Brendan Mckie

Streams, lakes and their associated riparian habitats underpin landscape integrity, transport nutrients, moderate high and low flows, and supporting life by supplying fresh water. However, these ecosystems are heavily impacted by multiple stressors, such as elevated organic and inorganic pollution, hydromorphological modification, climate-related stressors (drought and floods), and invasive species. Accordingly, there is an urgent need for research not only quantifying these impacts in freshwater and riparian habitats, but also the efficacy of different restoration and mitigation management actions for improving ecological quality and stability.

I address these challenges through research conducted in both the field and laboratory, and by exploiting existing datasets from routine biomonitoring.  I work at the interface between community and ecosystem ecology, with a strong focus on how biotic (e.g. functional traits of species, keystone species) and abiotic (e.g. nutrients, temperature) environmental factors affect biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Key areas of interest include:

• The natural and anthropogenic factors regulating biodiversity and community composition of fresh-water biota, especially macroinvertebrates, and macrophytes, diatoms, fish and fungi.
• How ecosystem functioning, which reflects the capacity of ecosystems to process nutrients and energy, produce habitats and biomass, and support ecosystem services, is regulated by abiotic, biotic and spatial factors, including species interactions and biodiversity.
• The role of ecological connectivity, especially between freshwater and terrestrial food webs, in supporting biodiversity and ecosystem functioning from local to landscape scales.
• The potential for different mitigation and restoration measures to restore or enhance biodiversity, ecological connectivity, and ecosystem functioning in streams, lakes and wetlands.
• The use of biodiversity metrics and measures of ecosystem functioning for assessing human impacts on freshwater communities and ecosystems, including disentangling multiple stressor interactions, and the success of restoration and mitigation measures

These are the recurring courses I teach on:

As course coordinator and lecturer:

•  Undergraduate Course: Environmental Assessment (MX0159).  Five week course worth 7.5 European credits, given as part of an undergraduate program in Biology and Environmental Science.  
• Post-graduate course: Ecosystem functioning in streams and soils: from theory to application.  Two week course conducted for the SLU research school Focus on Soils & Water. Next scheduled for Autumn 2025.

(B) As lecturer:

Second cycle (Masters) course: Advanced Environmental Assessment (MX0152).  Ten week course worth 15 ECTS, given within a program in Biology and Environmental Science.

Second cycle (Masters) course: Environmental Management in Europe (MX0160).  This is an entirely online, interdisciplinary course offered within the EnvEuro program (https://enveuro.eu/), a collaboration between four Universities and the European Environment Agency. The course is worth 7.5 ECTS.

Post-graduate course: Thesis writing workshop , for the research school Focus on Soils & Water.  

Second cycle (Masters) course: Land use and watershed management to reduce eutrophication (MV0217).  This course is given as part of an environmental science program, and is also included in an environmental engineering program.  

Projects:

CROSSLINK: Understanding cross-habitat linkages between blue and green infrastructure to optimize management of biodiversity, ecosystem services and multiple human uses

• See CROSSLINK project website with publications, protocols and more: www.riparianbuffers.com
• YouTube Video about CROSSLINK (Swedish with English subtitles)

Microplastics in Freshwater Foodwebs:

• The final, peer reviewed, report is available here

AquaBioEx How to protect what we do not know we have: Identifying, understanding and managing aquatic biodiversity in intensively managed forests and under an increasingly extreme climate (2023-28). Project leader: Lenka Kuglerova

PuddleJump - Promoting Upstream-Downstream Directed Linkages in the Environment: “Joined-Up” Management Perspectives.  Project Leader Martyn Futter.  Web (in Swedish only)

DESTRESS: Disentangling multiple stressors in stream ecosystems

EXTREAM: Exotic invaders in Swedish streams: evaluation of their ecological and economic effects

Within WATERS: Effects of forestry, agriculture and hydropower on ecosystem structure and function in freshwaters

VRL RESTORE: Restoration of channel complexity and coarse woody debris in Swedish streams: Assessment based on a novel set of biological indicators

Also:

DREAM: Developing Resilience indicators

REFORM REstoring rivers FOR effective catchment Management

EKOLIV Optimising remediation measures for the impacts of hydropower

The Västmanland forest fire

RIVFUNCTION

BioCycle

Vice Coordinator for the Lakes and Waterways environmental analysis program

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS), Australian National University (1991-96). Honours Thesis: The Community Ecology of Wood-Associated Insects in Streams (Supervisor: Prof. Peter Cranston).

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (ECOLOGY), James Cook University (JCU), Townsville, Australia (1997-2002).  Thesis title: Multiscale abiotic, biotic and biogeographic influences on the ecology and distribution of lotic Chironomidae (Diptera) in the Australian Wet Tropics (Supervisors: Prof. Richard Pearson (JCU) and Prof. Peter Cranston, UC Davis, USA).

POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS

1) Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Sweden: 2002-2008. 

a) 2006 – 08: Project BioCycle (European Science Foundation), on the importance of plant and animal diversity for nutrient cycles in stream and soil ecosystems.

b) 2002-05: project RIVFUNCTION (EU FP5), investigating human impacts on stream ecosystem functioning, and the role of species diversity for function and stability. 

2) Post-doctoral fellow, Department of Entomology, University of California Davis, USA, 2002. Taxonomic and ecological significance of allometric variation in insect morphology

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR (Docent) Qualification: December 2010

SENIOR LECTURER IN FRESHWATER ECOLOGY since 2021

Graduate students completed:

11 total as main or co-supervisor.  Those listed here are as main supervisor:

1. Sophia Renes (main supervisor): Resilience in microbial communities (PhD March 2021)
2. Dr. Amélie Truchy (main supervisor): Ecosystem functioning in streams under pressure: Understanding the roles of biotic, abiotic and spatial drivers (PhD February 2018). 
3. Dr. Kristina Tattersdill (main supervisor): Exotic invaders in boreal lakes: Assessing impact on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. (PhD January 2018).
4. Dr. André Frainer, Umeå University (main supervisor): Ecosystem functioning in streams: Disentangling the roles of biodiversity, stoichiometry, and anthropogenic drivers (PhD, December 2013)

Graduate students ongoing

Six total as main or cosupervisor.  Those listed here are as main supervisor:

1. Ze Hui Kong: Microplastics in freshwater food webs: Effects and drivers
2. Joel Segersten (main supervisor 2022): Quantifying impacts of hydropower on riverine ecosystems and assessing efficacy of mitigation measures

Post-docs

• Dr. Amélie Truchy (2018-20): Analysis of multiple stressors in existing data
• Dr. Francis Burdon (2017-21): Connectivity in stream-riparian networks
• Dr Emma Göthe (2015-17): Disentangling multiple stressors in stream ecosystems
• Dr. André Frainer (2014-15): Species traits and ecosystem functioning
• Dr. Ryan Burrows, SLU Umeå (2013-15): Forest management and stream functioning

Masters and Bachelor thesis students

Thirteen total as main or co-supervisor.  Theses listed here are as main supervisor:

1.  Sophia Bergström: Buffering in the Riparian Zone: Which attributes of forest buffers contribute to improving health of agricultural streams? (Bachelors, 2024)
2. Yasmin Screech: How does the presence of microplastics affect feeding choices and resource consumption of detritivores (Masters, 2023)
3. Ossian Nordell: Restaureringsarbetets utbredning i Sverige: En utvärdering av databasen Åtgärder i Vatten (Bachelors, 2021, translation: Restoration in Sweden: an evaluation of the database management measures in water)
4. Martina Strangl: Evaluating impacts of pollution from surgical masks on ecosystem functioning: an in situ test (Masters, 2021)
5. Sabrina Zabalgiotta: Systematic review of the sorption potential of microplastics (Masters, 2020)
6. Ellinor Ramberg: Effects of riparian buffer strips on connectivity between aquatic and terrestrial foodwebs using polyunsaturated fatty acids as biomarkers (Masters, 2018-19)
7. Asa White: Beaver activity in boreal streams: does colonisation history affect downstream resources and ecosystem functioning? (Masters, 2014-15)
8. Maisam Ali: Assessment of changes in algal biomass accrual and leaf decomposition along a gradient of increasing agricultural disturbance (Masters, 2013-14)
9. Mohab Dawoud: Multiple pesticide stressors and ecosystem functioning in stream detrital food webs (Masters,2011)

For links to my 20 most recent publications see the RSS feed at the end of this page

Peer-reviewed publications: 50 selected articles

See also by Google scholar page

*Denotes corresponding author

1. Tiegs, S.D., et al. (149 authors including B.G. McKie) (2024) Human activities shape global patterns of decomposition rates in rivers. Science, 384(6701): 1191-1195.
2. Ring, E., S. Löfgren, L. Högbom, M. Östlund, M-L Wiklund McKie, & B.G. McKie (2013). Long-term effects on water chemistry and macroinvertebrates of selective thinning along small boreal forest streams. Forest Ecology & Management 548, 121459
3. *McKie, B.G., K. Tattersdill, F. Ecke, A. Frainer, R. Sponseller (2023) A long-established invasive species alters the functioning of benthic biofilms in lakes. Freshwater Biology 68: 2068-83
4. Haase, P., Bowler, D.E., Baker, N.J. … McKie B.G. et al.(96 coauthors) (2023) The recovery of European freshwater biodiversity has come to a halt. Nature 620, 582–588 
5. Land, M., M. Bundschuh, R.J. Hopkins, B. Poulin, B.G. McKie (2023) Effects of mosquito control using the microbial agent Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems – A systematic review. Environmental Evidence 12: 26
6. *McKie B.G., A. Taylor, T. Nilsson, A. Frainer, W. Goedkoop (2023) Ecological effects of mosquito control with Bti: Evidence for shifts in the trophic structure of soil- and ground-based food webs. Aquatic Sciences 85 (2): 47
7. Kong, Z. H., F. J. Burdon, A. Truchy, M. Bundschuh, M. N. Futter, R. Hurley and B. G. McKie (2023). Comparing effects of microplastic exposure, FPOM resource quality, and consumer density on the response of a freshwater particle feeder and associated ecosystem processes. Aquatic Sciences 85(3): 70.
8. Witing, F., M. A. E. Forio, F. J. Burdon, B. McKie, P. Goethals, M. Strauch and M. Volk (2022). Riparian reforestation on the landscape scale: Navigating trade-offs among agricultural production, ecosystem functioning and biodiversity. Journal of Applied Ecology 59 (6), 1456-1471
9. Choudhury, M. I., S. Hallin, F. Ecke, V. Hubalek, J. Juhanson, A. Frainer and B. G. McKie (2022). Disentangling the roles of plant functional diversity and plaint traits in regulating plant nitrogen accumulation and denitrification in freshwaters. Functional Ecology 36(4): 921-932.
10. Truchy, A., R. A. Sponseller, F. Ecke, D. G. Angeler, M. Kahlert, M. Bundschuh, R. K. Johnson and B. G. McKie (2022). Responses of multiple structural and functional indicators along three contrasting disturbance gradients. Ecological Indicators 135: 108514.
11. Frainer, A. and B. G. McKie (2021). The legacy of forest disturbance on stream ecosystem functioning.  Journal of Applied Ecology 58(7): 1511-1522.
12. Marbuah, G., L. Buisson, B. G. McKie and I.-M. Gren (2021). Economic Activity and Distribution of an Invasive Species: Evidence from Night-time Light
13. Truchy, A., R. Sarremejane, T. Muotka, H. Mykrä, D. G. Angeler, K. Lehosmaa, A. Huusko, R. K. Johnson, R. A. Sponseller and B. G. McKie (2020). Habitat patchiness, ecological connectivity and the uneven recovery of boreal stream ecosystems from an experimental drought. Global Change Biology 26(6): 3455-3472.
14. Truchy, A., E. Göthe, D.G. Angeler, F. Ecke, R.A. Sponseller, M. Bundschuh, R.K. Johnson, and B.G. McKie, Partitioning spatial, environmental, and community drivers of ecosystem functioning. Landscape Ecology, 2019. 34(10): p. 2371-2384 
15. Burdon, F. J., E. Ramberg, J. Sargac, M. A. Forio, N. De Saeyer, M. P.T., T. F. Moe, M. O. Pavelescu, V. Dinu, C. Cazacu, F. Witing, B. Kupillas, U. Grandin, M. Volk, G. Risnoveanu, P. Goethals, N. Friberg, R. K. Johnson and B. G. McKie (2020). Assessing the benefits of forested riparian zones: A qualitative index of riparian integrity is positively associated with ecological status in European streams. Water
16. *Göthe E, Degerman E, Sandin L, Segersten J, Tamario C, McKie BG. (2019) Flow restoration and the impacts of multiple stressors on fish communities in regulated rivers. Journal of Applied Ecology 56: 1687-1702
17. *McKie B.G., Sandin L., Carlson P.E. and Johnson R.K. (2018). Species traits reveal effects of land use, season and habitat on the potential subsidy of stream invertebrates to terrestrial food webs. Aquatic Sciences 80: 15 
18. Frainer A., McKie B.G., Amundsen P.-A. Knudsen R. and Lafferty K.D. (2018). Parasitism and the Biodiversity-Functioning Relationship. Trends in Ecology & Evolution. 33: 260-58
19. Pilotto F., Nilsson C., Polvi L.E. and McKie B.G. (2018). First signs of macroinvertebrate recovery following enhanced restoration of boreal streams used for timber floating. Ecological Applications 28: 587-597
20. Frainer A, Polvi L., Jansson R., McKie B.G. (2018) Enhanced ecosystem functioning following stream restoration: the roles of habitat heterogeneity and invertebrate species traits. Journal of Applied Ecology 55: 377-85
21. Weber C., Åberg U., Buijse A.D., Hughes F.M.R., McKie B.G., Piégay H., Roni P., Vollenweider S. and Haertel-Borer S. (2018). Goals and principles for programmatic river restoration monitoring and evaluation: collaborative learning across multiple projects. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water 5: e1257-n/a
22. Tattersdill K., Ecke F., Frainer A. and McKie B.G. (2017). A head start for an invasive species in a strongly seasonal environment? Growth of Elodea canadensis Michx. in boreal lakes. Aquatic Invasions 12: 487-98
23. Johnson R, Angeler D.G., Hallstan S, Sandin L., McKie BG (2017) Decomposing multiple pressure effects on invertebrate assemblages of boreal streams. Ecological Indicators, 77: 293-303
24. *Dawoud M., Bundschuh M., Goedkoop W. and McKie B. G. (2017). Interactive effects of an insecticide and a fungicide on different organism groups and ecosystem functioning in a stream detrital food web. Aquatic Toxicology 186: 215-221.
25. Burrows RH, Laudon H, McKie BG, Sponseller RA (2017) Seasonal resource limitation of heterotrophic biofilms in boreal streams. Limnology & Oceanography. 62:164-176
26. *Gardeström J, Ermold ME, Goedkoop W and McKie BG (2016) Disturbance history influences stressor impacts: effects of a fungicide and nutrients on microbial diversity and litter decomposition. Freshwater Biology 61: 2171-2184
27. Bundschuh M. & McKie BG (2016) An ecological and ecotoxicological perspective on fine particulate organic matter in streams. Freshwater Biology 16: 2063-74
28. *Carlson P.E., Brendan G. McKie, Leonard Sandin, Richard K. Johnson (2016) Strong land-use effects on the dispersal patterns of adult stream insects: implications for transfers of aquatic subsidies to terrestrial consumers. Freshwater Biology 61: 848-61
29. Bjelke U, Boberg J, Oliva J, Tattersdill K. & McKie BG (2016) Dieback of riparian alder caused by the Phytophthora alni complex: projected consequences for stream ecosystems. Freshwater Biology 61: 565-79
30. Frainer, A., Jabiol, J., Gessner, M.O., Bruder, A., Chauvet, E. & McKie, B.G. (2016) Stoichiometric imbalances between detritus and detritivores are related to shifts in ecosystem functioning. Oikos, 125, 861-871
31. *Truchy A., David G. Angeler, Ryan A. Sponseller, Richard K. Johnson, Brendan G. McKie (2015) Linking biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and services, and ecological resilience: Towards an integrative framework for improved management. Advances in Ecological Research, 53: 55-96
32. *Frainer A & McKie BG (2015) Shifts in the diversity and composition of consumer traits constrain the effects of land use on stream ecosystem functioning. Advances In Ecological Research 52: 169-200
33. Marbuah G, Gren IM, McKie BG (2014) Economics of Harmful Invasive Species: A Review. Diversity 6: 500-523
34. Kahlert M & McKie BG (2014) Comparing new and conventional methods to estimate benthic algal biomass and composition in freshwaters. Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts 16: 2627-2634
35. Handa IT, Aerts R, Berendse F, Berg M, Bruder A, Butenschoen O, Chauvet E, Gessner MO, Jabiol J, Makkonen M, McKie BG, Malmqvist B, Peeters ET, Scheu S, Schmid B, van Ruijven J, Vos VC, Hättenschwiler S (2014) Consequences of biodiversity loss for litter decomposition across biomes. Nature 509: 218-21
36. Frainer, A, McKie BG.and Malmqvist, B (2014) When does diversity matter? Species functional diversity and ecosystem functioning across habitats and seasons in a field experiment. Journal of Animal Ecology 83: 460-69
37. Jabiol J, McKie BG, Bruder, A, Bernadet C, Gessner, MO, Chauvet E (2013) Trophic complexity enhances ecosystem functioning in a detritus-based stream foodweb Journal of Animal Ecology 82: 1042-51
38. Carlson PE, Johnson RK, McKie BG (2013) Optimizing stream bioassessment: Habitat, season and the impacts of landuse on benthic macroinvertebrates Hydrobiologia 704: 363-73
39. Woodward G, Gessner MO, Giller PS, Gulis V, Hladyz S, Lecerf A, Malmqvist B, McKie BG, Tiegs SD, Cariss H, Dobson M, Elosegi A, Ferreira V, Graça MAS, Fleituch T, Lacoursière JO, Nistorescu M, Pozo J, Risnoveanu G, Schindler M, Vadineanu A, Vought L B-M, Chauvet E (2012) Continental-scale effects of nutrient pollution on stream ecosystem functioning. Science 336: 1438-40
40. Gessner MO, Swan CM, Dang CK, McKie BG, Bardget RD, Wall DH, Hättenschwiler S (2010) Diversity Meets Decomposition. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 25: 372-80
41. *McKie BG, Schindler M, Gessner MO & Malmqvist B (2009). Placing ecosystem functioning in context: effects of biodiversity change & abiotic perturbations in a stream field experiment. Oecologia 160: 757-770
42. *McKie BG & Malmqvist B (2009). Assessing ecosystem functioning in streams affected by forest management: increased leaf decomposition occurs without changes to the composition of benthic assemblages. Freshwater Biology 54: 2086-2100
43. *McKie BG, Woodward G, Hladyz S, Nistorescu M, Preda E, Popescu C, Giller P & B Malmqvist (2008) Ecosystem functioning in stream assemblages from different regions: contrasting responses to variation in detritivore richness, evenness & density. Journal of Animal Ecology. Journal of Animal Ecology 77: 495-504
44. *McKie BG & Pearson RG (2006) Environmental variation & the predator-specific responses of tropical stream insects: effects of temperature & predation on survival & development of Australian Chironomidae (Diptera). Oecologia 149: 328-339
45. *McKie BG., Petrin Z & Malmqvist B (2006). Mitigation or disturbance? Effects of liming on macroinvertebrate assemblage structure & leaf-litter decomposition processes in the humic streams of northern Sweden. Journal of Applied Ecology 43: 780-791.
46.  *McKie BG & Cranston PS (2005) Size matters: systematic & ecological implications of allometry in the responses of midge (Diptera: Chironomidae) morphological ratios to experimental temperature manipulations. Canadian Journal of Zoology 83:553-568
47. *McKie BG, Pearson RG & Cranston PS (2005) Does biogeographical history matter? Diversity & distribution of lotic midges (Diptera: Chironomidae) in the Australian Wet Tropics. Austral Ecology 30: 1-13
48. *McKie BG, Cranston PS & Pearson RG (2004) Gondwanan mesotherms & cosmopolitan eurytherms: effects of temperature on the development & survival of Australian Chironomidae (Diptera) from tropical & temperate populations. Marine & Freshwater Research 55: 759-768 
49. *McKie BGL. & Cranston, PS (2001) Colonisation of experimentally immersed wood in south-eastern Australia: responses of feeding groups to changes in riparian vegetation. Hydrobiologia 452: 1-14
50.  *McKie BGL. & Cranston, PS (1998) Keystone coleopterans? Community response to wood-feeding elmids on experimentally-immersed woods in south-east Australia. Marine & Freshwater Research 49: 79-88

Book chapters

Frainer, A., A. Bruder, F. Colas, V. Ferreira and B. G. McKie (2021). Plant Litter Decomposition as a Tool for Stream Ecosystem Assessment. The Ecology of Plant Litter Decomposition in Stream Ecosystems. C. M. Swan, L. Boyero and C. Canhoto. Cham, Springer International Publishing: 483-509.

Popular Publications & Government Reports:

McKie, B.G., Z. Hui Kong, T. Schmidt, M.N. Futter, R. Hurley, M. Bundschuh (2023).  Evaluating the properties, fate And individual-to-ecosystem level mpacts of contrasting microplastics in freshwaters.  Report prepared for the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. 62 pages

Köhler, S., McKie, B.G., Granath, G. & Wallman, K. (2018) Skogsbranden i Västmanland 2014: Slutrapport (The Västmanland forest fire: Final report). 96 pages. Report for the Swedish Agency for Marine & Water Management

McKie, B.G. and Johnson, R.K. (2016) Integrated assessment and responses in inland waters. In: Ecological Assessment of Swedish Water Bodies: development, harmonization and integration of biological indicators (Lindegarth M. et al. eds), pp80-91. Swedish Institute for the Marine Environment, Gothenburg.

McKie B, Taylor A, Nilsson T, Goedkoop W (2015) Quantification of the ecosystem-level impacts of mosquito biocontrol. Report prepared for the Swedish EPA. NV-05266-13.     

Baattrup-Pedersen, A et al. (2015) Guidance on how to identify impacts of hydromorphological degradation on riparian ecosystems. Deliverable 3.4 of REFORM (REstoring rivers FOR effective catchment Management), European Commission within the 7th Framework Grant Agreement 282656

Mckie BG & Goedkoop W. (2011) Development of alternative approaches for monitoring the effects of the mosquito control agent Bti on ecosystems of the Dalälven catchment. Report for the Swedish EPA, diary number 802-0095-10.

McKie BG, Hoffsten P-O, Malmqvist B (2005) Compilation & analysis of benthic macroinvertebrate data from limed & reference sites, collected as part of the Integrerad Kalknings Effekt Uppföljning (IKEU) program. Report prepared for the Swedish EPA. Institutionen för tillämpad miljövetenskap, Stockholms Univ., Report 150

McKie BG (2002) Keeping cool when the heats on: aquatic insects in rainforest streams. Using Rainforest Research publication series, the Cooperative Research Centre for Tropical Rainforest Ecology & Management, Cairns, Australia

·Connolly NM & McKie BG (2001) An investigation of nuisance midges at The Lakes Stage 1. ACTFR Report No. 01/06, Townsville City Council, Queensland, Australia

Gullan PJ, Cranston PS, McKie BG & Colloff M.J. (1996) The distribution, species richness & abundance of gall-forming insects of Apiomorpha & other scale insects (Coccoidea) at Danggali Conservation Park, SA. Australian Nature Conservation Agency

Google scholar page

Research Gate profile

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