Dr. Donna Giberson is a freshwater ecologist who works in the Maritimes and Canadian Arctic. She conducts research on the life history, diversity, and habitat patterns of aquatic insects; the effects of natural and human-caused disturbance on streams; and works with local community groups on stream projects.
Says Dr. Giberson, "I am a fresh water ecologist, with particular interest in aquatic insects. I have several years' experience in the study of environmental effects of anthropogenic activities on streams and lakes; for example through studies of northern hydro-electric projects, acid precipitation, logging, agriculture, and tourism impacts on freshwater habitats. Current interests include the study of aquatic insect biodiversity, life history responses to disturbance regime, salt marsh insects, pitcher plant-insect relationships, and general aquatic insect ecology. I received my B.Sc. from the University of Calgary in 1978, then worked in aquatic and agricultural entomology for several years before returning to university to complete an M.Sc. in aquatic insect ecology at the university of Manitoba (1986). After working in aquatic environmental impact assessment for a few years, I again returned to school to complete a Ph.D. at the University of Manitoba (1991). This was followed by a one-year NSERC post-doctoral fellowship at Mount Allison University, before joining the faculty at the University of Prince Edward Island in 1992."
Courses Taught
I have taught courses in general biology, invertebrate zoology, entomology, limnology, field hydrology, environmental biology, population ecology, community ecology, ecology for non-majors, experimental design and analysis, and scientific writing. Courses currently offered by Dr. Giberson.
Undergraduate Research Projects Supervised
Students in my lab typically work on projects relating to aquatic entomology, including work on a variety of habitats. There has also been opportunity in my lab for students to do collaborative work on agricultural entomology, marine invertebrate ecology, and bird ecology. See the list below for some of the topices we've worked on in the lab; parentheses refer to papers that have been published in collaboration with undergraduate researchers in the lab.
- General aquatic insect ecology in New Brunswick and PEI streams
- Heather Garnett (see Giberson and Garnett, 1996), Kathryn Dau-Schmidt, Reagan Sutherland, Aurelie de Fayard
- Land use effects on streams or estuaries on PEI
- Darcy MacLellan, Naila Chishti, Lisa Purcell
- Host/parasite interactions between stoneflies and parasitic midges
- Andrew MacInnis, Matt Blanchard (see Giberson et al. 1996, Doucett et al. 1999)
- Biting flies on PEI and the Magdalen Islands, including (1) biology and distribution of mosquitoes on PEI and 2) biology and distribution of black flies on PEI and the Magdalen Islands
- (1) Maggie McConnell, Kathryn Dau-Schmidt; (2) Andrew MacInnis, Colleen Van Iderstine, Miranda Smith, Lisa Purcell (see Adler et al. 2005)
- Pitcher Plant ecology
- Jackie Wood, Dylan Blacquiere, Loretta Hardwick (see Hardwick and Giberson 1996, Giberson and Hardwick 1999)
- Marine organisms associated with Mussel Socks on Prince Edward Island
- Karla Ellis (see Ellis et al. 2002), Christine Paetzold.
Other honours projects have related to agricultural entomology (usually in cooperation with Agriculture Canada) or to general ecology, for example, projects on bio-control of purple loosestrife (Chris Gray) and non-chemical controls of Colorado Potato Beetle (Jana Cheverie, Heidi Hayden), and use of radio telemetry to determine home-range patterns in American Kestrel (Scott MacNeill).
Graduate Projects Supervised
Clayton D'Orsay: "Influence of different management techniques on insect biodiversity in pastures". Clayton started working on his project in January of 2007. He is working on part of a larger pasture biodiversity project located at NSAC, investigating the effects of pasture management regimes on beetle diversity. Using mark and recapture techniques, seasonal movements of individuals between treatments may also be assessed.
Kathryn Dau-Schmidt: "Economic thresholds for European Corn Borer in PEI potatoes". Kathryn started her program in May 2004, and should finish up in 2007. She has been conducting experimental studies through UPEI and Agriculture and Agrifood Canada to determine the economic effects of a caterpillar pest on potato yields and quality, and is also evaluating whether biological control agents can be used to help to control this pest.
Jeff Ogden: "Aquatic insect biodiversity, and influences of logging regime on stream communities in the uplands of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia". Jeff is working through Mount Allison University, and is evaluating aquatic insect community structure in a group of streams in a part of the Cape Breton Highlands that lies adjacent to the National Park. He started his project in the fall of 2005.
Recent Graduate Students
Rachael Eedy: Rachael evaluated the relative importance of hydraulic, sediment, and detritus variables on the microdistribution of stream invertebrates in the West River PEI. She graduated in 2003 and is currently working for a biological consulting firm in British Columbia.
Lisa Purcell: Lisa carried out an intensive survey of 37 streams on PEI, and evaluated the utility of a various biotic indices in determining the effects of agricultural land use practises on stream communities. Lisa also evaluated a novel chromosomal biomarker in black flies in assessing stream stress. She graduated in 2003, and is currently working on a PhD in Malaria genomics at McGill University.
Michelle Dobrin: Michelle carried out an intensive survey on aquatic insects in streams in Prince Edward Island National Park, including a study on relationships between community structure and land use, and surveys of mayflies, stoneflies, caddisflies, and Dragonflies found in the park. She graduated in 2000, and has been working for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Research Projects
Insects of the Islands of the Gulf of St. Lawrence
This is a new project, aimed at determining the insect biodiversity on the major islands of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and adjoining mainland areas. Currently, few insect groups are well enough known in the area to assess biogeographical patterns or assess potential for invasive species to become established. This project will incorporate new sampling and "mining" of existing insect collections to determine the species composition and distributional patterns of this important animal group.
Aquatic Insect Studies int he Canadian Arctic
I've been working since 2000 on a project to assess the aquatic insect biodiversity of the central barrens area of the Canadian Arctic. This project began with two major expeditions into the interior of the central barrens, to sample areas that do not have any road access or community access. Sampling for these two projects occurred by flying into headwater regions of major rivers, and then canoeing down the rivers to sample. Later projects focussed on settled communities, so that sampling could be carried out by motorized transport. One journal publication and several newsletter articles have resulted from this research.
Hortton River - 2000 (refs 17, 2, 28)
The first trip was a month-long (700 km) expedition down the Horton River, which originates north of Great Bear Lake in NWT and flows to Franklin Bay of the Arctic Ocean (see map above). Five scientists from all over North America, including me from UPEI, Doug Currie from the ROM in Toronto, Peter Adler from Clemson University in South Carolina, Mac Butler from North Dakota State U., and Brian Brown from the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum, flew by Twin Otter from the hamlet of Norman Wells on the MacKenzie River to Horton Lake, then paddled about 700 km to the mouth of the river. 
We made camp each night on the river, and sampled every time we stopped. Data are still being analysed for this project, but we have more than doubled the number of known species in this region for most of the insect groups we are studying.
Thelon River - 2002 (refs 21, 23, 28)
This river trip took us to the most central and remote parts of the Canadian Barrens. The team this time consisted of Doug Currie, Peter Adler, and I as core personnel, and we were joined by students Amanda Roe (U. of Alberta) and Lisa Purcell (UPEI). We paddled from the confluence of the Hanbury and Thelon Rivers to Beverley Lake, covering about 325 km of river. As in 2000, we paddled each day, camping each night in a different location, so that we could sample a variety of river habitats.
Yellowknife Area (2001), Northwestern Hudson Bay Communities (2003, 2005) (refs 17, 21, 23, 27, 28, 29)
Between, and following, the river expeditions, Doug Currie, Peter Adler, and I travelled to a number of northern communities by ground and air to extend our sampling effort. Peter and Doug travelled to the Yellowknife area in 2001, and collected a broad area around Great Slave Lake. In 2003, Peter, Doug, and I travelled to three Nunavut communities near NW Hudson Bay (Arviat, Rankin Inlet, and Baker Lake). We were based in the communities, but travelled to sample by "honda", boat, truck, and by foot. A unique part of this trip for us was the chance to interact with community members and learn about aquatic insects from their perspective. In 2005, I returned to Rankin 
Inlet for 2 wks to sample mayflies more intensively than in previous years. I was accompanied on this trip by Steve Burian (Southern Connecticut State U.) and Jade Savage (Bishops University), and we were able to work with Mike Shouldice of the Nunavut Arctic College on the project, and stay in the cabin owned by the college located north of town. The extended sampling period allowed us to do some ecological study, as well as confirming distributional data.
Other Aquatic Studies
Pitcher Plant Studies in Glenfinnan Bog
My students and I have been studying the insect inhabitants of pitcher plants in PEI bogs for several years. One student, Loretta Hardwick, carried out a study in 1994 looking at how transplanting pitchers from one bog to another affected the insect inhabitants (ref 12). This study led to a review of Northern Pitcher Plant ecology in the book, Invertebrates in Freshwater Wetlands in North America (ref 15).
More recently, I've been working with students Dylan Blacquiere and Jackie Wood to compare the life histories of the insects to physical habitat variables in pitchers in Glenfinnan Bog, near Charlottetown, PEI. We evaluated pH, Dissolved Oxygen, and Specific Conductance on a diurnal basis on several days throughout the summer, to characterize the "micro-limnology" of this interesting habitat. This work has been presented at several conferences, including the annual meetings of the North American Benthological Society, the Entomological Society of Canada, and the Acadian Entomological Society.
Aquatic Insect Life History, Diversity, and Disturbance Patterns
I continue to work in streams in a variety of geographical locations (including PEI, New Brunswick and the UK), looking at diversity, life histories, and energetics of the aquatic insects. Recently, I have become involved in several studies where we are attempting to relate aquatic insect communities to physical factors and land use.
Effects of Logging on a Salmon Stream in NB
I spent several years collecting data on logging effects on Catamaran Brook , a small stream in the north central part of New Brunswick the province. I collected aquatic insects throughout the brook between 1992 and 1999, and am continuing to identify and process these samples. The goal of the project is to characterize the baseline condition of the invertebrate fauna in the stream, for future comparison with patterns following logging. In addition, I've been looking at the effects of flood disturbance on the fauna, the relationship between invertebrates and stream fungi, and midge parasites on stoneflies in the brook. Several publications have resulted from this work to date (see refs 8, 11, 13, 14, 16, 19, 24), and it is on-going.
Effects of Afforestation on Streams in the United Kingdom
Much of the open moorland in the United Kingdom has been devoid of trees for millennia, but large stretches of the moors are now being planted with conifers to supply their forestry industry. In North American, we take it as a given that planting trees is a good thing; however, planting trees has dramatically altered the habitat of these open moorland streams, changing the solar energy inputs and providing a very different food base and water quality for the stream fauna by shading the now forested streams. I'm currently working with Dr. Mike Dobson of the Manchester Metropolitan University on several small projects looking at the effects of these forestry projects in northern and central England (ref. 30)
Agricultural Land Use and Streams on PEI
Students in my lab (Lisa Purcell, Michelle Dobrin) have been characterizing the relationship between land use variables (such as percent agriculture or percent forest in the basin) and aquatic insect communities. Michelle studied land use effects on a stream that originated outside of PEI National Park but travelled extensively through the park. Lisa’s study involved studying 37 streams across the province to set up a "reference condition" for PEI streams, and to evaluate streams that were heavily impacted by agriculture. Lisa is also exploring the utility of a chromosomal biomarker, using black flies, to determine whether the biomarker could be used as an early warning system for detecting stream ecosystem stress.
Aquatic Insects in Streams in PEI National Park
My students and I have began working on characterizing the biodiversity in streams in PEI National Park for several years (refs 25, 26, plus several contract reports). These studies, funded by PEI National Park, have yielded data on the species composition, life history, secondary production of aquatic insect groups in a number of streams within the park, as well as some comparison streams outside the park. More recently, we've been looking at how salt spray and tides can influence the aquatic insects found in streams that cut across the Dunes in PEI National Park.
Stream Hydraulic and Hydrology Studies
I've been studying the effects of floods on streams for several years, primarily exploring the concepts of floods as disturbance factors (refs 10, 14). Work is on-going to characterize the disturbance characteristics of Catamaran Brook and a number of streams in northern England. More recently, an M.Sc. student, Rachael Eedy, completed her masters on patch-scale stream hydraulics in the West River, PEI; relating invertebrate abundance, sediment deposition, and organic matter relations to small scale flow variables.
Salt Marsh Studies in PEI
I began sampling salt marshes in 1993, and have become fascinated by the diversity and special adaptations of insects found in salt marsh pools. Salt marshes are frequently treated with Bacillus thuringiensis var.israelensis in PEI for control of salt marsh mosquitoes, so my colleagues and I (e.g. Giberson et al. 2001) have been interested in the effects of Bti on non-target flies and other insects. During the study, we have also discovered the presence of a salt marsh caddisfly in PEI. The salt marsh caddisfly, Limnephilus ademus was known from adult specimens, but its habitat was previously unknown (ref# 32).
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Publications
2007
38. Giberson, D.J., K. Dau-Schmidt, and M. Dobrin. In press. Mosquito Species Composition, Phenology and Distribution (Diptera: Culicidae) on Prince Edward Island. Journal of the Acadian Entomological Society.
37. Giberson, D.J., S.K. Burian, M. Shouldice. In press. Life history of the northern mayfly Baetis bundyae in Rankin Inlet, and additions to the mayflies of Nunavut Territory, Canada. The Canadian Entomologist. 139:
36. Eedy, R.I., and D.J. Giberson. 2007. Macroinvertebrate distribution in a reach of a north temperate eastern Canadian river: Relative importance of detritus, substrate and flow. Fundamental and Applied Limnology (Archiv für Hydrobiologie) 169: 101-114.
35. Purcell, L.A., and D.J. Giberson. 2007. Effects of an azinphos-methyl runoff event on macroinvertebrates in the Wilmot river, Prince Edward Island, Canada. The Canadian Entomologist 139: 523-533
2006
34. Giberson, D.J. and P.J. Crawford. 2006. Tricks of the Trade: a strong but inexpensive collapsible net for travel. Bulletin of the Entomological Society of Canada 38: 131-134. (Dec. 2006)
2005
33. Giberson, D.J. 2005. Tricks of the Trade: Keeping the bugs in their place. Bulletin of the Entomological Society of Canada 37: 196-197. (Dec. 2005)
32. Flint O. and D.J. Giberson. 2005. A description of the larva and ecology of Limnephilus ademus, the first salt marsh caddisfly reported in North America. Proceedings of the 11th International Symposium on Trichoptera, edited by Kazumi Tanida and Andrew Rossiter, Tokai University Press, p.121-130.
31. Adler, P.H., D.J. Giberson, and L.A. Purcell. 2005. Insular black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) of North America: Tests of colonization hypotheses. Journal of Biogeography 32: 211-220.
30. Pretty, J., D.J. Giberson, and M. Dobson. 2005. Life history and production of stoneflies in Stake Clough, Peak District, UK; relationships with physical factors and detritus dynamics. Freshwater Biology. 50: 578-591.
29. Giberson, D.J. 2005. Mayflies and Muscids: update on the "insects of the arctic" project. Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods) 24(2): 56-57.
2004
28. Shaverdo, H. and D. J. Giberson. 2004. Predaceous water beetles (Coleoptera: Adephaga: Dytiscidae, Gyrinidae) collected along the Horton and Thelon Rivers in the Arctic Central Barrens of Canada. Can. Field Nat. 118 (3):425-433.
27. Giberson, D.J. and D.C. Currie. 2004. Field collecting in 2003 and 2004: Update on the "Insects of the arctic" project, Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods) 23(2): 72-79.
2003
26. Giberson, D. J. and M. Dobrin. 2003. Species composition, distribution and seasonal patterns of Dragonflies and Damselflies of Prince Edward Island National Park. Reports in Ecosystem Science series, #37. Parks Canada.
25. Dobrin, M. and D.J. Giberson. 2003. Life history and production of mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera) in a spring-fed stream in Prince Edward Island, Canada: evidence for population asynchrony in spring habitats? Canadian Journal of Zoology 81:1083-1095.
24. Caissie, D., and D.J. Giberson. 2003. Temporal variation in stream and intragravel water temperatures in Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) spawning areas, Catamaran Brook (New Brunswick). Canadian Technical Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences #2464.
23. Giberson, D.J. and H. V. Shaverdo. 2003. The predaceous water beetles (Coleoptera: Adephaga: Dytiscidae and Gyrinidae): Update on the survey of aquatic insects from Keewatin and Mackenzie project. Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods) 22(2): 61-65.
2002
22. Ellis, K., D. Giberson, and J. Davidson. 2002. Marine Organisms Associated with Mussel Socks on Prince Edward Island (a Field Guide). UPEI Biology Department and PEI Aquaculture Alliance. 36 pp.
21. Currie, D.C., D.J. Giberson, and P. Adler. 2002. Insect biodiversity in the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary. Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods) 21(2): 59-64.
2001
20. Giberson, D.J., B. Bilyj, and N. Burgess. 2001. Species diversity and emergence patterns of nematocerous flies (Insecta: Diptera) from three coastal salt marshes in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Estuaries 24:862-874.
2000
19. Garnett, H.L., F. Baerlocher, and D.Giberson. 2000. Aquatic hyphomycetes in Catamaran Brook, N.B., Canada: colonization dynamics, seasonal patterns, and logging effects. Mycologia 92(1): 29-41.
18. Giberson, D.J. and M. Dobrin. 2000. Dragonflies and Damselflies of Prince Edward Island National Park (a Field Guide). UPEI Biology Department and Parks Canada, 30 pp.
17. Currie, D.C., D. Giberson, and B. V. Brown. 2000. Insects of Keewatin and Mackenzie. Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods) 19(2): 48-51.
1999
16. Doucett, R.R., D.J. Giberson, and G. Power. 1999. The parasitic association of Nanocladius(Diptera: Chironomidae) and Pteronarcys biloba (Plecoptera: Pteronarcyidae): insights from stable-isotope analysis. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 18(4): 514-523.
15. Giberson, D.J. and M.L. Hardwick. 1999. Pitcher Plants (Sarracenia purpurea) in Eastern Canadian Peatlands: Biology and conservation of their invertebrate inquilines. Pages 401-422 in Invertebrates in Freshwater Wetlands of North America: Ecology and Management. Edited by D.P. Batzer, R.B. Rader, and S.A. Wissinger. John Wiley and Sons, Inc. New York.
1998
14. Giberson, D.J. and D. Caissie.. 1998. Stream Habitat Hydraulics: Inter-annual variability in three reaches of Catamaran Brook, N.B. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 55: 485-494.
1996
13. Giberson, D.J. and H. Garnett. 1996. Species composition, distribution, and summer emergence phenology of stoneflies (Insecta: Plecoptera) from Catamaran Brook, New Brunswick Canadian Journal of Zoology 74: 1260-1267.
12. Hardwick, M.L. and D.J. Giberson. 1996. Aquatic insect populations in transplanted and natural populations of Purple Pitcher Plant, Sarracenia purpurea, on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Canadian Journal of Zoology 74:1956-63.
11. Giberson, D.J., A.J. MacInnis, and M. Blanchard. 1996. Seasonal frequency and positioning of parasitic midges (Chironomidae) on Pteronarcys biloba nymphs (Plecoptera: Pteronarcyidae). Journal of the North American Benthological Society 15: 529-536
1995
10. Giberson, D.J. and D.G. Cobb. 1995. Do Floods always disturb mayfly communities? Chapter 18, in L.D. Corkum & J.J.H. Ciborowski (eds) Current Directions in Research on Ephemeroptera. Canadian Scholars Press, Inc. Toronto.
1994
9. Giberson, D.J. and D.M. Rosenberg. 1994. Life histories of burrowing mayflies (Hexagenia limbata and H. rigida, Ephemeroptera, Ephemeridae) in a northern Canadian reservoir. Freshwater Biology 32:501-518.
8.Cunjak, R.A., D. Caissie, N. El-Jabi, P. Hardie, J.H. Conlon, T. Pollock, D.J. Giberson, S. Komadina-Douthwright. 1993. Catamaran Brook (New Brunswick) habitat research project: Biological, physical and chemical conditions (1990-1992). Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 1914.
1992
7.Giberson, D.J. and D.M. Rosenberg. 1992. Effects of temperature, food quantity, and nymphal rearing density on life-history traits of a northern population of Hexagenia (Ephemeroptera: Ephemeridae). J. N. Am. Benthol. Soc. 11:181-193.
6. Giberson, D.J. and D.M. Rosenberg. 1992. Egg development in Hexagenia limbata (Serville) (Ephemeroptera: Ephemeridae) from Southern Indian Lake, Manitoba: Temperature effects and diapause. J. N. Am. Benthol. Soc. 11:194-203.
5. Giberson, D.J., D.M. Rosenberg, and A.P. Wiens. 1992. Long-term abundance patterns of Hexagenia in Southern Indian Lake: the effects of weather and hydroelectric development. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 1837.
1991
4. Giberson, D.J., D.M. Rosenberg, and A.P. Wiens. 1991. Changes in abundance of burrowing mayflies in Southern Indian Lake: Lessons for environmental monitoring. Ambio 20:139-142
3. Giberson, D.J., and R.J. Mackay. 1991. Life history and distribution of mayflies (Ephemeroptera) in some acid streams in south-central Ontario, Canada. Can. J. Zool. 69:899-910.
1988
2. Giberson, D.J. and R.J. Hall. 1988. Seasonal variation in faunal distribution within the sediments of a Canadian Shield stream, with emphasis on responses to spring floods. Can. J. Fish. Aq. Sci.45:1994-2002.
1985
1. Giberson D.J. and T.D. Galloway. 1985. Life History and production of Ephoron album (Say) (Ephemeroptera: Polymitarcyidae) in the Valley River, Manitoba. Can.J.Zool. 63:1663-74.
Unpublished or Restricted Contract Reports
Giberson, D.J. and M. Dobrin. 2002. Mosquitoes of PEI. Unpublished report to Prince Edward Island Department of Health
Giberson, D.J., L. Purcell, C. Brockhouse, and L. Hale. 2002. Black flies in salt: unique salinity tolerance in Simulium vittatum Zett. larvae (Diptera: Simuliidae). Unpublished report, Parks Canada.
Purcell, L., D. Giberson, C. Brockhouse, and L. Hale. 2001. Stress monitoring in streams: Genetic responses of black fly larvae as biological indicators. Unpublished report, Parks Canada.
Giberson, D. and M. Dobrin. 2000. Species composition, distribution and seasonal patterns of Dragonflies and Damselflies of Prince Edward Island National Park. Unpublished report, Parks Canada.
Brockhouse, C.L., D. Giberson, and M.L. Smith. 1999. Hidden Biodiversity: A baseline of black fly species represented in streams of Prince Edward Island National Park near Cavendish PEI. Unpublished report, Parks Canada.
Dobrin, M. and D. Giberson. March 1999. Relationship between land use, aquatic habitat quality, and aquatic invertebrate composition at Balsam Hollow Brook, Prince Edward Island National Park. Unpublished report, Parks Canada.
Giberson, D.J. and M. Dobrin. March 1998. Survey of aquatic insects in streams of Prince Edward Island National Park. Unpublished report, Parks Canada.
Giberson, D.J. March 1995. Emergence of Aquatic Insects from Catamaran Brook, New Brunswick, 1993 and 1994, with particular emphasis on the Plecoptera, Report to DFO, Gulf Region.
Giberson, D.J. and N.Burgess. March 1995. Impacts of B.t.i. mosquito control on aquatic insect emergence and wildlife in salt marshes. Report to The World Wildlife Fund (Wildlife Toxicity Fund).
Department of Biology