Bryophyte Ecology in Northern Disturbed Ecosystems

自研究生学习以来，我的长期研究项目集中在泥炭地泥炭属物种的生态学上，首先是酸雨（氮沉降）对泥炭地泥炭属物种的影响，最近是在干扰后演替早期阶段了解泥炭属物种的分布和更新生态位。这一课题仍将是我研究计划的一个主要主题，但我也将研究其他种类的苔藓植物，如在沼泽中占主导地位的真藓类（通常称为褐藓类）和北方先驱高地苔藓植物和地衣。我的研究计划的总体目标是提供关于决定苔藓和地衣在受干扰的土壤和恶劣环境中重新定居成功的因素的基本知识。研究的重点将是促进（一些植物如何从与邻居的密切联系中受益），以及这种植物-植物相互作用关系如何有助于理论植物生态学，并提高我们对演替路径和恢复项目轨迹的预测能力。******该项目还将探讨如何在生态系统恢复中利用苔藓和地衣，并从中受益，这是基于对自然再生地点（火灾后泥炭地和废弃矿山）或在试验室、温室中生态系统（小型泥炭地模型）和田间限制建立的因素的理解。研究了水位、养分有效性、竞争、机械破碎、生理时间、生物材料年龄和冰冻温度对植物碎片成生苔藓的影响。研究的特定栖息地和干扰将是泥炭提取导致的泥炭地退化，暴露出加拿大各地的酸性或矿化有机土壤（QC， NB和MB）；国家公园高寒高地道路建设干扰（QC）；北部高地（QC和BC中部）、沼泽火灾后（NWT和AB）、湿地冻土带（Nunavut）和泥炭地（QC；气候变化情景模拟）的采矿作业干扰。在分类群方面，重点介绍：1)构成加拿大沼地的主要泥炭藓类；2)在沼泽中积累泥炭的主要真藓类；3)开拓沼泽种；4)一些北极沼泽种；5)一些可能形成生物硬壳的苔藓和地衣种。******该研究项目是加拿大唯一一个研究苔藓植物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对加拿大各地的各种栖息地进行负责任的管理：割据的园艺泥炭地，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，以及受食草动物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.