Urban Ecology & Sustainability Lab

Graduate Student: Aubrey Benson

Principal Investigator: Melissa McHale

Committee Members: Cynthia Girling, Sara Knox

Co-Investigators: John Frank, Bianca Eskelson, Travis Warziniack, George Valentine

Collaborators: US Forest Service Fort Collins Rocky Mountain Research Station, Denver Urban Field Station, City of Fort Collins, Colorado State University

This research examines the influence of residential landscape design on microclimatic conditions, to support more informed decision-making for heat mitigation and energy and water savings. Specifically, we ask: 1) What is the most important set of variables influencing the average temperature of front yard landscapes? 2) How does yard azimuth affect the role of canopy cover in determining thermal responses? And 3) Does ground cover play a meaningful role in determining thermal responses?

The study takes place in the northern Colorado city of Fort Collins, where an arena of population growth, water scarcity, and rising temperatures is occurring. To study a variety of residential landscape types, residential parcel data is categorized, randomized, and then selected for analysis based on three key structural variables: tree canopy cover, front yard azimuth, and understory composition. Several temperature metrics are collected on each parcel to assess the microclimatic conditions associated with differing landscape designs.

Graduate Student: Logan Steinharter

Principal Investigator: Melissa McHale

Committee Members: Lorien Nesbitt, Keunhyun Park

Co-Investigators: Ben Crawford, Priyanka Desouza, Peter Ibsen, Austin Troy, Travis Warziniack

Collaborators: US Forest Service Denver Urban Field Station, US Geological Survey

Urban heating is a complex and dynamic process, affecting cities throughout the world. With increased urban heating contributing to human heat stress and negative health outcomes, cities must adopt thermal comfort design to remain viable places of human habitation. This study aims to document trends and drivers in thermal perceptions of transit riders in Denver, Colorado. This research aims to establish useful metrics for measuring urban heat and its human response within a semi-arid system, seeking to inform design for heat resilient transit infrastructure.

60 bus stops within the Denver, displaying different landcover compositions and spatial configurations, have been selected for analysis. Micro-meterological measurements will be taken with a Kestrel 5400 Heat Stress Tracker during peak ridership hours. Thermal perceptions of transit riders will be documented with a quantitative questionnaire. Both these data types will be analyzed to understand the relationship between the thermal environment and subjective experience. Interested transit riders will be invited to an interview to discuss the lived experience of extreme heat as it pertains to their use of transit, to further understand the relationship between transit dependency and urban heat.

Principal Investigator

email: melissa.mchale@ubc.ca

Melissa is an urban ecologist whose internationally recognized work mobilizes cutting-edge urban theory and practical science for decision-making in cities. Before moving to the University of British Columbia she was an Associate Professor in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, at Colorado State University, and an Honorary Research Fellow at the Wits City Institute, at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. She received a BS in Conservation Ecology from Rutgers University, a PhD in Ecology from Colorado State University, and served as a postdoctoral research fellow with the Central-Arizona Phoenix Long-Term Ecological Research site at Arizona State University.

Research Assistant

email: adbenso@student.ubc.ca

Aubrey's research focuses on the role of urban vegetation in promoting sustainable urbanization and creating flourishing communities. She grew up in Portland, Oregon and earned a BS in Ecological Restoration at the University of Montana. Later, she completed a MSc in Forestry in the Urban Ecology Lab, where she studied thermal dynamics of residential landscapes. In her free time, Aubrey enjoys exploring both the city and the mountains.

Graduate Research Assistant

email: lms94@student.ubc.ca

Logan is a graduate of the University of Washington's School of Environmental and Forest Sciences. He has worked in urban forestry for several years in a variety of positions from street tree planting manager to consulting arborist. As an MSc student, his current research focuses on thermal perception along transit corridors in the Front Range. In his free time he enjoys hiking, camping, and reading.

Graduate Research Assistant

email: brandon.weigand@ubc.ca

Brandon is a MSc student co-advised by Melissa McHale and Matthew Mitchell. Inspired by a pair of urban barn swallows who shared his home many years ago, Brandon aims to understand how best to integrate wildlife into our rapidly changing cities. He has a background in animal behavior, federal wildlife conservation policy, urban stewardship outreach, and hands-on urban ecological field work, as well as experience in wildlife rehabilitation and urban forestry. At UBC, these collective experiences and goals will be leveraged through a Master's thesis project focused on urban bat populations in Vancouver. Brandon strives to uncover how rising urban heat island effects influence food web and other behavioral dynamics for bats in the region, revealing how hyper-localized climates impact foraging strategies, prey abundance, and diet quality. Through this research he hopes to devise future-focused conservation strategies that will not only keep cities bat-friendly, but will also help carve out spaces for other urban species to thrive within. 

Graduate Research Assistant

email: tijmen@mail.ubc.ca

Tijmen graduated from the University of Wageningen with a BSc in Forest and Nature Conservation and an MSc in Climate Sciences. With a special interest in the effects of climate change on the natural world, Tijmen wants to expand his expertise into the cutting edge where nature and society meet. Throughout his PhD he will focus on the many factors that influence urban heat and its interplay with water in semi-arid cities. With this knowledge he hopes to create climate-resilient landscapes that can tackle the consequences of climate change within the urban environment. In his free time he likes hiking, painting and playing guitar.

Research Assistant

email: markf7@shaw.ca

Mark is a dedicated research assistant, specializing in utilizing GIS and remote sensing technologies. He enriches the Lab through geospatial data acquisition, analysis, and visualization. Mark is committed to understanding and enhancing the ecological dynamics of urban environments.

Research Assistant

email: liammsullivan@gmail.com

Liam is an undergraduate student in the Bachelor of Urban Forestry degree program. He has a hand in all things urban heat including data collection and visualization. Liam is dedicated to furthering the science around heating and urban structure. In his free time, Liam enjoys hiking and cooking new dishes.  

Research Assistant

email: evan_shea@shaw.ca

Evan is finishing up his undergraduate degree in Urban Forestry and is super excited to be a part of the lab. He is a curious, hardworking student looking to dive deeply into GIS software in his role and study the intersection between urban heat and greenspaces. In past Co-op positions he spent eight months working with the City of Surrey's Natural Areas Department maintaining greenbelts and parks, and a summer working in the private sector as Crew Lead Landscaper. Outside of the lab, Evan can be found mountain biking in the summer, skiing in the winter, and playing basketball all year round. 

Sierra Wheeler, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Cody Bingham, Graduate Research Assistant

Thomas Gao, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Honghong Li, Graduate Research Asssistant

Lauren Abram, MSc in Ecosystem Sustainability at Colorado State University, "Exploring summer cooling electricity consumption in a mid-sized, semi-arid city"

Shaunie Rasmussen, MSc in Ecosystem Sustainability at Colorado State University, "Sustainability in Fort Collins: exploring the drivers of urban tree canopy and household water consumption in a growing, semi-arid city"

Scott Beck, Msc in Environmental Sciences at North Carolina State University, "Beyond Impervious: Urban Land-Cover Pattern Variation and Implications for Water Quality"; PhD in Ecology at Colorado State University, "A Socio-cultural Assessment of Ecosystem Services for Community Planning and Sustainability"

Darya Dimintiyanova, Msc in Environmental Sciences at North Carolina State University

Elina Inkilainen, Msc in Environmental Sciences at North Carolina State University, "The role of the residential urban forest in regulating throughfall: A case study in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA"

Kathryn Selm, Msc in Environmental Sciences at North Carolina State University, "Climate Change Knowledge Perceptions and Household Adaptive Capacity"

Alex Metzger, Msc in Environmental Sciences at North Carolina State University, "Using Urban Metabolism to Measure the Sustainability of Urban Ecosystems"

Cara Nelson, Msc in Environmental Sciences at North Carolina State University, "Influences of Landscape and Lifestyle on Home Energy Consumption: A Case Study of Raleigh, NC"

Rachal Skyving, ME in Engineering at Colorado State University

Wei-Lun Tsai, PhD in Tourism at North Carolina State University, "Linking Urban Forest Fragmentation with Human Health: Conceptual Foundations and Methodological Issues"

Megan E. Lawler, Msc in Environmental Sciences at North Carolina State University, "Assessing Potential of Municipal Biomass Residue for Renewable Energy"

Evan Keto, Msc in Environmental Sciences at North Carolina State University, "Composition and Estimated Value of Selected Benefits of Trees in Parking Lots in Raleigh, NC"

Michael Youth, Msc in Environmental Sciences at North Carolina State University, "Gentrification and Community Gating around Sub/urban Drinking Water Supply Reservoirs in North Carolina, USA"

City of Fort Collins

US Forest Service Denver Urban Field Station

Colorado State University

University of Colorado Denver

US Geological Survey

Rasmussen S, Warziniac T, Neele A, O’Neil-Dunne, and McHale MR. 2021. When small isn’t beautiful: The unexpected impacts of trees and parcel size on metered water-use in a semi-arid city. Remote Sensing 13(5) 998.

Selm KR, Peterson MN, Hess G, Beck SM, McHale MR. 2019. Educational attainment predicts negative perceptions women have of their own climate change knowledge. Plos One 14(1).

Tsai WL, Leung YF, McHale MR, Floyd M. 2019. Relationships between Urban Green Land-Cover and Human Health at Different Spatial Resolutions. Urban Ecosystems 22(2). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-018-0813-3

McHale MR, Beck SM, Pickett STA, Childers DL, Cadenasso ML, Rivers L, Swemmer L, Ebersohn, L, Twine W, and Bunn DN. 2018. Democratization of ecosystem services – a radically, revised framework for assessing nature’s benefits. Ecosystem Health and Sustainability 4(5) 115 – 131.

Tsai WL, McHale MR, Jennings V, Marquet O, Leung YF, Hipp JA, Floyd MF. 2018. Relationships between Characteristics of Urban Green Land Cover and Mental Health in U.S. Metropolitan Areas. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 15(2) 340.

Selm KR, Hess G, Peterson MN, Beck SM, McHale MR. 2018. Developing an Instrument to Measure Autonomous Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change Among Urban Households. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 6(13).

McHale MR, Hall S, Majumdar A, Grimm NB. 2017. Carbon lost and carbon gained: A study of vegetation and carbon tradeoffs among diverse land uses in Phoenix, AZ. Ecological Applications 27(2), 644–661. 10.1002/eap.1472

Jenerrette GD, Clark LW, Avolio ML, Pataki DE, Gillespie TW, Pincetl S, Nowak DJ, Hutyra LR, McHale MR, McFadden JP, Alonzo M. 2016. Climate tolerances and trait choices shape continental patterns of urban tree biodiversity. Global Ecology and Biogeography 25 (11), 1367-1376.

Tsai WL, Floyd MF, Leung YF, McHale MR, Reich BJ. 2016. Urban Vegetative Cover Fragmentation in the U.S.: Associations with Physical Activity and BMI. American Journal of Preventative Medicine 50(4), 509-517p.

Beck SM, McHale MR, Hess GR. 2016. Beyond Impervious: Urban Land-cover Pattern Variation and Implications for Watershed Management. Environmental Management 58(1). DOI: 10.1007/s00267-016-0700-8.

Metzger AE, McHale MR, Hess GR. 2016. Same time, same place: analyzing temporal and spatial trends in urban metabolism using proximate counties in the North Carolina Triangle. Urban Ecosystems 19(1), 1-18.

McHale MR, Pickett STA, Barbosa O, Bunn DN, Cadenasso ML, Childers DL, Gartin M, Hess GR, Iwaniec DM, McPhearson T, Peterson MN, Poole AK, Rivers L III, Shutters ST, Zhou W. 2015. The New Global Urban Realm: Complex, Connected, Diffuse, and Diverse Social-Ecological Systems. Sustainability 7, 5211-5240.

Steelman T, Bradford L, Nichols E, James A, Ebersohn L, Omidire F, Scherman V, Bunn DN, McHale MR. 2015. A Framework for Systematic Learning for Sustainability Science. Sustainability Science 10(4), 581-599.

Youth M, Hess G, McHale MR, Peterson M. 2015. Environmental Amenities influence Demographics – The Environmental Justice of Reservoir Creation. Local Environment – The International Journal of Justice and Sustainability (DOI 10.1080/13549839.2015.1035240).

Schwarz K, Fragkias M, Zhou W, McHale MR, Grove JM, O’Neil-Dunne J, Boone CJ, McFadden JP, Buckley GP, Childers D, Ogden L, Pickett STA, Pincetl S, Pataki DE, Whitmer A, Cadenasso, ML. 2015. Trees grow on money: Urban tree canopy cover and environmental justice. Plos One 10(4).

McHale MR, Pickett STA, Bunn DN, Twine W. 2013. Urban Ecology in a Developing World: How Advanced Socio-Ecological Theory Needs Africa. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 11(10): 556-563.

Bigsby KM, McHale MR, and Hess GR. 2013. Urban Morphology Drives the Homogenization of Tree Cover in Baltimore, MD, and Raleigh, NC. Ecosystems: 1-16.

Inkiläinen E, McHale M. R., James A., & Blank G. (2013). The role of the residential urban forest in regulating throughfall: A case study in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. Landscape and Urban Planning, 119: 91-103.

Pickett STA, Boone CG, McGrath BP, Cadenasso ML, Childers DL, Ogden LA, McHale MR, Grove JM. 2013. Ecological Science and Transformation to the Sustainable City. Journal of Cities.

Zhang C, Wu J, Grimm N, McHale MR, Buyanteuyev A. 2013. A Hierarchical Patch Mosaic Ecosystem Model for Urban Landscapes: Model development and evaluation. Ecological Modelling 250:81-100.

Fratanduono-Lawler M, Steelman T, McHale MR, Peterson N. 2013. Barriers to Utilization of Municipal Biomass Residues for Bioenergy: A Wake County, NC Case Study. Journal of Extension.

Peterson MN, Bondell HD, Fratanduono ML, Bigsby K, McHale MR. 2013. Prediction Indicators for Voluntary Carbon-Offset Purchases Among Trail Runners. Journal of Sport Behavior 36.3.

Nelson C, McHale MR, Peterson MN. 2012. Influences of landscape and lifestyle on home energy consumption: a case study of Raleigh, NC. Urban Ecosystems 15:773-793.

Peterson MN, Thurman B, McHale MR, Rodriguez S, Bondell HD, Cook M. 2012. Predicting Native Plant Landscaping Preferences in Urban Areas. Sustainable Cities and Society 5: 70-76.

Keto E, McHale MR, Hess G, Bullock B, Blank G. 2012. Design Choices Determine Urban Forest Characteristics in Raleigh, NC Parking Lots. Journal of Arboriculture and Urban Forestry 38(2): 50-57.

McHale MR, Burke IC, Lefsky MA, Peper PJ, McPherson EG. 2009. Urban forest biomass estimates: Is it important to use allometric relationships developed specifically for urban trees? Urban Ecosystems 12, 95-113.

Lefsky MA and MR McHale. 2008. New Methodology for Measuring Tree Volume from Terrestrial Laser Scanning. Journal of Applied Remote Sensing.

McHale MR, McPherson EG, and IC Burke. 2007. The Potential Role of Urban Tree Plantings to be Cost-Effective in Carbon Credit Markets. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, Volume 6.