Yolanda Wiersma, Memorial University of Newfoundland

Research

community assembly field ecology forest ecology indicator species and monitoring landscape ecology micro-climate nutrient cycling scale

Latest papers

The microlandscapes of tree trunks: the effect of lichen and tree-level characteristics on arthropod communities.
Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences · 2026 · senior author
Rocky shoreline protocols miss microplastics in marine debris surveys (Fogo Island, Newfoundland and Labrador).
Marine pollution bulletin · 2018 · senior author

All 2 publications

Latest funding

Evaluating and predicting the cumulative impact of multiple disturbances and restoration strategies on carbon stocks and biodiversity in boreal forests of Atlantic Canada
NSERC · 2021 · Co-investigator
$227,013
Micro to mega-landscapes: harnessing a model system to understand landscape-scale ecological processes in the boreal forest
NSERC · 2020 · Principal investigator
$165,000
Terrestrial and freshwater ecology field research vehicle
NSERC · 2018 · Principal investigator
$58,083

All 9 grants and awards

2 publications.

01

The microlandscapes of tree trunks: the effect of lichen and tree-level characteristics on arthropod communities.

McGroarty J, Wiersma Y

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2024.0391 PMID: 42343865

02

Rocky shoreline protocols miss microplastics in marine debris surveys (Fogo Island, Newfoundland and Labrador).

McWilliams M, Liboiron M, Wiersma Y

Marine pollution bulletin2018Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.10.018 PMID: 29033168

Evaluating and predicting the cumulative impact of multiple disturbances and restoration strategies on carbon stocks and biodiversity in boreal forests of Atlantic Canada

Co-investigatorNSERC2021Alliance Grants

Principal investigators: Leroux, Shawn SJ

Keywords: biodiversity; carbon sequestration; forest fire; landscape ecology; moose; natural disturbance; natural resources management; nature-based climate solutions; protected areas; spruce budworm

$227,013

Micro to mega-landscapes: harnessing a model system to understand landscape-scale ecological processes in the boreal forest

Principal investigatorNSERC2020Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Wiersma, Yolanda

Keywords: landscape ecology; nutrient cycling; spatial patterns; community assembly; indicator species and monitoring; forest ecology; field ecology; species distribution modelling; scale; micro-climate

$165,000

Terrestrial and freshwater ecology field research vehicle

Principal investigatorNSERC2018Research Tools and Instruments

Principal investigators: Wiersma, Yolanda

$58,083

Micro to mega-landscapes: scaling arboreal lichen pattern and processes in the boreal rainforest

Principal investigatorNSERC2015Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Wiersma, Yolanda

$130,000

Understanding and mapping the boreal rain forest: effects of biotic and abiotic factors on arboreal lichen distribution across multiple landscape extents

Principal investigatorNSERC2014Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Wiersma, Yolanda

$24,000

Workshop: ""Oceans of Data"" - Citizen science, ocean literacy and sustainability

Principal investigatorNSERC2014Strategic Workshops Program

Principal investigators: Wiersma, Yolanda

$19,370

Vehicle for field ecology

Principal investigatorNSERC2009Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

Principal investigators: Wiersma, Yolanda

$29,400

Abandoned mines in Northern Canada: historical consequences and mitigation of current impacts

Co-investigatorSSHRC2008Research Grants - Northern Communities: Towards Social and Economic Prosperity

Principal investigators: Sandlos, John K.

Keywords: mining; Northern Canada; abandoned mines; environmental impacts; social impacts; economic impacts; Aboriginal people; participatory research; political ecology; mitigation of impacts

$250,000

Landscape ecology and conservation in the Canadian boreal region

Principal investigatorNSERC2008Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Wiersma, Yolanda

$75,000

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Frequent collaborators

Max Liboiron

Other Geography

1 shared papers, latest 2018

Write to this professor

A short, specific email works best. This draft uses one of their recent papers; replace the parts in brackets with your own details before sending.

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their NSERC grant from 2020

Subject: Prospective PhD student: community assembly Dear Professor Wiersma, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "The microlandscapes of tree trunks: the effect of lichen and tree-level characteristics on arthropod communities." (2026), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your NSERC-funded project "Micro to mega-landscapes: harnessing a model system to understand landscape-scale ecological processes in the boreal forest" (2020), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]