Outline: Sarah A. Finkelstein

	Associate Professor PhD University of Toronto (2004) MPhil University of Cambridge, UK (1999) AB Princeton University (1998) Phone: (416) 978-1672 Location: Office: Room 207A, PGB; Lab: Room 205B, PGB (45 St. George) Email: finkelstein@geog.utoronto.ca

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Research Interests

My research focuses on the recovery and analysis of paleoenvironmental records. These rich archives provide information on past climates, and allow a deeper understanding of how ecosystems respond to environmental change. Our projects incorporate both field and lab work to study lake and wetland sediment cores, using a variety of physical, geochemical and biological techniques. Past and present projects include:

Reconstructing paleoclimatic changes for the past two millennia near Hall Beach, Nunavut, as part of an International Polar Year project
Identifying "hotspots" of environmental change in aquatic ecosystems in the North Baffin Region of the Canadian Arctic, a collaboration with Parks Canada
Quantifying paleohydrological change and carbon accumulation in wetlands of Ontario's Far North

Selected Publications

Finkelstein SA, Cowling SA. 2011. Wetlands, temperature, atmospheric CO2 and CH4 coupling over the past two millennia. Global Biogeochemical Cycles 25, GB1002, doi:10.1029/2010GB003887

Devlin JE*, Finkelstein SA. 2011. Local physiographic controls on the responses of Arctic lakes to climate warming in Sirmilik National Park, Nunavut, Canada. Journal of Paleolimnology 45:23-39.

Chakraborty K*, Finkelstein SA, Desloges JR, Chow NA*. 2010. Holocene paleoenvironmental changes inferred from diatom assemblages in sediments of Kusawa Lake, Yukon Territory, Canada. Quaternary Research 74:15-22

Finkelstein SA, Ross JM, Adams JK*. 2009. Spatio-temporal variability in Arctic climates of the past millennium: implications for the study of Thule culture on Melville Peninsula, Nunavut. Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Research 41: 442-454

Shih JG*, Finkelstein SA. 2008. Range dynamics and invasive tendencies in Typha latifolia and Typha angustifolia in eastern North America derived from pollen and herbarium records. Wetlands 28:1-16

Finkelstein SA, Gajewski K. 2007. A palaeolimnological record of diatom community dynamics and late Holocene climatic changes from Prescott Island, Nunavut, central Canadian Arctic. The Holocene 17:803-817

Finkelstein SA, Davis AM. 2006. Paleoenvironmental records of water level and climatic changes from the middle to late Holocene at a Lake Erie coastal wetland, Ontario, Canada. Quaternary Research 65:33-43

* denotes student co-authors

Teaching (2011-2012)

GGR 100H1S - Introduction to Physical Geography
GGR 305H1F - Biogeography
GGR 390H1F - Field course in Physical Geography
GGR 1303S - Graduate seminar in Paleoenvironmental Research

Sections

Outline: Sarah A. Finkelstein