Karen Harper Dalhousie University

Karen Harper

Adjunct Professor

School for Resource and Environmental Studies, Dalhousie University

Department of Biology, Dalhousie University

Department of Biology, Saint Mary’s University

Address
School for Resource and Environmental Studies
Faculty of Management, Dalhousie University
Kenneth C. Rowe Management Building
6100 University Avenue, Suite 5010
Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada, B3H 3J5
Phone: (902) 494-6355
Fax: (902) 494-3728
E-mail: Karen.Harper@Dal.ca

**Please email me for a free copy of the RTEI Excel macro and instructions as used for estimating the distance of edge influence.**

Background and Education

since 2006 Professor and Instructor for various courses at universities in Halifax, Nova Scotia

2004-2006 Assistant Professor, Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Québec, Québec

1999-2004 Post-doctoral fellow, Groupe de Recherche en Écologie Forestière, Université de Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec

Ph.D. (1999) Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta

M.Sc. (1994) Geography, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta

B.A. (1991) Biology and Environmental Studies, Middlebury College, Vermont, U.S.A.

Research Interests

Spatial and temporal pattern of plant communities

Forest edges, fragmentation and conservation

Spatial configuration of fire edges

Forest-tundra ecotone and the forest-coastal barrens ecotone

Structural development and old-growth forests

Effects of climate change on northern plant communities

Structure, function and dynamics of transitions between plant communities

Boundary structure affects flows of energy, material and organisms across transitions between adjacent ecosystems on the landscape. Differences in the characteristics of edges including structue may depend on factors such as forest type or the type and age of edge. My research program includes studies on the structure, dynamics and function of natural forest edges. Research is being conducted near Churchill, Manitoba and in Nova Scotia. My short term projects include a comparison of forest edges of different structure in different types of forest, an investigation of the process of deadwood decomposition at forest edges and the establishment of permanent plots to investigate temporal dynamics of boundaries. Results from these studies will contribute towards my long-term goal of developing an analytical model that predicts the effects of stand and landscape-level charactistics on boundary structure and function. An understanding of the landscape patterns and processes is important as a context within which to assess the impact of forest management practices, hydroelectric development and climate change.

PPS Arctic Canada – An International Polar Year Project

The International Polar Year (2007 – 2009) was a program of intensive science, research and education focused on the polar regions. PPS Arctic Canada is the Canadian component of an interdisciplinary research program on the causes and consequences of change of the forest-tundra ecotone. The arctic treeline, a prominent biogeographical boundaries, may be shifting due to climate change. Our objectives were: I) to model temporal and spatial treeline dynamics; II) to assess the impact of climate change on processes at treeline; III) to determine ecosystem services of the ecotone; and IV) to develop conceptual models of the relationship of environmental change and human health. We conducted field research at many northern sites and applied remote sensing data to investigate the forest tundra ecotone at different scales. Our multidisciplinary research team collected extensive quantitative, qualitative and anecdotal data on change across treeline. Although field work is complete, honours students are welcome to analyze data from this project for their honours theses.

Current Students

Name	Degree	University	Research Topic	End Date
Pavel Dodonov	Ph. D.	São Carlos, Brazil	Edge influence in heterogeneous landscapes in the cerrado in Brazil and the boreal forest in Churchill	2014
Rebecca Hoffer	B. Sc.	Dalhousie	Forest structure at edges of different ages in Kenya	April 2012
Sarah Coley	B. Sc.	Dalhousie	Tree age and growth across forest-barrens edges in Cape Breton	April 2012
Caroline Franklin	M. Sc.	Saint Mary's	Moose-browsed spruce budworm forest edges in Cape Breton	2013
Alain Belleveau	M.R.E.M.	Dalhousie	Habitat of rare species in southern Nova Scotia	December 2011
Danielle St. Louis	B. Sc.	Dalhousie	Plants used by humans at treeline	August 2012
Frances Ross	M.E.S.	Dalhousie	Teaching modules for arctic vegetation	January 2012

Past Graduate Students and Post-doctoral Fellow

Name	Degree	University	Research Topic	End Date	Current position
Wendy Wilson	B.Sc.	Dalhousie	Mosses at forest edges of bogs	2011
Kaitlyn O'Handley	B.Sc.	Saint Mary's	Understorey species composition at forest-bog edges	2011
Ian Boucher	M.Sc.	Laval	Intéractions de facilitation et competition avec Leymus mollis	2010
Elena Albertsen	B.Sc.	Dalhousie	Structure and composition of tree islands	2010	Masters in Norway
Alex Heathcote	B.Sc.	Dalhousie	Effects of partial burning on understorey species diversity and composition	2010
Conor Stuart	B.Sc.	Dalhousie	Effects of partial burning on Jack pine regeneration	2010
Danielle De Fields	M.E.S.	Dalhousie	Spatial pattern of juvenile and adult trees and shrubs in the forest-tundra ecotone	2009	Yellowknife
Stephanie Daley	B.Sc.	Dalhousie	Effects of rocks on krummholz establishment and growth	2009	PEI government
Brian Starzomski	Post-doc	Dalhousie	Mechanisms of treeline migration	2009	Assistant Professor, U. Victoria
Elisabeth Oakholm	B.Sc.	Dalhousie	Methods of measuring tree growth rate	2009	Internship with National Geographic
Julia Pelton	B.Sc.	Dalhousie	Spatial configuration of treeline	2008	Clean Nova Scotia, Halifax
Ikuyo Kikusawa	M.R.E.M.	Dalhousie	Altitudinal distribution of berry species	2007	unknown
Alexis Deshaies	M.Sc.	Laval	Restoration in a nothern community	2007	Hoskin Scientific
Joannie Savard	B.Sc.	Laval	Regeneration at forest edges	2006	M.Sc. student
Ian Boucher	B.Sc.	Laval	Structural damage following an ice storm	2005	M.Sc. student
Liliana Mascarúa	M.Sc.	UQAM	Regeneration and structure in cutblock separators and riparian buffers	2004	Consultant in Mexico

Publications

Harper, K.A. and S.E. Macdonald. 2011. Quantifying distance of edge influence: a comparison of methods and a new randomization method. Ecosphere. 2: article 94.

Hofgaard, A. and K.A. Harper. 2011. Tree recruitment, growth and distribution at the circumpolar forest-tundra transition: Introduction. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 41: 435-436.

Harper, K.A., R.K. Danby, D.L. De Fields, K.P. Lewis, A.J. Trant, B.M. Starzomski, R. Savidge and L. Hermanutz. 2011. Changes in the spatial pattern of trees across the forest-tundra ecotone at treeline sites across Canada. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 41: 479-489.

Smith, C., K. Beazley, P. Duinker and K.A. Harper. 2010. The impacts of moose (Alces alces andersoni) on forest regeneration following a spruce budworm outbreak in the Cape Breton Highlands, Nova Scotia, Canada. Alces. 46: 135-150.

Burley, S.T., K.A. Harper and J.T. Lundholm. 2010. Vegetation composition, structure and soil properties across a coastal forest–barren ecotone. Plant Ecology. 211:279-296.

Boudreau, S., P. Ropars and K.A. Harper. 2010. Population dynamics of Empetrum hermaphroditum on a subarctic sand dune: Evidence of rapid colonization through efficient sexual reproduction. American Journal of Botany. 97: 770-781.

Deshaies, A., Boudreau, S. and K.A. Harper. 2009. Restoration in a subarctic environment: effect of fertilization on the performance of three indigenous plant species. Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Research. 41: 434-441.

Bergeron, Y. and K.A. Harper. 2009. Old-growth forests in the Canadian boreal: The exception rather than rule? In ‘Old-growth Forests: Function, Fate and Value’. Edited by C. Wirth, G. Gleixner and M. Heimann. Springer NY, pp. 285-300.

Harper, K.A., L. Mascarúa-López, S.E. Macdonald and P. Drapeau. 2007. Interaction of edge influence: examples from narrow corridors. Plant Ecology. 192: 71-84.

Lavoie, M., K.A. Harper, D. Paré and Y. Bergeron. 2007. The effects of micro-topography and organic matter thickness on seedling height growth at different spatial scales in black apruce stands prone to paludification. Journal of Vegetation Science. 18:213-222.

Harper, K.A., Y. Bergeron, P. Drapeau and S. Gauthier. 2006. Changes in spatial pattern during structural development in black spruce forest. Journal of Vegetation Science. 17: 625-636.

Euskirchen, E.S., Q. Li. and K.A. Harper. 2006. The influence of edges on plant communities: research frontiers for forested landscapes. In ‘Ecology of Hierarchical Landscapes: From Theory to Application’. Edited by J. Chen, S. Saunders, K. Broskofske and T.R. Crow. Nova Science Publishers, Hauppauge NY, pp. 71-88.

Mascarúa-López, L., K.A. Harper and P. Drapeau. 2006. Edge influence on forest structure in large forest remnants, cutblock separators, and riparian buffers in managed black spruce forests. Écoscience. 13(2): 226-233.

Harper, K.A., S.E. Macdonald, P. Burton, J. Chen, K.D. Brosofsky, S. Saunders, E.S. Euskirchen, D. Roberts, M. Jaiteh and P.-A. Esseen. 2005. Edge influence on forest structure and composition in fragmented landscapes. Conservation Biology. 19(3): 768-782.

Harper, K.A., Y. Bergeron, P. Drapeau, S. Gauthier and L. DeGrandpré. 2005. Structural development following fire in coniferous eastern boreal forest. Forest Ecology and Management. 206: 293-306.

Harper, K.A., D. Lesieur, Y. Bergeron and P. Drapeau. 2004. Forest structure and composition at young fire and cut edges in black spruce boreal forest. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 34(2): 289-302.

Harper, K.A., C. Boudreault, L. DeGrandpré, P. Drapeau, S. Gauthier and Y. Bergeron. 2003. Structure, composition and diversity of old-growth black spruce boreal forest of the Clay Belt region in Québec and Ontario. Environmental Reviews. 11(S1): S79-S98.

Harper, K.A. and S.E. Macdonald. 2002. Structure and composition of edges next to regenerating clear-cuts in the boreal forest. Journal of Vegetation Science. 13(4): 535-546.

Harper, K.A., Y. Bergeron, S. Gauthier and P. Drapeau. 2002. Structural development of black spruce forests following fire in Abitibi, Québec: a landscape scale investigation. Silva Fennica. 36(1): 249-263.

Bartemucci, P., K.D. Coates, K.A. Harper and E.F. Wright. 2002. Gap disturbances in northern old-growth forests of British Columbia. Journal of Vegetation Science. 13(5): 685-696.

Harper, K.A. and S.E. Macdonald. 2001. Structure and composition of riparian boreal forest: new methods for analyzing edge influence. Ecology. 82(3): 649-659.

Kernaghan, G. and K.A. Harper. 2001. Community structure of ectomycorrhizal fungi across an alpine/ subalpine ecotone. Ecography. 24(2):181-188.

Harper, K.A. and G.P. Kershaw. 1997. Soil characteristics of 48-year old borrow pits and vehicle tracks in shrub tundra along the CANOL No. 1 pipeline corridor, Northwest Territories, Canada. Arctic and Alpine Research. 29(1): 105-111.

Harper, K.A. and G.P. Kershaw. 1996. Natural Revegetation on Borrow Pits and Vehicle Tracks in Shrub Tundra, 48 Years Following Construction of the CANOL No. 1 Pipeline, N.W.T., Canada. Arctic and Alpine Research. 28(2): 163-171.

Dunwiddie, P.W., R.E. Zaremba and K.A. Harper. 1996. A classification of coastal sandplain grasslands and heathlands in Massachusetts. Rhodora. 98(894): 117-145.

Harper, K.A. 1995. The effect of expanding clones of Gaylussacia baccata (black huckleberry) on species composition in sandplain grassland on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club. 122(2): 124-133.