Prof. Norman Yan
Department of Biology at York University in partnership with Ontario Ministry of the Environment Dorset Environmental Science Centre
Norman Yan’s long-term professional goal is to understand the impacts of multiple environmental stressors on the animal plankton, which he calls the “little living lawnmowers”, of lakes. He completed his Master’s degree at the University of Toronto on the effects of acid rain on phytoplankton, and his doctoral degree at University of Guelph on the factors regulating the accumulation of toxic metals in animal plankton. After working for the Ontario Ministry of the Environment for 25 years, Yan joined York University in 2000, and he now splits his time between the Ontario Ministry of the Environment’s Dorset Environmental Science Centre and York University. At York, he teaches courses on Biology in Environmental Management and Aquatic Restoration Ecology. Yan’s current areas of research are: 1) determining the individual and joint impacts on lake ecosystems of invading species and changes in the climate, acidity, water hardness and nutrients; and 2) quantifying the limits and regulators of recovery of lakes from past environmental damage. Yan has authored about 150 publications, a body of work that has been acknowledged in both provincial and national awards for excellence in applied and basic research on lakes.
E-mail: nyan@yorku.ca
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Journal, book, and conference publications
Cairns, A. and N.D. Yan. 2009 A review of the influence of low ambient calcium concentrations on daphniids, gammarids and crayfish. Env. Reviews 17: 67-79. doi:10.1139/A09-005.
Helmus, M.R., W. (B.) Keller, M.J. Paterson, N.D. Yan and J.A. Rusak. 2009. Communities contain closely related species during ecosystem disturbance. Ecol. Letters (in press)
Persaud, A.D., P.J. Dillon, D. Lasenby and N.D. Yan. 2009 Stable isotopic variability of meso-zooplankton along a gradient of dissolved organic carbon. Freshwater Biology. Doi:10.1111/j.1365-2427.2009.02224.x
Shurin, J.B., M. Winder, R. Adrian, W. (B.) Keller, B. Matthews, A.M. Paterson, M. Paterson, B. Pinel-Alloul, J. Rusak and N.D. Yan. Environmental stability and lake plankton diversity- contrasting effects of chemical and thermal variability. Ecol. Letters. In press.
Weisz, E.J. and N.D. Yan. Relative value of limnological, geographic and human use variables as predictors of the presence of Bythotrephes longimanus in Canadian Shield Lakes. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. in press
Young, J.D., N.D. Yan, and E.R. Loew. 2009. Examination of direct daytime predation by Coregonus artedi on Bythotrephes longimanus: No evidence for the refuge hypothesis. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 66: 449-459.
Ashforth, D. and N.D. Yan. 2008. The interactive effects of Ca concentration and temperature on the survival and reproduction of Daphnia pulex at high and low food concentrations. Limnol. Oceanogr. 53(2): 420-432.
Bowman, M. F, Ingram, R. Reid, R.A., Somers, K.M., Yan, N.D., Paterson, A.M., Morgan, G.E., and Gunn, J.M. 2008. Temporal and spatial concordance in community composition of lake- phytoplankton, zooplankton, benthic macroinvertebrate, crayfish, and fish on the Precambrian Shield near Dorset, Ontario. Can. J. fish. Aquat. Sci 65: 919-932.
Celis-Salgado, M.P., A. Cairns, N. Kim and N.D. Yan. 2008. The FLAMES medium: a new, soft-water culture and bioassay medium for Cladocera. Verh. Internat. Verein. Limnol. 30:265-271.
Jeziorski, A., A.M. Paterson, N.D. Yan and J.P. Smol. 2008. Calcium levels in Daphnia ephippia cannot provide a useful paleolimnological indicator of historical lakewater Ca levels. J. Paleolimnol. 39: 421-425.
Jeziorski, A., N.D. Yan, A.M. Paterson, A.M. DeSellas, M.A. Turner, D.S. Jeffries, W. (B.) Keller, R.C. Weeber, D.K, McNicol, M.E. Palmer, K. McIver, K. Arseneau, B.K. Ginn, B.F. Cumming, and J.P. Smol. 2008. The widespread threat of calcium decline in fresh waters. Science. 322: 1374-1377.
Paterson, A.M., J G. Winter, K H. Nicholls, B. J. Clark, C. W. Ramcharan, N.D. Yan, and K M. Somers. 2008. Long-term changes in phytoplankton composition in seven Canadian Shield lakes in response to multiple anthropogenic stressors. Can J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 65: 846-861.
Rusak, J.A., N. D. Yan and K.M. Somers. 2008. Regional climatic drivers of synchronous zooplankton dynamics in Dorset lakes. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 65: 878-889.
Tanentzap, A.J., N.D. Yan, B. Keller, R. Girard, J. Heneberry, J. M. Gunn, D.P. Hamilton and P.A. Taylor. 2008. Cooling lakes while the world warms: effects of forest re-growth and increased dissolved organic matter on the thermal regime of a temperate, urban lake. Limnol. Oceanogr. 53(1): 404-410.
Walseng, B., N.D. Yan, T.W. Pawson and O. Skarpaas. 2008. Acidity versus habitat structure as regulators of littoral microcrustacean assemblages. Freshwater Biol. 53: 290-303.
Winter, J.G., W. Keller, A.M. Paterson and N.D. Yan. 2008. Three decades of recovery of the phytoplankton community in Clearwater Lake (Sudbury, Canada) from acid and metal contamination. Verh. Internat. Verein. Limnology 30(2): 247-252.
Yan, N.D., K.M. Somers, R.E. Girard, A. Paterson, B. Keller, C. Ramcharan, J. Rusak, R. Ingram, G. Morgan and J.M. Gunn. 2008. Long-term changes in crustacean zooplankton communities of Dorset, Ontario lakes: the probable interactive effects of changes in pH, TP, Dissolved Organic Carbon, and predators. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 65: 862-877.
Yan, N.D., K.M. Somers, A. Paterson, and W. Scheider. 2008. Changing understanding of the ecological dynamics of Canadian Shield lakes and streams: highlights and implications of 30 years of research at Dorset. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 65: 781-785.
Young, J. D. and N.D. Yan. 2008. Modification of the diel vertical migration of Bythotrephes longimanus by the cold-water planktivore, Coregonus ardtedi. Freshwater Biol. 53:981-995.
Hovius, J.T., B.E. Beisner, K.S. McCann, and N.D. Yan. 2007. Indirect food web effects of Bythotrephes invasion: responses by the rotifer Conochilus in Harp Lake, Canada. Biological Invasions. 9: 233-243.
Tanentzap, A.J., P.A. Taylor, N.D. Yan and J.R. Salmon. 2007. On Sudbury winds – a tale of forest regeneration. J. Applied Meteorology and Climatology. 46(10):1645-1654.
Tanentzap, A.J., D.P. Hamilton, and N.D. Yan. 2007. Calibrating the Dynamic Reservoir Simulation Model (DYRESM) for 1-dimensional thermal profile predictions in a boreal lake. Limnol. Oceanogr. Methods 5: 484-494.
Drake, J.M., K.L.S. Drury, D.M. Lodge, A. Blukacz, N.D. Yan and G. Dwyer. 2007. Demographic stochasticity, environmental variability, and windows of invasion risk for Bythotrephes longimanus in North America. Biol. Invasions 8: 843-861.
Shurin, J.B., S.E. Arnott, H. Hillebrand, A. Longmuir, B. Pinel-Alloul, M. Winder and N.D. Yan 2007 Diversity-stability relationship varies with latitude in zooplankton. Ecol. Letters 10: 127-34.
Winter, J.G., W. Keller, A.M. Paterson and N.D. Yan. 2007. Three decades of recovery of the phytoplankton community in Clearwater Lake (Sudbury, Canada) from acid and metal contamination. Verh. Internat. Verein. Limnology, in press.
Jeziorski, A and N.D. Yan. 2006. Species identity and aqueous calcium concentrations as determinants of the calcium concentration of freshwater crustacean zooplankton. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 63: 1007-1013.
Keller, W. (Bill), J. Heneberry, J. Leduc, J.R. Gunn and N.D. Yan. 2006 Variations in epilimnion thickness in small boreal shield lakes: relationships with weather, transparency and acidification. Env. Monit. Assessm. 115: 419-431.
Keller, W. (B.), N.D. Yan, J.M. Gunn, and J. Heneberry. 2006. Recovery of acidified lakes: lessons from the Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, area. Water Air and Soil Pollut. In press.
Strecker, A.L., S.E. Arnott, N.D. Yan and R. Girard. 2006. Variation in the response of crustacean zooplankton species richness and composition to the invasive predator Bythotrephes. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 63: 2126-2136.
Persaud, A.D. and N.D. Yan. 2005 Developmental differences and a test for reciprocity in UVR tolerance in Chaoborus punctipennis larvae. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 62: 483-491.
Yan, N.D. 2005 Research needs for the management of water quality concerns, particularly changes in phosphorus and oxygen concentrations, related to cage aquaculture in Canadian freshwaters. Environ. Rev. 13: 1-19.
Molot, L.A., W. Keller, P.R. Leavitt, R.D. Robarts, M.J. Waiser, M.T. Arts, T.A. Clair, R. Pienitz, N.D. Yan, D.K. McNicol, Y. Prairie, P.J. Dillon, M. Macrae, R. Bello, R.N. Nordin, P.J. Curtis, P.J. Smol and M.S.V. Douglas. 2004. Risk analysis dissolved organic matter mediated-ultraviolet B exposure in Canadian inland waters. Can. J. fish. Aquat. Sci. 61: 2511-2521.
Yan, N.D., R. Girard, J.H. Heneberry, W. (B.) Keller, J.M. Gunn and P.J. Dillon. 2004. Recovery of Copepod, but not Cladoceran, zooplankton from severe and chronic effects of multiple stressors. Ecol. Letters. 7:452-460.
Boudreau, S.A. and N.D. Yan. 2004. Auditing the accuracy of a volunteer-based surveillance program for the aquatic invader, Bythotrephes. Env. Monitor. Assess. 91: 17-26.
Arnott, S.E., B. Keller, N.D. Yan, P.J. Dillon, M. Paterson and D. Findlay. 2003. Using temporal coherence to determine the response to climate change in Boreal Shield lakes. Env. Mon. Assess. 88: 365-388.
Boudreau, S.A. and N.D.Yan. 2003. The differing crustacean zooplankton communities of Canadian Shield lakes with and without the non-indigenous zooplanktivore, Bythotrephes. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 60: 1307-1313.
Doka, S.E., D.K. McNicol, M.L. Mallory, I. Wong, C.K. Minns and N.D.Yan. 2003. Assessing potential for recovery of biotic richness and indicator species due to changes in acidic deposition and lake pH in five areas of southeastern Canada. Env. Monitor. Assess. 88: 53-101.
Holt, C.A. and N.D. Yan 2003. Recovery of zooplankton communities from acidification in Killarney Park, Ontario, 1972-2000: pH 6 as a recovery goal. Ambio 32: 203-207.
Holt, C.A., N.D. Yan and K. Somers. 2003. pH 6 as the threshold to use in critical load modelling for zooplankton community change with acidification in lakes of south-central Ontario: accounting for morphometry and geography. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 60: 151-158.
Persaud, A. D. and N.D. Yan. 2003 UV radiation sensitivity of Chaoborus larvae. Ambio 32: 219-224.
Persaud, A.D., M. Arts and N.D. Yan. 2003 Photoresponses of late instar Chaoborus punctipennis larvae. Aquat. Ecol. 37: 257-265.
Vander Zanden, M.J., K.A. Wilson, J.M. Casselman and N.D. Yan. 2003. Species introductions and their impacts in North American Shield lakes, pp. 239-263 in J.M. Gunn, R.J. Steedman and R.A. Ryder (eds). Boreal Shield Watersheds: lake trout ecosystems in a changing environment. Lewis Publs. Boca Raton.
Walseng, B., N.D. Yan and A.K. Schartau. 2003 Identifying littoral microcrustacean (Cladocera and Copepoda) indicators of acidification in Canadian Shield lakes. Ambio 32: 208-213.
Wissel, B., N.D. Yan and C.W. Ramcharan. 2003. Predation and refugia: implications for Chaoborus abundance and species composition. Freshwater Biol. 48: 1421-1431.
Yan, N.D., B. Leung, W. Keller, S.E. Arnott, J.M. Gunn, and G.G. Raddum. 2003. Developing a conceptual framework for the recovery of aquatic biota from acidification:a zooplankton example. Ambio 32: 165-169.
