Etienne Laliberte

Etienne Laliberté is an Associate Professor at the University of Montreal (Canada), holding the Canada Research Chair in Plant Functional Biodiversity. He is also the Principal Investigator of the Canadian Airborne Biodiversity Observatory (CABO) and leads the Laboratory of Plant Functional Ecology at the Biodiversity Centre. Maintaining an adjunct role at the University of Western Australia (UWA), he continues field-based research in southwest Australia, focusing on soil chronosequences to study plant-soil interactions.

His research integrates functional ecology and remote sensing to understand biodiversity responses to environmental change. Key interests include plant trait variation along environmental gradients, spectral diversity analysis, and the development of imaging spectroscopy techniques for biodiversity monitoring.

Recent work emphasizes leaf defense strategies, silicon dynamics in soils, and the Janzen-Connell hypothesis in Mediterranean woodlands. His publications span plant-soil nutrient interactions, chronosequence studies, and large-scale biodiversity databases like AusTraits.

• Scientific Achievements:
  • Recipient of 2016 Cooper Award (Ecological Society of America)
  • 2016 Tansley Medal (New Phytologist Trust)
  • Member of Royal Society of Canada (2017)
  • 2018 Runner-up for Quebec's highest scientific award
  • Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher (2019-2020)
• Research Infrastructure:
  • Canadian Airborne Biodiversity Observatory (CABO)
  • Swan and Scott Coastal Plains chronosequences network

His work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals related to biodiversity conservation and sustainable ecosystems.