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Published Work

Self-directed and collaborative research

L.A. Spafford, G. le Maire, F. de Boissieu, A.H. MacDougall, J.B. Féret (2020). Spectral subdomains and prior estimation of leaf structure improves PROSPECT inversion on reflectance or transmittance alone. Remote Sensing of Environment. 252, 112176.

K. Gallant, P. Withey, D. Risk, C. van Kooten, L.A. Spafford (2020). Measurement and economic valuation of carbon sequestration in Nova Scotian wetlands. Ecological Economics. 171, 106619.

L.A. Spafford, A.H. MacDougall (2020). Quantifying the probability distribution function of the Transient Climate Response to Cumulative CO2 Emissions. Environmental Research Letters. 15(3), 034044.

L.A. Spafford, D.A. Risk (2018). Spatiotemporal variability in lake‐atmosphere net CO2 exchange in the littoral zone of an oligotrophic lake. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 123(4), 1260-1276.

N. Tarakki, D.A. Risk, L.A. Spafford, C.R. Fougère (2018). A meta-analysis of the surface soil gas measurement monitoring and verification (MMV) program at the Aquistore project. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 75, 189-197.

Published Work

Self-directed and collaborative research

L.A. Spafford, G. le Maire, F. de Boissieu, A.H. MacDougall, J.B. Féret (2020). Spectral subdomains and prior estimation of leaf structure improves PROSPECT inversion on reflectance or transmittance alone. Remote Sensing of Environment. 252, 112176.

K. Gallant, P. Withey, D. Risk, C. van Kooten, L.A. Spafford (2020). Measurement and economic valuation of carbon sequestration in Nova Scotian wetlands. Ecological Economics. 171, 106619.

L.A. Spafford, A.H. MacDougall (2020). Quantifying the probability distribution function of the Transient Climate Response to Cumulative CO2 Emissions. Environmental Research Letters. 15(3), 034044.

L.A. Spafford, D.A. Risk (2018). Spatiotemporal variability in lake‐atmosphere net CO2 exchange in the littoral zone of an oligotrophic lake. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 123(4), 1260-1276.

N. Tarakki, D.A. Risk, L.A. Spafford, C.R. Fougère (2018). A meta-analysis of the surface soil gas measurement monitoring and verification (MMV) program at the Aquistore project. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 75, 189-197.

Self-directed and collaborative research

Published Work

L.A. Spafford, A. H. MacDougall, J. Steenberg (2023). Climate-driven shifts in leaf senescence are greater for boreal species than temperate species in the Acadian Forest region in contrast to leaf emergence shifts. Ecology and Evolution, 13, e10362.


R. Fernandes, L. Brown, F. Canisius, J. Dash, L. He, G. Hong, L. Huang, N.Q. Le, C. MacDougall, C. Meier, P.O. Darko, H. Shah, L.A. Spafford, L. Sun (2023). Validation of Simplified Level 2 Prototype Processor Sentinel-2 fraction of canopy cover, fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation and leaf area index products over North American forests. Remote Sensing of Environment, 293, 113600.

L.A. Spafford, A. H. MacDougall, Y. Vitasse, G. Filippa, A. Richardson, J. Steenberg, J. Lever (2023). Leaf phenology as an indicator of ecological integrity. ESA Ecosphere, ECS22-0327. 

L.A. Spafford, A.H. MacDougall (2021). Validation of Terrestrial Biogeochemistry in CMIP6 Earth System Models: A Review. Geoscientific Model Development. 14, 5863–5889. 

L.A. Spafford, G. le Maire, F. de Boissieu, A.H. MacDougall, J.B. Féret (2020). Spectral subdomains and prior estimation of leaf structure improves PROSPECT inversion on reflectance or transmittance alone. Remote Sensing of Environment. 252, 112176.

K. Gallant, P. Withey, D. Risk, C. van Kooten, L.A. Spafford (2020). Measurement and economic valuation of carbon sequestration in Nova Scotian wetlands. Ecological Economics. 171, 106619.

L.A. Spafford, A.H. MacDougall (2020). Quantifying the probability distribution function of the Transient Climate Response to Cumulative CO2 Emissions. Environmental Research Letters. 15(3), 034044.

L.A. Spafford, D.A. Risk (2018). Spatiotemporal variability in lake‐atmosphere net CO2 exchange in the littoral zone of an oligotrophic lake. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 123(4), 1260-1276.

N. Tarakki, D.A. Risk, L.A. Spafford, C.R. Fougère (2018). A meta-analysis of the surface soil gas measurement monitoring and verification (MMV) program at the Aquistore project. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 75, 189-197.

Journal Reviews

2021 - present: Environmental Research Letters

2017 - present: Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences

Awards and Scholarships

2023:

  • Moire A. Wadleigh Graduate Award for top Env. Sci. PhD Thesis of the year $650 

  • Dean’s Excellence Award Memorial University of Newfoundland $ 5,000

  • NSERC CGSD Memorial University of Newfoundland $ 35,000

2022:

  • Dean’s Excellence Award Memorial University of Newfoundland $ 5,000

  • NSERC CGSD Memorial University of Newfoundland $ 35,000

2021:

  • Dean’s Excellence Award Memorial University of Newfoundland $ 5,000

  • NSERC CGSD Memorial University of Newfoundland $ 35,000

2020:

  • Dean’s Excellence Award Memorial University of Newfoundland $ 5,000

  • NSERC CGSD Memorial University of Newfoundland $ 35,000

2019:

  • Dean’s Excellence Award Memorial University of Newfoundland $ 5,000

  • NSERC CGSM Memorial University of Newfoundland $ 17,500

  • NSERC CGSM Dalhousie University – Declined $ 0

2018:

  • CAPES Grant Universidade Estadual Paulista Rio Claro, Brazil 

& AmazonFACE Manaus, Brazil $ 3,160

2017:

  • Mitacs Career Connect Grant St. Francis Xavier University $ 12,500

  • Angus L. MacDonald Scholarship St. Francis Xavier University $ 500

  • Honours Student Research Poster Award St. Francis Xavier University $ 50 

2016:

  • Outstanding Student Presentation Award top 5% of primarily MSc & PhD

students during BSc, American Geophysical Union $ 0

  • NSERC USRA St. Francis Xavier University $ 4,500

2015:

  • NSERC USRA St. Francis Xavier University $ 4,500

2014-16:

  • In-Course Scholarship average > 85% St. Francis Xavier University  $ 3,000

2013:

  • Entrance Scholarship St. Francis Xavier University $ 1,000

My CV

Experience

Research Consultant: Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research 

Projecting plant phenology in Switzerland under a range of climate change scenarios through process models trained across multiple scales.

February 2023 - 

Research Consultant: Natural Resources Canada

Repeated field measurements and computational analysis of hemispherical images to estimate plant area at 13 sites across Nova Scotia.

June 2021 - March 2022

Research Consultant: Parks Canada Agency 

December 2020 - February 2022

  • Installation of automated phenology data collection and transmission stations at sites in National Parks across Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick.

  • Establishment of an ecological integrity monitoring protocol using phenocams including assembly of stations and analysis of data.

  • Provision of summary reports for the 2020 and 2021 growing seasons.

  • Provision of an analysis package for automated extraction of leaf phenology from phenocam imagery timeseries.

Tutor:

StFXU, Canada

Chemistry, Biology, Earth Sciences, and Calculus students.

September 2020 - 2021

Teaching Assistant: StFXU, Canada

Climate Data Analysis course.

January - April 2019 & 2020

Research Technician: Climate Feedback Lab, StFXU, Canada

Analyzed global climate data and literature, and conducted simulations.

November 2018 - April 2019

Research Technician: AmazonFACE & e-phenology Lab, UNESP, Brazil

  • Ground phenology campaigns in São Paulo State, Brazil.

  • Multispectral and hyperspectral leaf phenology monitoring in Amazonas State, Brazil.

  • Implementing and or maintaining horizontal and vertical geometry solar-powered camera stations.

  • Field spectrometry using an ASD Fieldspec 4: Standard Resolution Spectroradiometer.

August - November 2018

Research Technician: Flux Lab, StFXU, Canada

October 2014 - June 2018

  • Design, calibration, installation and maintenance of custom automated and manual CO2 and CH4 efflux monitoring systems in lakes, soils, and wetlands across Nova Scotia.

  • Field campaigns to collect gas samples, soil CH4 and CO2 efflux measurements across the Aquistore Carbon Capture and Storage Site near Estevan, Saskatchewan.

  • Instrumentation and regional survey campaigns to monitor oil and gas infrastructure fugitive emissions from Saskatchewan to British Columbia.

Field Technician: Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries, Canada

  • Preliminary surveys through fish-bearing and ephemeral watercourses in remote locations throughout Northern Alberta selected for road construction and logging.

  • Navigation of proposed harvest zones using a GPS and ATV, building creek crossings, and sampling fish using electroshocking techniques.

May - August 2014

Conferences & Workshops

Oral Presentations

  • L.A. Spafford, A.H. MacDougall, J. Steenberg. Divergent Leaf Phenology Trends Between Boreal and Temperate Species in the Acadian Forest. In-Person Presentation for European Geosciences Union General Assembly Conference: April 27 2023. Vienna, Austria.

  • L.A. Spafford, A.H. MacDougall. How does Environmental Context Influence the Leaf Phenology of Tree Species in Maritime Canada? Virtual Presentation for European Geosciences Union General Assembly Conference: May 23 2022. Vienna, Austria.

  • L.A. Spafford. Beyond Ecological Indicators: Leaf Phenology Research in Atlantic National Parks. Virtual Invited Lecture for UPEI Graduate Climate Change Impacts Course ACC-3100-1. October 6 2021. Charlottetown, Canada. 

  • L.A. Spafford, A.H. MacDougall. Regional Patterns in Leaf Phenology Across Maritime Canada Observed through a Ground-Based Phenocam Network. Virtual Presentation for the ESA 10th Advanced Land Training Course on Land Remote Sensing: September 20 2021. Ljubljana, Slovenia.

  • L.A. Spafford, A.H. MacDougall. Quantifying the probability distribution function of the Transient Climate Response to Cumulative CO2 Emissions. Virtual presentation for European Geosciences Union General Assembly Conference: May 5 2020. Vienna, Austria.

  • L.A. Spafford, D.A. Risk. Littoral Zone CO2 Efflux Patterns and Drivers. Science Atlantic Conference: March 3 2017. Fredericton, Canada.

  • L.A. Spafford, D.A. Risk. Carbon Capture and Storage Leak Detection. Science Atlantic Conference: March 18 2016. Moncton, Canada.

​

Poster Presentations

  • L.A. Spafford, A.H. MacDougall. Variation in Phenocam-Derived Observations of Leaf Phenology Within and Among Hemiboreal Tree Species. Phenology 2022 Phenology at the Crossroads Conference: June 22 2022. Avignon, France.

  • L.A. Spafford, A.H. MacDougall. Interannual Variability in Leaf Phenology Across Hemiboreal Forest Observed through Phenocams. Virtual Poster Presentation for American Geophysical Union General Assembly Conference: December 13 2021. New Orleans, United States.

  • L.A. Spafford, A.H. MacDougall. Using Consumer-Grade Trail Cameras to Observe Leaf Phenology in Remote Locations Across Maritime Canada. Virtual PICO presentation for CMOS: May 31 2021. Victoria, Canada.

  • L.A. Spafford, A.H. MacDougall. Heterogeneous Patterns in Leaf Phenology Across a Climate Gradient in Maritime Canada Observed through Phenocams. Virtual PICO presentation for European Geosciences Union General Assembly Conference: April 26 2021. Vienna, Austria.

  • L.A. Spafford, A.H. MacDougall. Using Near-Remote Sensing to Observe Leafing Phenology and Potential Drivers in Atlantic Canada. CMOS IUGG: July 10 2019. Montreal, Canada.

  • L.A. Spafford, D.A. Risk. Temporally-resolved Study of Atmosphere-lake Net CO2 Exchange at Lochaber Lake, Nova Scotia, Canada. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting: December 13 2016. San Francisco, United States.

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