Terrestrial/aquatic linkages in the recovery of disturbed ecosystems

所有生态系统都存在自然或人为干扰，但许多系统受到严重干扰，恢复过程非常漫长。需要了解发生恢复的过程，以便能够预测受干扰系统将达到的可能轨迹和结束状态，也是设计有效的补救措施所必需的。在北方盾牌流域，不同类型的干扰(如火灾、伐木和采矿)在其严重性以及恢复的时间和速度上有很大的不同，但在从各种类型的干扰恢复过程中，似乎有与水和养分可用性有关的共同途径。例如，沿海地带或河岸地带似乎往往是破坏最严重的地方，但在这些交错带内恢复和重新殖民的机会也是如此。最近的研究表明，稀释屏蔽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质(溶解有机碳(DOC)和细颗粒有机物质(FPOM))在恢复加拿大北方盾生态系统严重干扰流域河岸河段和湖泊沿岸地带底栖无脊椎动物中的作用。这项工作代表了具有很强实际应用性的基础科学。

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.