The overarching goal of my research is to understand and predict the effects of global change on ecosystems. I am partcularly interested in the causes and consequences of nonlinear population dynamics for ecological stability.
Biodiversity dynamics & stability under global change
Most ecological theory is grounded in assumptions of stable equilibria with random fluctuations, yet a rich body of empirical evidence demonstrates that determinstic nonlinear dynamics like oscillations and chaos are widespread in populations. I am interested in understanding the drivers of nonlinear dynamics and their implications for ecological stability under global change. In particular, I ask: how do intrinsic life history traits and extrinsic environmental variability jointly shape nonlinear population dynamics? And how do these nonlinear dynamics, which are often viewed as de-stabilizing, influence the relationship between biodiversity and stability? I tackle these questions by analyzing time series using methods from empirical dynamic modeling (see gif). Through this work, I aim to further our understanding of how complex ecosystems operate, and provide practical information for conservation and management.
Figure 1. A demonstration of empirical dynamic modeling: reconstructing attractor system dynamics (right) from time-lagged observations of a single time series (left).
Example publications:
Hechler, R.M., & Krkosek, M. Ecological stability through nonlinear fluctuations and the portfolio effect. In revisions at PNAS.
Hechler, R.M., & Krkosek, M. 2026. Temperature variation and life history mediate nonlinearity in fluctuations of marine fish populations worldwide. Nature Ecology & Evolution.
Much of my applied conservation work is conducted in partnership with the Musgamagw Dzawada’enuxw Fisheries Group and Salmon Coast Field Station. I work on developing and applying environmental (e)DNA and (e)RNA methods that go beyond species detection, for biodiversity conservation. We provided some of the first empirical evidence demonstrating that, contrary to long-held assumptions, eRNA can persist long enough to be recovered and extracted (Kagzi, Hechler et al. 2022). We then showed that eRNA can reveal the physiological stress response of Daphnia exposed to an experimental heat wave (Hechler et al. 2023). Furthermore, we highlighted the potential of eRNA for characterizing population demographics, such as partioning the proportion of different life stages present in a population (Hechler and Cristescu 2024). Most recently, I highlighted the integration of eDNA with empirical dynamic modeling to infer causal species interactions and quantify their strengths, which I believe could be broadly applied given the growing use of eDNA in global biodiversity monitoring initiatives (Hechler 2025). We have detailed these methods in a forthcoming book chapter to make them widely accessible (McGarvey, Hechler, et al., in press).
I currently have ongoing projects applying these methods for wild Pacific salmon conservation, in collaboration with the Musgamagw Dzawada’enuxw Fisheries Group and Salmon Coast Field Station. More to come shortly!
Example publications:
Hechler, R.M. 2025. Quantifying species interactions in the Anthropocene. Nature Reviews Biodiversity.
Hechler, R.M., & Cristescu, M.E. 2024. Revealing population demographics with environmental RNA. Molecular Ecology Resources.
Hechler, R.M., et al. 2023. Environmental transcriptomics under heat stress: Can environmental RNA reveal changes in gene expression of aquatic organisms? Molecular Ecology.
Kagzi, K., Hechler, R.M., et al. 2022. Environmental RNA degrades more rapidly than environmental DNA across a broad range of pH conditions. Molecular Ecology Resources.
Inclusive & open science
My work is guided by a commitment to open, collaborative science, with an emphasis on transparency and reproducibility. I also actively work to create inclusive environments that support underrepresented groups in ecology and ensure that diverse voices are recognized and valued. By integrating these principles into my work, I aim to strengthen scientific communities and make research more equitable and impactful.
Example publications:
Cooper et al. (incl. Hechler, R.M., & 136 others). 2026. Data- and code-archiving in the British Ecological Society journals: present status and recommendations for future improvements. Submitted, Methods in Ecology and Evolution
Hug et al. (incl. Hechler, R.M. & 226 others). 2025. A roadmap for fair reuse of public microbiome data. Nature Microbiology.
Semeniuk et al. (incl. Hechler, R.M. & 13 others). 2024. On increasing equity and inclusion of early-career professionals in Canadian fisheries and aquatic science societies.
Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
