Paleolimnology and environmental change

我的研究项目帮助我们了解自然因素和人类活动对湖泊和陆地生态系统的重要性。这项研究涉及使用古湖泊学方法，利用保存在湖泊沉积物岩心中的物理、化学和生物信息重建过去的水生和陆地环境。古湖泊学的方法可以用来研究过去气候是如何变化的。随着过去几十年来前所未有的高温，工业界和政府都在努力了解与这种变暖相关的风险，以及我们赖以生存的生态系统和自然资源（如水和森林）的脆弱性。计算机模型显示，到2020年，许多地区将变暖1-3摄氏度，但我们几乎没有关于这种变化将如何影响湖泊和森林的信息。拟议的研究将侧重于开发和应用方法，以更好地了解气候对安大略省西北部（NW）和阿迪朗达克公园（NY， USA）森林地区的作用。通过研究保存在湖泊沉积物岩心中的信息，这些信息来自安大略省西北部的一个森林站点网络，在过去温度升高1-2°C的时候（8000至4500年前的全新世中期温暖期），我们将能够评估温度升高对湖泊、植被和火灾的影响。这项研究将有助于解决与以下区域变化有关的重要问题：水的数量和质量；气候变暖条件下气候与火灾的关系；新方法的发展将有助于确定过去湖泊水位的变化。在阿迪朗达克公园，我们将通过检查“未受干扰的”参考湖泊的变化来调查最近的温度升高是否导致了藻类和无脊椎动物种群的变化。如果我们要了解最近气候变化对酸化湖泊中藻类和无脊椎动物群落恢复的作用，这些信息是必不可少的。该提案的资金将用于培养三名博士和四名硕士学生，以及一些四年级荣誉学生。

My research program helps us to understand the importance of natural factors and human activities on lakes and terrestrial ecosystems over time. This research involves using a paleolimnological approach, where past aquatic and terrestrial environments are reconstructed using physical, chemical and biological information preserved in lake sediment cores. Paleolimnological approaches can be used to study how climate has changed in the past. With unprecedented warm temperatures over the last several decades, industry and governments are struggling to understand the risks associated with this warming, and the vulnerabilities of ecosystems and natural resources, such as water and forests, upon which we depend. Computer models suggest that many regions will become warmer by 1-3°C by 2020, but we have little information on how such changes will impact lakes and forests. The proposed research will focus on the development and application of approaches to gain a better understanding of the role that climate has had on forested regions in northwestern (NW) Ontario and the Adirondack Park (NY, USA). By studying information preserved in lake sediment cores, from a network of forested sites in NW Ontario, at a time when temperatures were 1-2°C warmer in the past (the mid-Holocene warm period, 8,000 to 4,500 year ago), we will be able to assess the impact of warmer conditions on lakes, vegetation and fire. This research will help address important questions related to regional changes in: water quantity and quality; the relationship between climate and fire under warmer conditions; and the development of new approaches that will help in identifying past changes in lake levels. In the Adirondack Park, we will investigate if recent increases in temperature have caused changes in algal and invertebrate assemblages by examining changes in 'undisturbed' references lakes. This information is essential, if we are to understand the role of recent climate change on recovery of algal and invertebrate assemblages from acidified lakes. Funding in this proposal will support the training of three Ph.D. and four M.Sc. students, and a number of fourth-year honours students.