معرفی
Jason McLachlan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame, within the College of Science. His research focuses on plant population ecology, statistical modeling, and paleoecology, particularly examining how species respond to large-scale environmental changes like climate change and land use shifts. He leads the McLachlan Lab, which investigates ecological processes through fossil records, genetic data, and mathematical models. His work includes studying range expansions of plant species during historical warming events and evolutionary responses to rising CO2 levels in coastal ecosystems. McLachlan has contributed to over 80 peer-reviewed articles, with recent work emphasizing ecological forecasting and climate policy integration, including collaborations on tribal land governance under climate change. His lab’s research has been featured in high-impact journals such as Science and Nature Climate Change.
Research Interests: McLachlan examines the dynamics of plant populations under environmental stressors, combining paleoecological data with modern genetic and statistical methods. Key areas include: (1) historical and contemporary plant range shifts due to climate change, (2) evolutionary adaptations to rising CO2 in coastal marshes, (3) long-term forest biomass dynamics, and (4) the integration of traditional ecological knowledge with Western science in conservation governance. His lab develops frameworks to model ecological responses and inform adaptive management strategies.
Publications Trends: His recent work bridges ecological science and policy, addressing climate adaptation challenges in natural and managed ecosystems. Notable themes include ecological forecasting methodologies, the impacts of climate change on tribal lands, and the application of historical data to predict future ecological shifts. Collaborations span disciplines, including climatology, evolutionary biology, and environmental law.
Labs/Teams: He directs the McLachlan Lab at Notre Dame, fostering interdisciplinary research among graduate students, postdocs, and collaborators. The lab’s projects often involve fieldwork, lab-based genetic analysis, and computational modeling to address pressing environmental questions.
