Assessing the biogeochemical sensitivity of aquatic ecosystems to patterns of urbanized land use

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Urban ponds are being created across Canada to hold and clean stormwater runoff before it moves downstream. This project will measure elemental budgets of urban pond ecosystems in two growing communities located in southern Ontario. We will examine how pond and catchment characteristics affect the input, storage, and output of key biogenic elements (carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus). In addition, we will measure rate of biological activities and determine their effects on elemental storage in urban ponds. This research will thus determine the sensitivity of key biogeochemical processes of ponds to patterns of urbanization and will aid efforts aimed at enhancing the environmental quality of urban ecosystems. This project will provide urban planners and environmental consultants with a valuable assessment of urban pond biogeochemistry, its determinants, and its consequences. In addition, this work will determine the mechanistic links between watershed characteristics, hydrological inputs, and ecological processes in urban ponds that are important structural features of many developing communities in Canada.