Terrestrial/aquatic linkages in the recovery of disturbed ecosystems

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Disturbance, whether natural or anthropogenic in origin, occurs in all ecosystems but many systems are subject to severe disturbances and recovery is very protracted. Understanding the processes by which recovery occurs is needed to be able to predict the likely trajectories and end states that disturbed systems will achieve, and is also essential for the designing of effective remedial measures. In Boreal Shield watersheds different types of disturbances (e.g. fire, logging, and mining) differ considerably in their severity and in the timing and rate of recovery, but there appears to be common pathways related to water and nutrient availability in the recovery processes from the various types of disturbances. For example, littoral zones or riparian zones appear to be locations where damage is often most severe, but so too are opportunities for recovery and recolonization within these ecotones. Recent studies have shown that much of the productivity of dilute Shield lakes is terrestrially derived and concentrated in the littoral zones. This series of linked projects looks at the role of terrestrial organic matter (both dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and fine particulate organic matter (FPOM)) in the recovery of benthic invertebrates in riparian stream reaches and lake littoral zones in severely disturbed watersheds of the Boreal Shield ecozone of Canada. The work represents fundamental science with strong practical applications.