Université du Québec en Outaouais
Ph.D. candidate
Supervisor: Jean-Olivier Goyette
Start: 2026-06-01
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Project

Assessing the impact of shoreline development on wildlife and human prosperity. (project still being developed)
The project will aim to understand how the intensity and spatial configuration of shoreline development will influence riparian wildlife—particularly birds and mammals—in inhabited lakes in Quebec. The study will cover several hundred lakes by drawing on existing biodiversity databases in Quebec, combined with orthophotos, LiDAR data, and landscape variables. DNA analysis may also be incorporated to broaden the characterization of biodiversity, particularly for certain aquatic or semi-aquatic groups. This component will, in particular, assess whether certain riparian configurations favor biodiversity. Additionally, a more focused human-centered component will examine whether the changes in wildlife associated with development will be noticeable to residents and users, and to what extent their preferences for certain shoreline configurations will align with those that promote biodiversity. The project will thus help identify not only how much natural shoreline should be preserved, but also how it can be spatially organized within inhabited lake landscapes.