Shaw Nozaki Lacy, Ph.D.

Title

Lecturer in Patagonian Ecology

Education

Ph.D. in Natural Resources and Environment (Aquatic Ecology)
University of Michigan (MI, USA)

M.S. in Natural Resources and Environment (Resource Policy & Behavior)
University of Michigan (MI, USA)

Graduate Certificate in Science, Technology, and Public Policy
University of Michigan (MI, USA)

B.Sc. in Marine and Environmental Biology
University of St. Andrews (Scotland)

Teaching

SFS 3781 Patagonian Ecology
(The School for Field Studies)

SFS 4910 Directed Research
(The School for Field Studies)

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About

Faculty Profile


Dr. Lacy is an ecologist passionate about science, management, culture, and their intersection. Much of his research integrates these areas, examining questions of ecology and ecosystems that connect with a variety of social contexts, from cultural identity of landscapes to management of fisheries. He also likes to revisit commonly held truths in science-based management to evaluate their applicability in new environmental contexts. Originally from the US insular territory of Guam, Dr. Lacy grew up internationally, and has 5+ years of experience working in the Southern Cone of South America on ecosystem ecology and management.

Prior to joining SFS, Dr. Lacy conducted postdoctoral research at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in Santiago, Chile, working on topics of fluvial ecosystem conservation related with sustainable hydropower development, in order to help evaluate the ecological implications of dam development on native fishes found in different Chilean rivers. Dr. Lacy was also a visiting professor at the Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Peru, working with the Laboratorio de Ecosistemas y Utilización de Pastizales to the impacts of cattle grazing in the Peruvian Altiplano. Dr. Lacy received his PhD from the University of Michigan, where he studied the ecological, ecosystemic, policy, and legal implications of the Great Lakes Compact in Michigan. The themes connecting all his research is the integration of ecosystem function to evaluate ecological patterns in space and over time.

Dr. Lacy is excited to return to a post-glacial ecosystem and is eager to study the various ways in which Patagonian lands and waters function to drive local ecologies. The distinct evolutionary lineages found in this remote fragment of Gondwana also make urgent research questions about native species conservation and exotic species invasion, especially given the global economic forces that continue to shape the ecology and politics of the region.

Academics & Research

Areas of Expertise


  • Ecosystem ecology
  • Environmental science and research
  • Ecology management and conservation
  • Mediterranean, montane, and post-glacial landscapes

Professional Affiliations


  • Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina Visiting Faculty (2018-2019)
  • Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Postdoctoral Fellow (2015-2017)
  • University of Michigan, Saginaw Forest Caretaker (2008-2013)
Outputs

Publications

Lacy S.N. (2020) Freshwater Ecosystems: A Foundation for Life on Land. In: Leal Filho W., Azul A., Brandli L., Özuyar P., Wall T. (eds) Life on Land. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-71065-5
Zamorano D, Labra FA, Villarroel M, Lacy S, Mao L, Olivares MA, Peredo-Parada Mí. 2019. "Assessing the effect of fish size on species distribution model performance in southern Chilean rivers." PeerJ 7:e7771
Lacy SN, Corcoran D, Alò D, Lessmann J, Meza F, Marquet PA, 2019. “Main drivers of freshwater fish diversity across extra-tropical Southern Hemisphere rivers,” Hydrobiologia 9, DOI: 10.1007/s10750-019-04044-9.
Anbleyth-Evans, JW, Lacy SN 2019. “Feedbacks between fisher local ecological knowledge and scientific epistemologies in England: Building bridges for biodiversity conservation” Maritime Studies, doi:10.1007/s40152-019000136-3.
Lacy SN, Ugalde F, Mao L 2018. “Invasive rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) are not affected by different land uses in a multi-use, Mediterranean climate landscape,” Fishes, doi: 103390/fishes3040037.
Lacy SN, Di Giminiani P, Mao L 2018. “What defines a river? Modelling the interplay between physical and social driving factors in characterizing the waterways in Chile” Geographical Journal, doi:10.1111/geog.12262.
Lacy SN, Meza FJ, Marquet PA 2017. “Can environmental impact assessments alone conserve freshwater fish biota? Review of the Chilean experience,” Environmental Impact Assessment Review, doi:10.1016/j.eiar.2016.12.006.
Mao L, Ugalde F, Iroume A, Lacy SN 2017. “The effects of replacing native forest on the quantity and impacts of in-channel pieces of large wood in Chilean streams,” River Research and Applications, doi:10.1002/rra.3063.

Presentations

Invited talk. “Changing capacities in and around natural protected areas: Shifting landscape mosaics and non-shifting property lines,” ANP Congreso, Lima, Peru, March 2019.
Accepted talk. “What counts as a river? Regionalism, climate, and culture in categorizing and governing waterways,” Routes toward Sustainability, Villarrica, Chile. December 2018.
Invited talk. “The use and limitations of spatial imagery in conservation” (Session Keynote) Congreso Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas en Áreas Protegidas, Lima, Peru, September 2018.
Accepted talk. “¿Sabes dónde están los peces? Mapear los hábitats de peces fluviales chilenos a través del uso de factores de gran escala,” XIV Congreso Sociedad Chilena de Limnologia, Puerto Montt, Chile. October 2017
Invited talk. “Vinculando la ecología fluvial con la gestión territorial a través de la macroecología” La Sociedad Chilena de Limnología y el Instituto de Fomento Pesquero, Puerto Montt, Chile. October 2017
Public lecture. “Desplazamiento y Hábitat de Peces Continentales de Chile: Conservación y Gestión de Recursos Hídricos,” Ministerio de Energía, Santiago, Chile. October 2016
Accepted talk. “A Spatio-Ecological Model of the Maipo River Watershed in Central Chile: A Potential Conservation Policy Tool,” VIII Southern Connection Congress, Punta Arenas, Chile. January 2016
Accepted talk. “Los impactos del manejo del terreno y ubicación de cuenca en la condición física de peces continentals en cuencas altas de Chile Central,” XII Congreso Sociedad Chilena de Limnología, Concepción, Chile. October 2015
Guest lecture. “Métodos de usar Google Earth y modelos LOGIT para armar ficheros de objetos de valoración en los ríos,” Universidad de Concepción. August 2015
Invited talk. “Development of a Chilean Valley-Segment Ecological Classification System (Chile VSEC): Example of the Maipo River Watershed” Eco-hydro-morphology of Chilean Rivers: State of the art, challenges, and future directions, Santiago, Chile. April 2015
Accepted talk. “Modelación de los impactos del cambio en la norma de extracción de agua en una cuenca en al estado de Michigan, EEUU,” XI Congreso Sociedad Chilena de Limnología, Santiago, Chile. November 2014
Guest lecture. “Governing ground water via Surface water ecology: Water governance in Michigan,” Universidad de Concepción. September 2012
Invited lecture. “Water management in Michigan: Examples of how to connect groundwater and surfacewater,” Universidade de São Paulo. December 2011
Poster presentation. “Fish habitat change caused by groundwater withdrawals: Impacts on water management in Michigan,” XIV World Water Congress, Porto de Galinhas, Brazil. December 2011