My research explores vegetation dynamics with a focus on the impacts of human activities, particularly ecosystem fragmentation, altered disturbance regimes, biological invasions and climate change. I am interested in finding solutions to manage these impacts. I study plant populations in ecosystems of eastern North America and the Karakoram Himalaya. My current and recent projects include examining potential range shifts among high alpine herb populations of the Central Karakoram; developing a mathematical model to predict tree species’ colonization potentials in fragmented eastern forests; assessing the policy of assisted migration to address the biodiversity threats of shifting bioclimatic limits; investigating invasive species’ responses to climate change; and studying fire history in eastern Black oak savanna to inform current fire management strategies.

2021

MacKinnon, S., K. Burles F. T. Day, F. de Scally, N. Hewitt, C. Huscroft, G. Krezoski, A. Lutz, C. Nichol, A. Perkins, T. Redding, I. Saunders, L. Tang, C Welch. (2021) Laboratory Manual for Introduction to Physical Geography, 2nd Ed. S. MacKinnon (ed.). BC Campus Faculty Pressbooks.
• Ibid (2020), 1st British Columbia Ed.

Hewitt, N. (2021). Lab 10: BC Soils and Relationships to Vegetation and Climate. In MacKinnon et al. (2021)

Hewitt, N. (2021). Lab 12: Coastal Forest Virtual Field Trip. And accompanying Instructor Notes. In MacKinnon et al. (2021)

2019

HEWITT, N., LAROCQUE, G., GREENE, D. and KELLMAN, M. 2019 ‘A model of hardwood tree colonization among fragments: predicting migration across human-dominated landscapes’ Ecoscience 26(1), 35-51, https://doi.org/10.1080/11956860.2018.1515596

Dean’s Award: Educational Leadership and Innovation Pilot Project, “Advancing UBC’s Interdisciplinary Climate Change Credential and Strengthening Teaching Networks among Arts and Science”, UBC Faculty of Arts. 2021-2022, https://www.arts.ubc.ca/news/deans-award-for-educational-leadership-supports-eight-new-pilot-projects-in-arts/