A fresh approach to biodiversity patterns of freshwater zooplancton across scales and ecosystems

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In Canada, lakes and rivers are dominant features of the landscape, butknowledge of freshwater diversity of microorganisms at the base of food webs is still in infancy. The proposed research program will provide a fresh approach to microbial biodiversity, using freshwater zooplankton as a model community and a heuristic framework integrating community ecology, functional traits and phylogenetic biology. The research program involves a mix of database analyses and field studies. Four projects will be developed across scales (continental, regional and local) and ecosystems (lakes, rivers and ponds), using my unique database on zooplankton communities in Canadian lakes, and field studies in the St. Lawrence River, peri-urban lakes and urban ponds in Southern Québec. To address the research objectives, we will examine:****1. How the latitudinal temperature gradient determines crustacean zooplankton taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity at the continental scale of Canada?**2. How regional landscape features, anthropogenic disturbances, and local environmental filters regulate zooplankton diversity and community structure in boreal lake districts?**3. How structural complexity of submerged vegetation affects zooplankton species richness, community structure and functional diversity in rivers and lakes?**4. How zooplankton biodiversity is distributed among taxonomic and functional groups, and ecosystems in peri-urban and urban landscapes?*****One of our primary goals is to train highly qualified personnel in aquatic community ecology and biodiversity science. Through the proposed research program, I will train 2 PDF, 3 Ph.D., 3 M.Sc., 2 Master, and at least 3 undergraduate students. I will offer training in theoretical ecology, zooplankton ecology, spatial modelling, macroecology, biodiversity, phylogeny, functional traits, and urban ecology. The research will lead to several deliverables and products: i) species and trait distribution maps for Canadian zooplankton, ii) a complete database on taxonomical, functional and phylogenetic diversity metrics for Canadian zooplankton, iii) metadata on freshwater zooplankton from different sources across scales linking zooplankton structure to environmental conditions, iv) scientific papers in high quality scientific journals, v) new imaging system application for analysing zooplankton functional groups in fresh waters, vi) bioassessment tools for evaluating ecological integrity and biodiversity conservation of aquatic biota in urban landscapes. Finally, I would like to edit a book on the systematics, taxonomy and distribution of freshwater copepods in Canada as the legacy of my long-term research on zooplankton ecology. Overall, my research program will give a better understanding of mechanisms that structure microbial life in fresh waters, and contribute to conservation of aquatic ecosystems.***