University of Toronto, Faculty of Forestry

Nigel V. Gale

University of Toronto, Faculty of Forestry

33 Willcocks Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B3

(647) 833-4352,

EDUCATION

2012 - PresentPhDCandidate in Forestry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
Thesis: “Ecophysiology of plants tosoil charcoal”

Advisor: Sean Thomas | expected Dec. 2017

2007- 2011 Honours B.Sc. in Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON
Thesis: “A test of phenotypic plasticity in temporally variant moisture environments”

Advisors: Christina Caruso and Hafiz Maherali

RESEARCH GRANTS (as PI)

Northern Scientific Training Program, regeneration of boreal forests following fire, $8002017

Centre for Global Change Science, forest dynamics in Bangladesh, $3700 2016 – 2017

Northern Scientific Training Program, phytoremediation of boreal forests,$15002016 – 2017

Experiment.com, climate change mitigation in tropical systems,$40522016

SCHOLARSHIPS, ACADEMIC TEACHING AWARDS

NSERC Canadian Graduate Scholarship Doctoral, $35,0002016 - 2017

Forestry Graduate Student Association Teaching Award, University of Toronto2016

Jeanne F. Goulding Fellowship, University of Toronto, $45002016

NSERC Post Graduate Scholarship Doctoral, University of Toronto, $21002015- 2016

QEII-GSST Adam Zimmerman, University of Toronto, $15000 (x2)2013 - 2015

Buckley graduate Scholarship, University of Toronto, $2250 (x3)2012 - 2015

Johnson Forestry Fellowship, University of Toronto, $8400 (x3)2012 - 2015

Bryant Family Research Scholarship, University of Guelph, $300 2012

Dr. Michael Moss Scholarship, University of Guelph, $1000 2010 - 2011

TEACHING & SUPERVISORY * Graduate course

Course-Instructor (University of Toronto)

FOR1412: Forests and Global Processes *, lectures and labs Fall 2016

Teaching assistantships (University of Toronto)

ENV200, Assessing Global Change: Science and the Environment,tutorials Winter 2016, 2017

FOR3002, Applied Forest Ecology*, field / lab tutorials Fall 2014, 2015

FOR201, Conservation of Tropical & Subtropical Forests, tutorials Winter 2014 – 2017

FOR200, Conservation of Canada’s Forests,field tutorials Summer 2015

FOR3005, Stresses in the Forest Environment *, glasshouse experiment Winter 2015 - 2017

Invited lecturer (University of Toronto)

FOR3005, Stresses in the Forest Environment*, Soil pollutants and remediation 2017

FOR3002, Applied Forest Ecology *. Applied forest ecology statistics, graphing, and reporting 2015

FOR3002, Applied Forest Ecology *. Abiotic resource modifiersecological land classification 2014

FOR200, Conservation of Canada’s Forests. Soil amendments to conserve Canada’s forests 2014

FOR200, Conservation of Canada’s Forests. Current topics in forest conservation 2013

Co-supervisory

Undergraduate thesis students at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Bangladesh, field projects (2016 – Present): Farhana Bintay Hye, Rupon Kumar Nath, Akib Hasan Moon, Shamim Reza Saimun, Syed Tuhin.

Undergraduate thesis students at the University of Toronto, glasshouse experiments (2013 – present): Amanda Wheeler, Katerina Eyre, William Merritt.

Engineering capstone students, University of Toronto, database development (2013 – 2014): David Siqi Cao, John David Sant, Garvin Ng, Lawrence Sham.

PUBLICATIONS

9. Gale NV, & Thomas SC. The influence of soil charcoal content on the growth and physiology of two herbaceous species. Near submission -Plant and Soil

8. Thomas SC, Halim MA, & Gale NV. Biochar increases the performance of maize intercropped with leguminous saplings.Near submission - Agroforestry systems

7. Gale NV, Halim MA, Horsburgh H, & Thomas SC. Comparative responses of early-successional plants to charcoal soil amendments. 2017. In press -Ecosphere

6.Seehausen ML, Gale NV, Dranga S, Hudson V, Liu L, Michener J, Thurston E, Williams C, Smith SM, Thomas SC. 2017. Is there a positive synergistic effect of biochar and compost soil amendments on the growth and performance of plants? Agronomy 7:13

5. Gale NV, Sackett T & Thomas SC. 2016. Thermal treatment and leaching biochar alleviates plant growth inhibition from mobile organic compounds. PeerJ 4:e2385

4.Thomas SC & Gale NV. 2015. Biochar and forest restoration: A review and Meta-Analysis of tree growth responses. New Forests46:931-946

3.Caruso M, Benscoter A, Gale NV, Seifert E, Mills E. 2015. The effect of crossing distance on fitness of the native wildflower Lobelia Siphilitica: implications for ecological restoration. Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society 142: 140 – 151

2.Thomas SC, Frye S, GaleN, Garmon M, Launchbury R, Machado N, Melamed S, Murray J, Petroff A, Winsborough C. 2013. Biochar mitigates negative effects of salt additions on two herbaceous plant species. Journal of Environmental Management 129: 62 - 68

1. Gale NV, Trant J, Schiks T, L’Ecuyer J,Thevathasan NV, Gordon AM.2013. An economic analysis of afforestation as a carbon sequestration strategy in southwestern Ontario, Canada. Studies by Undergraduate Researchers at Guelph 6: 55 - 65

PRESENTATIONS * Presenting author

Gale NV*, Halim MA, and Thomas SC. Biochar and ecosystem restoration: plant ecophysiological responses. American Geophysical Union, New Orleans. (forthcoming)

Halim MA*, Gale NV*. 2016. Mitigating climate change in Bangladesh: charcoal soil amendments, tree diversity, and forest carbon. Seminar, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet Bangladesh. Talk

Gale NV*, Halim MA, and Thomas SC. 2015. Charcoal soil amendments increase growth, physiological, and reproductive performance in 13 temperate herbaceous species. 100th Meeting of the Ecological Society of America, Baltimore MD. Talk

Gale NV* and Thomas SC. 2015. Fresh sugar maple biochar often inhibits growth, but this can be fixed. Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Reserve Research Day. Haliburton ON. Public talk

Gale NV*, Halim MA, and Thomas SC. 2014. Restoring [urban] landscapes with pyrogenic carbon. 2nd annual Ontario Climate Consortium, connecting science and cities. Western University, London, Ontario. Poster

Gale NV*, and Thomas SC. 2013. Rescuing biochar: Pre – application techniques that enhance plant responses to biochar additions. 2013 North American Biochar Symposium, Harvesting Hope: Science and Synergies of Biochar. University of Massachusetts, Amherst MA. Talk

Gale NV*, and Thomas SC. 2013. Temperate plant responses to biochar additions: Lessons from the greenhouse. Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Reserve Research Day. Haliburton ON. Public talk

Caruso CM*, Benscooter AM, Gale NV, Seifert EK, Mills ER, Madson MJ, Bailey MF & Case LA. 2011. Heterosis and outbreeding depression in Lobelia Siphilitica: implications for habitat restoration. Botanical Society of America, St. Louis, MO. Poster

Gale NV*, Shicks T*, Trant J*, Vilcinski O*, Jackson C*, & L’Ecuyer J*. 2011. Eden Mills: Afforestation project to achieve carbon neutrality. 4th Annual University of Guelph Environmental Science Symposium, Guelph ON. Poster

SERVICES, VOLUNTEER, & OUTREACH

Reviewer:Journal of Applied Ecology,Global Change Biology: Bioenergy, Science of the Total Environment, Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Pedosphere, New Forests, Canadian Journal of Soil Science

Vice-chair,Forestry Graduate Student Association, University of Toronto2015 – 2016

Sports representative, Forestry Graduate Student Association, University of Toronto2015 – 2016

Director, Forestry Graduate Student Collective, University of Toronto 2013 –2015

Lecturer and demonstrator,Let’s Talk Science, University of Toronto2013 –2015

GreenTeam committee member,Central YMCA of Greater Toronto 2012 –2014

Panel member,Environmental Reach Ahead Day, University of Guelph 2011– 2012

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