Microscopes for paleoecological and paleoclimatic research

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This proposal requests funds for two microscopes for paleoecological and paleoclimatic research and training at the University of Victoria. A bright-field microscope with a digital imaging system is needed for training students to identify microfossils such as pollen, conifer stomata and aquatic insect remains and for conducting research on past environmental change. A stereomicroscope is required for training and research that involves macrofossils such as seeds and leaf fragments.To better understand future climate change and its impacts on our forests, this research examines evidence deposited in lake sediments over thousands of years to study how natural variability in climate affected plant communities in the past. The main research objectives are to understand the development of vegetation communities on the Pacific coast of Canada since the last ice age and to determine how climate has changed during that time. We collect cores of sediment from lakes along the coast of British Columbia and identify fossils such as pollen and seeds that were deposited in those lakes in the past and are preserved in their sediments today. This allows us to determine how the composition of surrounding forests has changed since deposition of the sediments. We also identify aquatic insect remains, which allow us to infer past changes in climate. Paleoenvironmental data like these provide opportunities to test global climate models, which are the main tools for predicting future climatic change. By understanding past changes in climate and vegetation, we can predict and better prepare for the impacts of future climate change.