Terrestrial/aquatic linkages in the recovery of disturbed ecosystems

干扰，无论是自然的还是人为的，发生在所有生态系统中，但许多系统受到严重的干扰，恢复是非常漫长的。了解恢复发生的过程，能够预测受干扰系统可能达到的轨迹和最终状态，对于设计有效的补救措施也是必不可少的。在北方防护网流域，不同类型的干扰（如火灾、伐木和采矿）在其严重程度和恢复时间和速度上有很大差异，但在各种类型干扰的恢复过程中，似乎有与水和养分供应有关的共同途径。例如，沿海地带或河岸地带似乎往往是破坏最严重的地方，但在这些过渡带内，恢复和重新定居的机会也是如此。最近的研究表明，稀释盾状湖的大部分生产力来自陆地，并集中在沿海地区。这一系列相互关联的项目着眼于陆地有机物（溶解有机碳（DOC）和细颗粒有机物（FPOM））在加拿大北方盾生态带受严重干扰的流域的河流河段和湖滨地带的底栖无脊椎动物恢复中的作用。这项工作代表了具有很强实际应用价值的基础科学。

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.