Bryophyte Ecology in Northern Disturbed Ecosystems

自研究生学习以来，我的长期研究计划侧重于泥炭地泥炭藓物种的生态，首先是受酸雨(氮沉积)的影响，最近是了解它们在受干扰后的早期演替阶段的分布和更新生态位。这个主题将仍然是我研究计划的一个主要主题，但也将研究其他苔藓类植物，如占沼泽的真苔藓(俗称褐苔藓)和北方开拓者山地苔藓植物和地衣。我的研究计划的总体目标将是提供关于决定苔藓和地衣成功建立的因素的基本知识，这些因素将重新定居受干扰的土壤和恶劣的环境。研究的重点将是促进(一些植物如何从与邻居密切相关的生长中受益)，以及这种植物-植物相互作用关系如何有助于理论上的植物生态学，并提高我们对恢复项目的演替路径和轨迹的预测能力。*该计划还将在了解限制自然更新场地(火灾后泥炭地和废弃矿山)或试验性生长室、温室中的中隔(小型泥炭地模型)和田间建立的因素的基础上，讨论如何在生态系统恢复中利用苔藓和地衣并从中受益。将研究水位、养分有效性、竞争、机械破碎、生理时机、活体材料的年龄和冻结温度对由营养碎片建立苔藓的影响。研究中的特定生境和干扰将包括：由于泥炭提取暴露出加拿大各地酸性或微营养的有机土壤而退化的泥炭地(QC、NB和MB)；国家公园(QC)高山高地的道路建设干扰；北部高地(QC和BC中部)的采矿作业干扰；火灾后围栏(西北部和AB)；草食动物造成的湿地苔原(Nunavut)和排水系统造成的泥炭地(QC；模拟气候变化情景)。在分类群方面，将重点放在：1)形成加拿大麝香的主要泥炭属物种，2)在沼泽中有助于泥炭积累的主要真实苔藓，3)先锋沼泽物种，4)一些北极沼泽物种和5)一些可能形成苔藓和地衣物种的生物群落。*这个研究项目是加拿大唯一一个研究苔藓和地衣在北方和北极非森林湿地中的功能作用的项目。更好地了解这些生物将有助于负责任地管理加拿大各地的各种栖息地：砍伐的园艺泥炭地、受油砂基础设施影响的泥炭地、受道路建设或采矿影响的高地栖息地以及受到草食和全球变暖压力的北极苔原湿地。

Since graduate studies, my long-term research program focused on the ecology of Sphagnum species in peatlands, first, as impacted by acid rain (nitrogen deposition) and, lately, understanding their distribution and regeneration niche at early successional stages after disturbance. This topic will remain one main theme of my research programme but other groups of bryophytes such as true mosses (commonly named brown mosses) dominating fens and boreal pioneer upland bryophytes and lichens will also be studied. The general objective of my research program will be to provide essential knowledge about the factors determining the success of establishment of mosses and lichens recolonizing disturbed soils and harsh environments. A focus of study will be on facilitation (how some plants benefit from growing in close association with neighbours) and how this plant-plant interaction relationship can contribute to theoretical plant ecology and improve our predictive ability of successional pathways and trajectory of restoration projects. ****** The program will also address how to use and benefit from mosses and lichens in ecosystem restoration based on an understanding of the factors limiting establishment in spontaneously regenerating sites (post-fire peatlands and abandoned mines) or experimentally in growth chambers, mesocosms in greenhouses (small peatland models) and in field. The effects of water level, nutrient availability, competition, mechanical fragmentation, physiological timing, age of living material and freezing temperature on the establishment of mosses from vegetative fragments will be studied. Specific habitats and disturbances under study will be peatlands degraded by peat extraction exposing acidic or minerotrophic organic soil across Canada (QC, NB and MB); road construction disturbances in alpine uplands in National Parks (QC); ore mining operation disturbances in northern uplands (QC and central BC), fens post-fires (NWT and AB), wetland tundra by herbivory (Nunavut) and Sphagnum peatlands by drainage (QC; simulation of a climate change scenario). For the taxa, emphasis will be given to: 1) main Sphagnum species forming the muskegs of Canada, 2) main true mosses contributing to peat accumulation in fens, 3) pioneer fen species 4) some arctic fen species and 5) some expected biocrust forming moss and lichen species.****** This research program is the only one in Canada to investigate the functional role of bryophytes and lichens in boreal and arctic non-forested wetlands. The better understanding of those organisms will help towards responsible management a variety of habitats across Canada: cut-over horticultural peatlands, peatlands impacted by oil sands infrastructures, upland habitats impacted by road constructions or mining and arctic tundra wetlands under the stress of herbivory and global warming.