معرفی
Gordon Fitch is an Assistant Professor in the Biology Department at York University, affiliated with the Centre for Bee Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation (BEEc). His research focuses on understanding how environmental stressors, such as urbanization and agricultural practices, impact plant-pollinator interactions, particularly involving bees and their parasites. He leads the Fitch Lab, which employs field surveys, experiments, and modeling to explore ecological complexity and promote biodiversity conservation.
Research interests include urban ecology, agroecology, and pollination dynamics, with emphasis on bee movement barriers (e.g., roads), parasite effects on foraging, and the role of plant secondary metabolites in bee health. The lab collaborates with community organizations on projects like the D-Town Farm BioBlitz and Finca Irlanda EcoDía, emphasizing equity and justice in ecological research.
Key contributions include studies on bee sex ratios in urban areas, road impacts on bee movement, and the socioecological drivers of plant-insect interactions. The lab actively mentors graduate and undergraduate students, focusing on topics such as bumblebee foraging behavior, stingless bee health in coffee agroecosystems, and self-medication in bees.
Publications highlight interdisciplinary approaches to ecology, with recent work on land-use impacts on bee diversity, plant secondary metabolites for bee health, and zoonotic disease dynamics in agricultural systems. The Fitch Lab’s outreach efforts aim to engage diverse audiences in ecological thinking and conservation.
