Rob Bourchier, Ph. D.

Research Scientist

Insect Ecology and Biological Control

Current research and/or projects

Characterization of invasive pests and exotic biological control agents  (Collaborator) 2019-2022

Assessing the range potential of Invasive Alien Species and associated herbivores under climate change with geospatial models of biological collections data  (Collaborator) 2018-2021

Enhancing Biological Control of Invasive Plants in British Columbia Biocontrol. CO-PI - 2018-2023.

Potential Insect Biological Control for Invasive Alien Plants in Ontario . CO-PI  2011-2020. 

Research and/or project statements

  • Host-plant insect interactions.

  • Population dynamics of biological control agents and their hosts.

  • Invasive species/biocontrol agents – impact, habitat and climate modelling

 

Professional activities / interests

  • Implementation of operational biocontrol for invasive plants in Canada.

  • Ecology and impact of established weed biocontrol agents

  • Development of new biological control agents for invasive plants in Canada

  • Student training

 

Education and awards

PhD, Biology/Ecology, University of Waterloo

MSc, Entomology, McGill University

BA,  Economics, Carleton University

C. Gordon Hewitt Award (2001), presented by the Entomological Society of Canada (ESC)

Federal Government 5-NR Science Award for Leaders in Sustainable Development with R. De Clerck-Floate for Weed Biocontrol Research 2001

International experience and/or work

Canadian lead for collaborative international projects developing new biological control agents for invasive plants, including knotweeds, phragmites, garlic mustard and swallowworts.

Key publications

  1. Ensing, DJ, RS Bourchier, R De Clerck-Floate, V. Miller, S. Turner, and CE Moffat. 2023. 30 years of biological control of invasive spotted knapweed in British Columbia. Alberta Invasive Species Council Annual Conference and General Meeting. 07-08 March 2023. Olds, AB.

    2023 - View publication details

  2. Ensing, DJ, RS Bourchier, R De Clerck-Floate, V. Miller, S. Turner, and CE Moffat. 2023. Variable biological control of invasive spotted knapweed in BC. Invasive Species Council of British Columbia Annual Forum. 28 Feb – 02 March 2023. New Westminster, BC.

    2023 - View publication details

  3. Ensing, DJ, RS Bourchier, R De Clerck-Floate, V. Miller, S. Turner, P. Weyl, and CE Moffat. 2023. Research on invasive plant species biological control a AAFC’s Summerland Research and Development Centre. 2023. Okanagan College Speaker Series, 06 Feb 2023, Penticton, BC.

    2023 - View publication details

  4. Ensing, DJ, RS Bourchier, R De Clerck-Floate, V. Miller, S. Turner, and CE Moffat. 2022. Reflecting on 52 years of spotted knapweed biological control in Canada. North American Invasive Species Management Association Biocontrol Summit. 01 December 2022. Virtual meeting.

    2022 - View publication details

  5. Ensing, DJ, RS Bourchier, R De Clerck-Floate, V. Miller, S. Turner, and CE Moffat. 2022. Variable biological control of spotted knapweed in British Columbia. Joint Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America and the Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution. 14-19 August 2022 Montreal, QC.

    2022 - View publication details

  6. Ensing, DJ, RS Bourchier, R De Clerck-Floate, V. Miller, S. Turner, and CE Moffat. 2022. Biological control of spotted knapweed in the East Kootenay (and beyond). East Kootenay Invasive Species Council Annual General Meeting. Invited Virtual Presentation. 09 June 2022.

    2022 - View publication details

  7. Ensing, D.J., R. Bourchier, R. De Clerck-Floate, V. Miller, S. Turner, C. Moffat. 2021. 50 years of biological control of invasive spotted knapweed in British Columbia. ISCBC Virtual Forum. 15-17 Feb. 2022.

    2022 - View publication details

  8. Ensing, D.J., R. Bourchier, R. De Clerck-Floate, V. Miller, S. Turner, C. Moffat. 2021. Research on invasive plant species biological control at AAFC’s Summerland RDC. Guest Lecture to U Saskatchewan's Invasive Plants course (Prof: Jon Bennett) 17 Feb. 2022.

    2022 - View publication details

  9. Moffat, C.E., R. Bourchier, R. De Clerck-Floate, P. Mason, D. Ensing. 2021. How do we know biocontrol agents are safe? An overview of past successes and future opportunities for biological control of weeds in British Columbia. I2021 Integrated Vegetation Management Association (IVMA) biennial forum “Everything" in Vegetation Management. Nov 2 - 4, 2021. Invited.

    2021 - View publication details

  10. Ensing, D.J., R. Bourchier, R. De Clerck-Floate, V. Miller, S. Turner, C. Moffat. 2021. 30 years of biological control of invasive spotted knapweed in British Columbia. ISCBC Invasive Species Research Conference (virtual), 06-07 October 2021.

    2021 - View publication details

  11. Moffat, C.E., R. Bourchier, R. De Clerck-Floate, P. Mason, D. Ensing. 2021. Case studies in biocontrol research in British Columbia: Identifying new targets to post-release monitoring. ISCBC Invasive Species Research Conference (virtual), 06-07 October 2021.

    2021 - View publication details

  12. Ensing, DJ, R Bourchier, R De Clerck-Floate, V Miller, S Turner, C Moffat. 2021. 30 years of biological control of invasive spotted knapweed in British Columbia. ISCBC Invasive Species Research Conference, Virtual, 06-07 October 2021.

    2021 - View publication details

  13. Moffat, C.E., R.S. Bourchier, R.A. De Clerck-Floate, and D.J. Ensing. 2021. New Research on Old Weeds:
    An Update on Biological Control Programs In BC. Thompson Nicola Invasive Plant Management Committee (virtual). 23 February, 2021. Invited.

    2021 - View publication details

  14. Moffat, C.E., R.S. Bourchier, R.A. De Clerck-Floate, P.G. Mason, and D.J. Ensing. 2021. How do we know biocontrol agents are safe? An overview of the Canadian research and regulatory process for new biocontrol agents. British Columbia Invasive Species Council. Invasives 2021 Conference (virtual). 9 Februrary, 2021.

    2021 - View publication details

  15. Keever, C.C., Gültekin, L., Bourchier, R.S., Myers, J.H., Cory, J.S. (2021). Post-release genetic assessment of two congeneric weed biological control agents. Biological Control, [online] 152 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2020.104462

    2021 - View publication details

  16. Dickinson, R.B., Bourchier, R.S., Fulthorpe, R.R., Shen, S.Y., Jones, I.M., Smith, S.M. (2021). Fungal endophytes increase biomass production in pale swallow-wort (Vincetoxicum rossicum (kleopow) barbar.). Botany, [online] 99(6), 337-353. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjb-2020-0181

    2021 - View publication details

  17. Livingstone, S.W., Smith, S.M., Bourchier, R.S., Ryan, K., Roberto, A., Cadotte, M.W. (2020). An experimental application of Hypena opulenta as a biocontrol agent for the invasive vine Vincetoxicum rossicum. Ecological Solutions and Evidence, [online] 1(2), http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2688-8319.12022

    2020 - View publication details

  18. Ensing, D.J., R. Bourchier, R. De Clerck-Floate, T.D. Nelson, V. Miller, S. Turner, C.E. Moffat. 2020. Classical biological control leads to long term declines in the rangeland invasive spotted knapweed. Entomological Society of America (virtual), 16-19 November, 2020.

    2020 - View publication details

  19. Ensing, D.J., T.D. Nelson, R. Bourchier, R. De Clerck-Floate, V. Miller, S. Turner, C.E. Moffat. 2020. Contemporary ecology of historical weed biological control programs: Re-evaluating spotted knapweed biocontrol in BC. Entomological Society of British Columbia (virtual), 26-28 October, 2020.

    2020 - View publication details

  20. Jones, I.M., Smith, S.M., Bourchier, R.S. (2020). Establishment of the biological control agent Aphalara itadori is limited by native predators and foliage age. Journal of Applied Entomology, [online] 144(8), 710-718. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jen.12792

    2020 - View publication details

Research facility

5403 1st Avenue South
Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1
Canada

Affiliations

Adjunct Professor -  Forestry, Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design. University of Toronto

 

Language

English