and temporal scales. I am a strong proponent of community-engaged science, and much of my research relies upon partnerships with landowners and managers, community groups, local governments, and planners. My research falls primarily into four themes, encompassing the understanding of: (1) spatial and temporal drivers of ecosystem services; 2) patterns and drivers of biodiversity across the landscape; 3) urban forest resilience; 4) the intersection of built and ecological infrastructure.

Citizen Science : NDG Community Tree Inventory

Urban trees are a key contributor to local biodiversity and provide many valuable benefits to our communities, like reducing hot summer temperatures, providing recreational spaces and improving air quality. We generally have a strong understanding of the composition of trees on public land located in parks and along streets, but have very little information on trees on private land. Our new community science project provides a unique opportunity for residents to learn more about trees in their own backyards, while helping to improve our overall understanding of Montreal’s urban forest!

To participate as an Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (NDG) resident, or for more information: https://www.carlyziter.com/montreal-tree-project.html 

PUBLICATIONS

Google Scholar 

Books

1. Miller, J.E.D., Ziter, C.D., Koontz, M.J. (2021) Fieldwork in landscape ecology. 219-229 p

Book chapters

Edited books, special journal editions and proceedings

Peer-reviewed articles

1. MacInnis, G., Normandin, E., Ziter, C.D. (2023) Decline in wild bee species richness associated with honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) abundance in an urban ecosystem. PeerJ, 11
2. Hutt-Taylor, K., Ziter, C.D., Frei, B. (2022) What evidence exists for the use of urban forest management in nature-based carbon solutions and bird conservation. A systematic map protocol. Environmental Evidence, 11(1)
3. Verrelli, B.C., Alberti, M., Des Roches, S., Harris, N.C., Hendry, A.P., Johnson, M.T.J., Savage, A.M., Charmantier, A., Gotanda, K.M., Govaert, L. et al. (2022) A global horizon scan for urban evolutionary ecology. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 37(11):1006-1019
4. Ziter, C.D. (2022) Cryptic eco-evolutionary feedback in the city. Journal of Animal Ecology, 91(3):510-513
5. Hutt-Taylor, K., Ziter, C.D. (2022) Private trees contribute uniquely to urban forest diversity, structure and service-based traits. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 78
6. Santangelo, J.S., Ness, R.W., Cohan, B., Fitzpatrick, C.R., Innes, S.G., Koch, S., Miles, L.S., Munim, S., Peres-Neto, P.R., Prashad, C. et al. (2022) Global urban environmental change drives adaptation in white clover. Science, 375(6586):1275-1281
7. Ziter, C.D., Bennett, E.M., Gonzalez, A. (2021) Correction to: Temperate forest fragments maintain aboveground carbon stocks out to the forest edge despite changes in community composition (Oecologia, (2014), 176, 3, (893-902), 10.1007/s00442-014-3061-0). Oecologia, 196(3):935
8. Buxton, R.T., Bennett, J.R., Reid, A.J., Shulman, C., Cooke, S.J., Francis, C.M., Nyboer, E.A., Pritchard, G., Binley, A.D., Avery-Gomm, S. et al. (2021) Key information needs to move from knowledge to action for biodiversity conservation in Canada. Biological Conservation, 256
9. Ziter, C.D., Herrick, B.M., Johnston, M.R., Turner, M.G. (2021) Ready, Set, Go: Community Science Field Campaign Reveals Habitat Preferences of Nonnative Asian Earthworms in an Urban Landscape. BioScience, 71(3):280-291
10. McDonald, R.I., Mansur, A.V., Ascensao, F., Colbert, M., Crossman, K., Elmqvist, T., Gonzalez, A., Guneralp, B., Haase, D., Hamann, M. et al. (2020) Research gaps in knowledge of the impact of urban growth on biodiversity. Nature Sustainability, 3(1):16-24
11. Shannon, T.P., Ahler, S.J., Mathers, A., Ziter, C.D., Dugan, H.A. (2020) Road salt impact on soil electrical conductivity across an urban landscape. Journal of Urban Ecology, 6(1)
12. Ziter, C.D., Pedersen, E.J., Kucharik, C.J., Turner, M.G. (2019) Interdisciplinary collaboration is essential to understand and implement climate-resilient strategies in cities. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 116(52):26155-26156
13. Ziter, C.D., Pedersen, E.J., Kucharik, C.J., Turner, M.G. (2019) Scale-dependent interactions between tree canopy cover and impervious surfaces reduce daytime urban heat during summer. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 116(15):7575-7580
14. Dyson, K., Ziter, C.D., Fuentes, T.L., Patterson, M.S. (2019) Conducting urban ecology research on private property: Advice for new urban ecologists. Journal of Urban Ecology, 5(1)
15. Ziter, C.D., Turner, M.G. (2019) No evidence of co-facilitation between a non-native Asian earthworm (Amynthas tokioensis) and invasive common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) in experimental mesocosms. Biological Invasions, 21(1):111-122
16. Ziter, C.D., Turner, M.G. (2018) Current and historical land use influence soil-based ecosystem services in an urban landscape. Ecological Applications, 28(3):643-654
17. Ziter, C.D., Graves, R.A., Turner, M.G. (2017) How do land-use legacies affect ecosystem services in United States cultural landscapes? Landscape Ecology, 32(11):2205-2218
18. Rose, K.C., Graves, R.A., Hansen, W.D., Harvey, B.J., Qiu, J., Wood, S.A., Ziter, C.D., Turner, M.G. (2017) Historical foundations and future directions in macrosystems ecology. Ecology Letters, 20(2):147-157
19. Ziter, C.D. (2016) The biodiversity-ecosystem service relationship in urban areas: A quantitative review. Oikos, 125(6):761-768
20. Mitchell, M.G.E., Bennett, E.M., Gonzalez, A., Lechowicz, M.J., Rhemtulla, J.M., Cardille, J.A., Vanderheyden, K., Poirier-Ghys, G., Renard, D., Delmotte, S. et al. (2015) The montérégie connection: Linking landscapes, biodiversity, and ecosystem services to improve decision making. Ecology and Society, 20(4)
21. Ziter, C.D., Bennett, E.M., Gonzalez, A. (2014) Temperate forest fragments maintain aboveground carbon stocks out to the forest edge despite changes in community composition. Oecologia, 176(3):893-902
22. Ziter, C.D., Bennett, E.M., Gonzalez, A. (2013) Functional diversity and management mediate aboveground carbon stocks in small forest fragments. Ecosphere, 4(7)
23. Ziter, C.D., Macdougall, A.S. (2013) Nutrients and defoliation increase soil carbon inputs in grassland. Ecology, 94(1):106-116
24. Liss, K.N., Mitchell, M.G.E., Macdonald, G.K., Mahajan, S.L., Methot, J., Jacob, A.L., Maguire, D.Y., Metson, G.S., Ziter, C.D., Dancose, K. et al. (2013) Variability in ecosystem service measurement: A pollination service case study. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 11(8):414-422
25. Ziter, C.D., Robinson, E.A., Newman, J.A. (2012) Climate change and voltinism in Californian insect pest species: Sensitivity to location, scenario and climate model choice. Global Change Biology, 18(9):2771-2780

Articles published in proceedings

Scientific reports, manuals and others

Theses, dissertations and essays

Supervised theses, dissertations and essays

Non peer-reviewed articles