Helen Wheeler, PhD

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Predator-prey interactions and plant animal-interactions
Ecological effects of range expansions and contractions
Effects of climate and land-use on population dynamics and distribution of wildlife
Habitat suitability and conservation.
Science-driven wildlife monitoring, community based monitoring and traditional knowledge
Arctic monitoring networks
Ecosystem management and resolving management conflicts
EDUCATION
PhD (Ecology) University of Alberta, Canada, 2012
MRes (Ecology and Environmental Management) with distinction, University of York, UK, 2006
BA (Zoology) 1st class, Cambridge University, UK, 2004
EMPLOYMENT AND RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
June 2015-June 2017 Postdoc, Centre dEcologie Fonctionelle et Evolutive, CNRS, France,
University of Troms, Norway and Universit du Quebec Rimouski, Canada
(collaborators: David Gremillet, Nigel Yoccoz, Ana Rodrigues, Dominique Berteaux, Chris
Furgal, Brenda Parlee)
Jan 2015, Visiting researcher, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Germany
(collaborator: Henrique Miguel Pereira)
Sept 2012-Sept 2014 and Sept 2014-present (affiliate), Postdoc, Biodiversity and Ecoinformatics
group. Aarhus University, Denmark (primary supervisor: Jens Christian Svenning)
Jan 2007-Nov 2012, PhD student, University of Alberta, Canada (supervisor: David Hik)
Nov 2006, Field assistant, Monash University, Australia
Mar 2006-Oct 2006, Internship student, University of Aberdeen, UK
Jun 2005-Oct 2005, Research placement, University of Troms, Norway
Oct 2004-Oct 2005, Masters student, University of York
RESEARCH PROJECTS
2015- TAMANI: Stakeholder needs for arctic monitoring and identifying gaps in current networks
2014- Effects climate induced of shrub encroachment on arctic wildlife (review)
2014- Interactions between social structure and effects of habitat structure and vegetation
characteristics on North American species distributions of ground dwelling sciurids
2012-2014 Phenology-climate interactions in arctic flowering plants
2007-2014 Impacts of shrub encroachment on population dynamics and behaviour in Arctic ground
squirrels
2006-2007 Estimation of pupping timings and lactation durations of harbour seals using photo-id

PUBLICATIONS
Wheeler, H. C., Hye, T. T., Martin-Schmidt, N., Svenning, J. C. & Forchammer, M. C. 2015.
Phenological mismatch with abiotic conditions - implications for flowering in Arctic plants.
Ecology, 26: 775-787.
Wheeler, H. C., Chipperfield, J., Roland, C. & Svenning, J. C. 2015. How will the greening of the
Arctic affect a common ecosystem engineer? Vegetation effects on arctic ground squirrels.
Oecologia, 178: 915-929.
Wheeler, H. C. & Hik, D. S. 2014. Giving up densities and foraging behaviour indicate possible
effects of shrub encroachment on arctic ground squirrels. Animal Behaviour, 95:1-8.
Wheeler, H. C. & Hik, D. S. 2014. Influence of shrub canopies on growth rate and pre-hibernation
mass of juvenile arctic ground squirrels. Wildlife Biology, 20: 253-258.
Wheeler, H. C. & Hik, D. S. 2013. Arctic ground squirrels as a driver and indicator of northern
ecosystem change. Mammal Review, 43: 238-255.
Sheriff, M. J., Wheeler, H., Donker, S. A., Krebs, C. J., Palme, R., Hik, D. S. & Boonstra, R. 2012.
Mountain-top and valley-bottom experiences: the stress axis as an integrator of
environmental variability in arctic ground squirrel populations. Journal of Zoology, 287: 6575.
Thompson, P. M & Wheeler, H. C. 2008. Photo-ID based estimates of reproductive patterns in
female harbor seals. Marine Mammal Science, 24: 138-146.
AWARDS AND STUDENTSHIPS
2013
Alaska Geographic Fellowship
USD$4000
2009-2011 Alberta Ingenuity Studentship
CAD$27500 p.a.
2008-2011 Canadian Circumpolar Institute Grant Awards
CAD$2500-$4000 p.a.
2007-2008 Leverhulme Trust Study Abroad Studentship
GBP18000 pa
2006
Mammals Trust UK Internship
GBP4000
2004-2005 NERC Masters Studentship
GBP8000 + fees/travel
2004
Queens College, Cambridge University, College Prize
2000
Nuffield Science Bursary (1 month maintenance costs)
SELECTED PRESENTATIONS (Total 12)
Monitoring of seabirds and terrestrial vertebrates: Needs and perceptions. CAFF Terrestrial
Ecosystem Group Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program meeting, Sweden, April 2016.
How well does monitoring of wildlife meet the needs of stakeholders, CBird (Arctic Council CAFF
Cimcupolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program expert network) meeting, South Africa, Oct. 2015.
How well does monitoring of wildlife meet the needs of stakeholders. Conservation of Arctic Flora
and Fauna (CAFF) Arctic Council working group meeting, Norway, Sept 2015.
Assessing the implications of shrubification for arctic ground squirrels at multiple scales. Rodens et
Spatium Conference, Portugal, July 2014
Population, individual and behavioural approaches to understanding the implications of habitat
change for arctic ground squirrels. International Mammalogical Congress, N. Ireland, Aug. 2013
Implications of shrub encroachment for arctic ground squirrels. British Ecological Society Annual
Meeting, Sheffield, UK, Sept. 2011.
Variation in Arctic ground squirrel populations across an alpine tundra ecotone: Investigating the
effects of shrubs and habitat visibility. Population biology symposium, Canadian Society for
Ecology and Evolution Annual Conference, Banff, Alberta, May 2011

Investigating potential impacts of shrub encroachment on Arctic ground squirrel behaviour and
density. Understanding Circumpolar Ecosystems in a Changing World Beyond outcomes of the
International Polar Year Conference, Edmonton, Alberta, Nov. 2010.
INVITED SEMINARS
Arctic shrub encroachment and arctic ground squirrels: Assessing habitat responses from
behaviour, population biology, and burrowing patterns, University of Helsinki, Finland, Oct. 2014
Using HOF models to describe characteristics of flowering timings and abundance in 6 arctic
species and climatic effects on flower output. DMU, Roskilde, Denmark, Dec. 2012.
SELECTED POSTERS
The TAMANI project: What are the needs for pan-arctic monitoring of terrestrial vertebrates and
seabirds? How well are needs being met?
Arctic ground squirrels and shrubification BES symposium Considering the future of conservation,
Canterbury, UK. June 2014
Effects of phenology and climate on flower abundance over 17 years in four arctic plant species.
INTECOL, London, UK. Aug. 2013
Will alpine shrub encroachment impact Arctic Ground Squirrel populations? Annual Wildlife Society
Conference, Miami, USA. Nov. 2008
OUTREACH ACTIVITIES
Public talk at Denali National Park titled Strength in numbers: Arctic ground squirrels as
ecosystems engineers, and prospects for change. Alaska. June 2013.
Hosting various school groups for day and overnight visits to our alpine field camp and the
University of Alberta 2007-2011
WORKSHOP PARTICIPATION
Arctic ecology network meeting, Roskilde, Denmark, Dec. 2013
Greenland Ecosystem Monitoring Upscaling Workshop, Copenhagen, Denmark, Nov. 2013
Plant-animal interactions network meeting, Skanderborg, Denmark, Sept. 2013
Center of Research in to Complexity in Ecology Workshop, Aarhus, Denmark. Feb. 2013
Tundra change conference, Aarhus, Denmark, Nov. 2012
Ecological resilience in the northern Rocky Mountains and relationships to Bighorn Sheep
Distribution, Demographics and Horn Growth. Stakeholder meeting. Edmonton, Alberta, May 2012
TRAINING ATTENDED
Introduction to Bayesian Statistics, University of Gttingen, Germany, March 2013
Statistical Analysis of Biological Data in R, Workshop, Banff, Alberta, May 2011
Model selection and Multimodel Inference Workshop, University of Alberta, April 2010
Program MARK workshop, University of Alberta, April 2008
COLLABORATORS
David Grmillet, Ana Rodrigues (CEFE-CNRS, France)
Dominique Berteaux (University of Quebec in Rimouski, Canada)
Nigel Yoccoz (University of Troms, Norway)
Chris Furgal (Trent University, Canada)

Jens-Christian Svenning, Brody Sandel, Toke Hye, Mads Forchammer, Niels-Martin Schmidt
(rhus University, Denmark)
Carl Roland (National Parks Service, Denali National Park, Alaska, US),
Joseph Chipperfield (University of Bergen, Norway),
David Hik, Brenda Parlee (University of Alberta, Canada)

REVIEWING
Mammalian Biology, Journal of Mammalogy, Journal of Biogeography

SKILLS
Analytical and statistical:

Field:

Six years experience in the R statistical language

Experienced in population modelling in programs MARK, CAPTURE
Experienced in advanced statistics (GAMM, HOF models)
Experience with spatial data in R and ArcGIS
Building expertise in Bayesian hierarchical analyses

Five years experience organising, setting up and maintaining a remote alpine field camp:
Planning; Recruiting field team members; Coordinated staging of gear via helicopter;
Setting up camp; Responsible for first aid.
Managing and mentoring field assistants from 2007-2011 over 3-4 month field seasons,
including my own field teams (up to 4 people) and the entire camp (up to 10 people).
Extensive field experience working with wildlife
Teaching

Two years experience teaching basic ecology, plant animal interactions and ecoinformatics
at early and advanced undergraduate and graduate levels.
Mentored and trained two undergraduate students in designing and conducting final-year
research projects and helped multiple field assistants develop field based individual
projects.

VOLUNTEERING AND OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES

Feb-Apr. 2010 Circumpolar Students Association executive member 2010-2012, organised
symposia and speakers and student mentorship sessions
Mar. 2010 Sierra club Canada Repower Alberta Campaign organising team
Jan. 2010 Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Athabasca Heartland Team member
2002-2004 Sierra Youth Coalition, Annual Sustainable Campuses Conference
Jul. 2003 Residential warden RSPB Reserve, Arne, Dorset, UK
Jun. 2000 BTCV, Kings Cross, London, UK
Jul. 1999 Commons Management Team, Elmbridge Borough Council, Leisure Services Division