Intensive Sampling and Long-term Monitoring

Mission

The impact of hydroelectric dams on the carbon budget of Quebec's northern regions has been difficult to quantify, partly because we have no basic knowledge of the natural sources and sinks of carbon in these distant regions.

Freshwater systems are hotspots of biogeochemical activity, thus acting as important elements in the regional carbon budget. This is especially true in boreal and taiga landscapes where freshwater represents more than 20% of the total surface area. However, these systems remain poorly explored, so there is a scientific, industrial and social interest in studying the role of these boreal aquatic systems in the carbon cycle.

Objectives

1. Investigate large scale patterns in C biogeochemistry, greenhouse gas dynamics, and C storage, as well as how these patterns vary among the regions studied.
2. Study the influence of long-term climatic and environmental change on these patterns.
3. Understand how the processes which create these patterns are controled.
4. Develop empirical models that will be useful to scientists, industry and government.

Plans for 2010-2011

1. Initiate long-term monitoring of reference lakes in 3 or 4 boreal regions of Quebec. To do this, we are developing autonomous buoys which are instrumented to continually measure standard lake properties and transmit the data by telemetry.
2. Begin intensive sampling of the lakes, streams and rivers in a particular region of northern Quebec each year, starting with the Abitibi region.
3. Develop scientific collaborations to expand and improve the basic research program.