Université du Québec en Outaouais
Ph.D. candidate
Supervisor: Katrine Turgeon
Eric Harvey
Start: 2022-05-02

Project

Drawdown in reservoirs: quantification of impacts on food web, subsides dynamic and ecosystem functions
In lentic ecosystem, regular intake of allochthonous organic matter into food webs is an integral part of their functioning. However, in regulated ecosystems, such as reservoirs, food webs are subject to artificial water level variations which alter their equilibrium. The objective of this doctoral project is to understand to what extent lentic aquatic food webs are affected by a drawdown gradient. The project will particularly focus on the use of allochthonous subsides by food web members as well as three ecosystem functions (litter decomposition, primary production, secondary production). To achieve that goal, sixteen water bodies will be sampled all around Québec in order to reconstruct the various food webs impacted by various drawdown intensity using stable isotopes analysis. The results will potentially allow us to determine a threshold where drawdown will impact species and littoral zones in reservoirs.

Keywords

écologie aquatique, Marnage, Réseaux trophiques, Isotopes stables

Publications

1- Comparing the influence of thinning treatments with low to high residual basal area on red maple transpiration in a temperate mixed forest
André-Alphonse, Thibaud, Claudele Ghotsa Mekontchou, Pascal Rochon, Frédérik Doyon, Audrey Maheu
2023 Forest Ecology and Management