Catherine Potvin

Last updated
Catherine Potvin
Born1963
Nationality Canadian
Alma mater University of Montreal (Bachelor of Science and Master of Science)
Duke University (Doctor of Philosophy)
Awards Miroslaw Romanowski Medal

Canada Research Chair

Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Fellowship
Scientific career
Fields
Institutions McGill University

Catherine Potvin is a tropical forest ecologist and professor at McGill University in the Department of Biology. [1] Her scientific research studies climate change, carbon cycling, and biodiversity in tropical rainforests with an additional focus on community empowerment and climate change policy. [2] [3] She was the first woman to receive the Miroslaw Romanowski Medal from the Royal Society of Canada, in recognition of her "significant contributions to the resolution of scientific aspects of environmental problems". [4] [5] In addition to her scientific research, she works on sustainable development with indigenous communities in Panama and on policy as a former UN climate change negotiator for Panama and leads climate change initiatives in Canada. [6] [7]

Contents

Early life and education

As the granddaughter of farmers, Catherine Potvin grew up with an appreciation for nature. [1] Her motivation to pursue biology stemmed from her fascination and desire to better understand the biodiversity of the Earth and a concern for its degradation. [8] Potvin earned a B.S. (1981) and M.S. (1982) from the University of Montreal in Biology, and later earned her Ph.D. in Botany from Duke University (1985). [3] After her Ph.D., Potvin returned to the University of Montreal for her postdoctoral studies in biostatistics. [3]

Research and career

Scientific contributions

Potvin has published over 100 scientific journal articles and multiple book chapters. [9] In addition to her professorship at McGill University, she is a Trottier Fellow from the Trottier Institute for Science and Public Policy at McGill and holds a Canada Research Chair in Climate Change Mitigation and Tropical Forest. [10] Potvin's research focuses on climate change and carbon cycling in the tropics with an interdisciplinary lens of socioeconomic and policy aspects of land use changes. [1] The unifying theme of her work and laboratory is "Science for empowerment", which has provided an integrative framework for her work with diverse stakeholders including scientists, citizens, indigenous communities, and governments. [10] Her work has received the Miroslaw Romanowski Medal from the Royal Society of Canada in recognition of her scientific work as "significant contributions to the resolution of scientific aspects of environmental problems". [4] [5]

Initiatives in Panama

Potvin has been working in the rainforests and with indigenous communities of Panama since 1993. [7] She is an Associate Scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. [7] In the mid-1990s, Potvin laid the foundation for a long and deep partnership with the Ipeti-Embera indigenous community in the Bayano region of eastern Panama. [7] She has paved the way for more collaborative scientist-indigenous community partnerships to promote land conservation, resilient livelihoods, and preservation of cultural traditions. Through co-developing methods for sustainable forest management and carbon storage measurement with the community, her work has helped the Ipeti-Embera continue their traditional house-building using palm, traditional instrument making, and cultural body painting. [7] As a result of this collaborative partnership and forest carbon studies, her work has directly slowed the rate of deforestation in the Ipeti community, with about half of their territory remaining forested in contrast to a neighboring Embera community that has lost its forest. [7] Her work has encouraged Embera leaders to continue forest carbon measuring campaigns with support from the Environmental Defense Fund and the World Bank. [7] In addition to her capacity building work with indigenous communities, she is also a negotiator of the Reduction of Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) initiative on behalf of Panama in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (2005-2009). [6] Her environmental protection work in Panama has been recognized as exemplary contributions by the Ministry of the Environment of Panama. [3] [1]

Policy work

In addition to her research, she is a scientist-activist that has gained experience in national and international climate change and conservation policy. In addition to being a UN climate change negotiator in Panama, she pioneered and leads Sustainable Canada Dialogues, which is a collaborative network of 80+ Canadian scholars mobilizing to craft a national climate action plan. [6] Sustainable Canada Dialogues emphasizes the importance of an energy transition that improves human livelihoods and the environment by opening opportunities for innovation and employment. [6] The scholars come from diverse academic backgrounds, including sociology, business, biology, and engineering, to provide interdisciplinary and evidence-based solutions relevant to all regions of Canada. [6] [11] [12] Their most recent report was sponsored by the Department of Natural Resources Canada which proposed 10 policy orientations to achieve 100% low-carbon electricity by 2035. [12]

Major publications

As of December 2020, Potvin has an h-index of 44 and has published over 100 scientific articles in journals and book chapters with over 7859 citations. [13] She has published in the areas of tropical forest ecology, global change biology, biostatistics, and forest management. Her most cited works are listed below:

Potvin, C., Lechowicz, M. J., & Tardif, S. (1990). The statistical analysis of ecophysiological response curves obtained from experiments involving repeated measures. Ecology, 71(4), 1389-1400. [14]

Potvin, C., & Roff, D. A. (1993). Distribution-free and robust statistical methods: viable alternatives to parametric statistics. Ecology, 74(6), 1617-1628. [15]

Wilsey, B. J., & Potvin, C. (2000). Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning: importance of species evenness in an old field. Ecology, 81(4), 887-892. [16]

Kirby, K. R., & Potvin, C. (2007). Variation in carbon storage among tree species: implications for the management of a small-scale carbon sink project. Forest Ecology and Management, 246(2-3), 208-221. [17]

Awards and honors

2021: Awarded Sir John William Dawson Medal of the Royal Society of Canada for 'important and sustained contributions to interdisciplinary research' [18]

2018: Invited to be a member of Minister McKenna's Independent Working Group for Parks Canada to "review Parks Canada decision-making processes and make recommendations to ensure that maintaining ecological and commemorative integrity are priority considerations in decision-making". [19]

2016: Fellow of Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation. [9]

2016: Named as a Canadian Pioneer by the Canadian Government's Minister for Women and Gender Equality. [20]

2015: Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. [21]

2014: Awarded the "Bold Vision" for Canada by the Canadian Women's Foundation which selects 23 women for their renowned work in diverse fields of politics, business, culture and sciences. [22] [23]

2014: Recipient of a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair, titled Climate Change Mitigation and Tropical Forests, which is "one of Canada's most prestigious research programs is attracting innovative and talented minds to Canada". [24]

2013-2015: Trottier Fellow of the Trottier Institute for Science and Public Policy (TISPP) at McGill University. [2]

2012: Awarded the Miroslaw Romanowski Medal by the Royal Society of Canada. [5]

Press

2018: Montreal Gazette—Opinion: Yes, there is something you can do to fight climate change. [25]

2016: Radio-Canada—Catherine Potvin, the tropical biologist expert in climate change. [26]

2014: Montreal Gazette—Protests aim to bring attention to need to act on climate change. [27]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forest</span> Dense collection of trees covering a relatively large area

A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) defines a forest as, "Land spanning more than 0.5 hectares with trees higher than 5 meters and a canopy cover of more than 10 percent, or trees able to reach these thresholds in situ. It does not include land that is predominantly under agricultural or urban use." Using this definition, Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020 found that forests covered 4.06 billion hectares, or approximately 31 percent of the world's land area in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amazon rainforest</span> Large rainforest in South America

The Amazon rainforest, also called Amazon jungle or Amazonia, is a moist broadleaf tropical rainforest in the Amazon biome that covers most of the Amazon basin of South America. This basin encompasses 7,000,000 km2 (2,700,000 sq mi), of which 5,500,000 km2 (2,100,000 sq mi) are covered by the rainforest. This region includes territory belonging to nine nations and 3,344 formally acknowledged indigenous territories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reforestation</span> Land regeneration method (replacement of trees)

Reforestation is the natural or intentional restocking of existing forests and woodlands (forestation) that have been depleted, usually through deforestation but also after clearcutting. Two important purposes of reforestation programs are for harvesting of wood or for climate change mitigation purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tropical rainforest</span> Forest in areas with heavy rainfall in the tropics

Tropical rainforests are rainforests that occur in areas of tropical rainforest climate in which there is no dry season – all months have an average precipitation of at least 60 mm – and may also be referred to as lowland equatorial evergreen rainforest. True rainforests are typically found between 10 degrees north and south of the equator ; they are a sub-set of the tropical forest biome that occurs roughly within the 28-degree latitudes. Within the World Wildlife Fund's biome classification, tropical rainforests are a type of tropical moist broadleaf forest that also includes the more extensive seasonal tropical forests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Habitat destruction</span> Process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species

Habitat destruction is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby reducing biodiversity and species abundance. Habitat destruction is the leading cause of biodiversity loss. Fragmentation and loss of habitat have become one of the most important topics of research in ecology as they are major threats to the survival of endangered species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sustainable forest management</span> Management of forests according to the principles of sustainable development

Sustainable forest management (SFM) is the management of forests according to the principles of sustainable development. Sustainable forest management has to keep the balance between three main pillars: ecological, economic and socio-cultural. The goal of sustainable forestry is to allow for a balance to be found between making use of trees and also maintaining natural patterns of disturbance and regeneration. The forestry industry mitigates climate change by boosting carbon storage in growing trees and soils and improving the sustainable supply of renewable raw materials via sustainable forest management.

The Lower Guinean forests also known as the Lower Guinean-Congolian forests, are a region of coastal tropical moist broadleaf forest in West Africa, extending along the eastern coast of the Gulf of Guinea from eastern Benin through Nigeria and Cameroon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deforestation in Central America</span> Loss of forest biome in the Americas

Central American countries have experienced cycles of deforestation and reforestation since the decline of Maya civilization, influenced by many factors such as population growth, agriculture, narcotic distribution and illegal practices. From 2001 to 2010, 5,376 square kilometres (2,076 sq mi) of forest were lost in the region. In 2010 Belize had 63% of remaining forest cover, Costa Rica 46%, Panama 45%, Honduras 41%, Guatemala 37%, Nicaragua 29%, and El Salvador 21%. Most of the loss occurred in the moist forest biome, with 12,201 square kilometers. Woody vegetation loss was partially set off by a plus in the coniferous forest biome with 4,730 km2, and at 2,054 km2. Mangroves and deserts contributed only 1% to the loss in forest vegetation. The bulk of the deforestation was located at the Caribbean slopes of Nicaragua with a minus of 8,574 square kilometers of forest lost in the period from 2001 to 2010. The most significant regrowth of 3,050 km2 of forest was seen in the coniferous woody vegetation of Honduras.


The Leibniz-Zentrum für Marine Tropenforschung (ZMT) in Bremen is a German institute for research and developments for tropical and subtropical coastal areas and ecosystems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William F. Laurance</span> American conservationist

William F. Laurance, also known as Bill Laurance, is Distinguished Research Professor at James Cook University, Australia and has been elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science. He has received an Australian Laureate Fellowship from the Australian Research Council. He held the Prince Bernhard Chair for International Nature Conservation at Utrecht University, Netherlands from 2010 to 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women in climate change</span>

The contributions of women in climate change have received increasing attention in the early 21st century. Feedback from women and the issues faced by women have been described as "imperative" by the United Nations and "critical" by the Population Reference Bureau. A report by the World Health Organization concluded that incorporating gender-based analysis would "provide more effective climate change mitigation and adaptation."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liette Vasseur</span> Canadian biologist

Liette Vasseur is a Canadian biologist who has held the UNESCO Chair in Community Sustainability: From Local to Global in the Department of Biological Sciences since 2014 at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. She is also a member of the Women and Gender Studies program and the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre. She is the President of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO.

Proforestation is the practice of protecting existing natural forests to foster continuous growth, carbon accumulation, and structural complexity. It is recognized as an important forest based strategy for addressing the global crises in climate and biodiversity. Forest restoration can be a strategy for climate change mitigation. Proforestation complements other forest-based solutions like afforestation, reforestation and improved forest management.

Elvira Cuevas Viera is a Puerto Rican ecologist. She is a professor in the department of biology at University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus where she serves as director of the Center for Applied Tropical Ecology and Conservation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tana Wood</span> US biogeochemist and ecosystem scientist

Tana Elaine Wood is a biogeochemist and ecosystem scientist with a focus in land-use and climate change. Her research is focused on looking into how these issues affect tropical forested ecosystems and particularly focuses on soil science and below ground research efforts.

Elena M. Bennett is an American ecosystem ecologist specializing in studying the interactions of ecosystem services on landscape. She is currently a Professor and the Canada Research Chair in Sustainability Science at McGill University. She was inducted to the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists in 2017. She was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 2022 and became a Guggenheim Fellow in the same year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Branfireun</span> Canadian environmental scientist

Brian Branfireun is a Canadian environmental scientist. He held a Canada Research Chair (2010-2020) and is a professor at Western University. He studied climate change and directed a laboratory in Western's Biotron for the study of speciated trace metals in the environment such as mercury and arsenic.

Grizelle González is a soil ecologist working for the United States Forest Service in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She is known for her work on soil ecology, nutrient cycling, and ecosystem ecology at the Sabana Field Research Station in Puerto Rico.

Jennifer Pett-Ridge is an American biologist who is a senior staff scientist at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. She also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of California, Merced. Her research makes use of systems biology and geochemistry to uncover function in microbial communities. She was awarded a 2021 United States Department of Energy Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award.

Nadine Therese Laporte has been a researcher and professor of forestry and remote sensing for over 30 years. She is adjunct research professor at Northern Arizona University. Prior to becoming a scientist at the Woods Hole Research Center, where she was director of the Africa program, she conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Maryland in College Park and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt Maryland. Laporte's research contributed to tropical forest policies a part of REDD+ REDD+ is a policy mechanism to reduce carbon emissions by helping to protect tropical forests and lessen deforestation. She assisted the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to quantify forest carbon stocks and emissions reporting for REDD+ under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This method was suggested because it would help protect biodiversity, people living in the area, and maintaining stored carbon in these tropical ecosystems.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Citoyennes de la terre : portraits de femmes engagées dans la préservation de l'environnement. Piron, Florence, 1966-. Québec (Québec). ISBN   978-2-924661-02-4. OCLC   1006975383.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. 1 2 "2013-2015 Trottier Fellows". Trottier Institute for Science and Public Policy. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
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  15. Potvin, C.; Roff, D. A. (September 1993). "Erratum: Distribution-free and Robust Statistical Methods Viable Alternatives to Parametric Statistics?". Ecology. 76 (6): 2000–2000. doi:10.2307/1940734. ISSN   0012-9658.
  16. Wilsey, Brian J.; Potvin, Catherine (April 2000). "BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONING: IMPORTANCE OF SPECIES EVENNESS IN AN OLD FIELD". Ecology. 81 (4): 887–892. doi:10.1890/0012-9658(2000)081[0887:baefio]2.0.co;2. ISSN   0012-9658.
  17. Kirby, Kathryn R.; Potvin, Catherine (July 2007). "Variation in carbon storage among tree species: Implications for the management of a small-scale carbon sink project". Forest Ecology and Management. 246 (2–3): 208–221. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2007.03.072. ISSN   0378-1127.
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