Forest Ecology and Environmental Sciences
Resource Planning and Forest Ecology
Overlapping with the end of my undergraduate, I spent two years working full time for the BC Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs. This was an opportunity I snatched up as it allowed me to interrogate my negative racial assumptions about First Nations people that had been part of the community narrative where I was raised. I was privileged to work with a wide variety of First Nations colleagues and clients and to come to a more complex and deeper understanding of land claims issues, native rights, and history through these interactions. In addition, this work allowed me to work with scientists from across a range of fields in other ministries to help facilitate information transfer about the natural resources of BC between First Nations and the various BC government ministries.
Between 1995 and 1997 I worked more specifically in the forestry sector. Initially, I worked as a forest resource planner for a consulting company and later as a field forest silvicultural technician for another firm. My already deep love of the environment and need to understand the complex nature of scientific processes involved in its healthy functioning blossomed during this time. This naturally led to further formal education in this area.
Work
1997, Forestry Silviculturalist, Silver Ring Forestry Ltd., Nanaimo, BC, Canada.
1995-1997, Resource Planner, Sterling Wood Group Inc., Victoria, BC, Canada.
1993-1994, Data Analyst, Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs, Victoria, BC, Canada.
Environmental Science - Nitrogen Cycling
In 1997 I began a masters degree in Victoria but was moved over to the University of Western Ontario as my advisor shifted universities shortly after I started. I went with her as I was only involved due to her field project which had sparked my interest. During the winters I took courses in the Plant Sciences & Environmental Sciences departments towards a masters degree. In the summers I worked in the Noland Divide Watershed within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a Long Term Ecological Research monitoring site. My thesis explored the way that nitrogen moves through forest ecosystems from decaying wood, into microbes and then into the ground and stream water.
Work
1998-2000, Ecological Researcher, Plant Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
1999-2000, Trainer, Teaching Assistant Training Program, Society of Graduate Students, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
1998-2000, Teaching Assistant, Plant Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
Dissertation
Masters of Science, double major in Plant Sciences and Environmental Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada - completed in 2002. Thesis: Nitrogen sink versus source potential of coarse woody debris in the red spruce-Fraser fir forest of the southern Appalachians, USA.
Related Publications
Creed, I.F., Webster, K.L., Morrison, D.L. (2004). A comparison of techniques for measuring density and concentrations of carbon and nitrogen in coarse woody debris at different stages of decay. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 34, 744-753.
Creed, I.F., Morrison, D.L., Nicholas, N.S. (2004). Is coarse woody debris a net sink or source of nitrogen in the red spruce/Fraser fir forest of the southern Appalachians, U.S.A.? Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 34(3), 716-727.
Related Presentations & Workshops
Morrison, D., & Creed, I. F. (2000). Coarse woody debris: The sink versus source debate revisited. American Geophysical Union, May 30-June 3, Washington, DC, USA.
Morrison, D. & Creed, I. F. (1999). Nitrogen dynamics in coarse woody debris: A net source or sink to the forest? American Geophysical Union, December 13-17, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Morrison, D. and Creed, I. F. (1999). Nitrogen dynamics in coarse woody debris: a net source or sink to the forest? Gordon Conference on Hydro/Geo/Biological processes of Forested Catchments, July 18-22, Andover, NH, USA.
Morrison, D., Creed, I. F., & Nicholas, N.S. (1999). Nitrogen dynamics in coarse woody debris: A net source or sink to the forest? 10th Annual Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere (SAMAB) Conference, November 1-3, Gatlinburg, TN, USA.
Morrison, D., Creed, I.F., Nicholas, N.S., Rose, A.K., & Van Miegroet, H. (1998). An approach to the determination of a nitrogen release index for coarse woody debris in a small watershed in the southern Appalachian mountains. Ecological Society of America, August 2-6, 1998, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Van Miegroet, H., Nicholas, N.S, Creed, I.F., McCarthy, L.E., Barker, M., Hysell, M., Morrison, D., Rose, A.K., & Shubzda, J. (1998). An integrated approach to estimating spatial variability in N saturation in a small Southern Appalachian watershed. Soil Science of America, October 18-22, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Van Miegroet, H., Nicholas, N.S, Creed, I.F., McCarthy, L.E., Barker, M., Hysell, M., Morrison, D., Rose, A.K., & Shubzda, J. (1998). The Noland Divide Watershed Study: An integrated approach to assess spatial variability in N dynamics in a small Southern Appalachian catchment. American Geophysical Union. December 6-10, San Francisco, CA, USA.
University of Western Ontario - Medical Sciences
While at the University of Western Ontario, I had the opportunity to work with the Medical Sciences unit in the codesign and development of case studies of environmental health issues.
Work
2000, Educational Designer, Medical Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.