Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution

Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution
Name	Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution
Formation	2008
Type	Learned society
Headquarters	Canada
Region served	Canada
Membership	Researchers, students, practitioners

Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution is a Canadian learned society that brings together scientists working on evolutionary biology, ecology and related fields across Canada and internationally. The society connects researchers from institutions such as the University of British Columbia, McGill University, University of Toronto, University of Alberta, and Université de Montréal and interfaces with organizations including the Royal Society of Canada, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the Canadian Wildlife Service, the Canadian Museum of Nature, and the National Research Council (Canada). Through conferences, publications, and awards the society promotes collaboration among members affiliated with entities like Simon Fraser University, Dalhousie University, McMaster University, University of Ottawa, and Université Laval.

History

The society was founded amid conversations involving researchers from University of Guelph, Queen's University at Kingston, University of Saskatchewan, Université du Québec à Montréal, and York University who sought a national forum similar to international bodies such as the Society for Conservation Biology, the Ecological Society of America, the Society for the Study of Evolution, and the British Ecological Society. Early meetings featured leaders connected to programs at the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, the Canadian Institute of Ecology and Evolution, and the Canadian Forest Service and included participation by scholars from Trent University, Acadia University, Brock University, Concordia University, and Memorial University of Newfoundland. The society’s formation paralleled developments at the International Biogeography Society and the European Society for Evolutionary Biology.

Mission and Objectives

The society’s mission emphasizes advancing research at the interface of evolutionary biology and ecology, fostering exchange among investigators from University of Victoria, University of New Brunswick, Université de Sherbrooke, Royal Ontario Museum, and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. Objectives include promoting training for students and postdoctoral fellows from institutions like Indiana University collaborators, enhancing the visibility of work presented at venues such as Society for the Study of Evolution meetings, encouraging interdisciplinary links with groups such as the Genetics Society of Canada and the Canadian Society of Zoologists, and supporting policy-relevant science cited by bodies like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Commission for Environmental Cooperation.

Governance and Membership

Governance is exercised by an elected council drawing representatives from universities and agencies including Université Laval, McGill University, University of Toronto Scarborough, Simon Fraser University, and the National Research Council (Canada), often in coordination with committees modeled after those of the Ecological Society of America and the Society for the Study of Evolution. Membership categories encompass students, early-career researchers, and senior scientists affiliated with Université de Montréal, University of Calgary, University of Manitoba, University of Windsor, and government labs such as the Fisheries and Oceans Canada laboratories. The society’s bylaws and elections have been informed by precedents from organizations like the Royal Society (United Kingdom), the American Society of Naturalists, and the American Genetic Association.

Conferences and Meetings

Annual meetings bring together participants from institutions such as University of British Columbia Okanagan, University of Lethbridge, Saint Mary's University, Mount Allison University, and Humber College along with international delegates from the Max Planck Society, Smithsonian Institution, Australian National University, University of Oxford, and Harvard University. Meetings feature symposia, contributed talks, and workshops with speakers who have affiliations ranging from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and collaborations with conferences like the Canadian Congress of Zoology and themed sessions inspired by work at the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics and the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center. Regional meetings and satellite workshops have been hosted in partnership with provincial groups such as the British Columbia Institute of Technology and the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute.

Publications and Communications

The society communicates through newsletters, social media, and coordinated special issues in journals published by entities like Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Springer Science+Business Media, Wiley-Blackwell, and Elsevier. Members publish in journals such as Evolution, Ecology Letters, Journal of Animal Ecology, Molecular Ecology', Functional Ecology, and Canadian Journal of Zoology, often cross-listing work with collaborators from University College London, ETH Zurich, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, and CSIRO. The society supports open science initiatives paralleling efforts by the Public Library of Science and the Dryad Digital Repository and shares job postings and grant opportunities from organizations including the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council when relevant.

Awards and Recognition

The society confers awards recognizing excellence in research, mentorship, and outreach, honoring early-career investigators, graduate students, and lifetime achievements with parallels to prizes awarded by the Royal Society of Canada, the Canada Research Chairs program, and international honors such as the Darwin Medal and the Linnean Medal. Award recipients often hold positions at institutions including McGill University, University of Toronto Mississauga, University of Alberta, Dalhousie University, and Université Laval and are cited alongside honorees from the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the European Research Council.

Partnerships and Outreach

The society partners with conservation organizations and agencies like Parks Canada, Nature Conservancy of Canada, Canadian Wildlife Federation, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and international partners including the United Nations Environment Programme and the Convention on Biological Diversity. Outreach initiatives involve collaborations with museums and public education venues such as the Royal Ontario Museum, the Canada Science and Technology Museum, the Biodôme de Montréal, and the Canadian Museum of Nature, and with citizen science platforms modeled after projects by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The society also engages with funding and policy bodies like the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to promote evidence-based conservation and restoration practices.

Category:Scientific societies based in Canada Category:Ecology organizations Category:Evolutionary biology organizations