Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

) It is well known that Boreal Shield ecosystems in the Sudbury area are sensitive to environmental pollution related to nearby mining activities and urban development. To date, environmental studies in the Sudbury area have focused on water quality and ecological modeling, soil contamination and effects on terrestrial biota, in most cases emphasizing industrial pollution and recovery since the 1970's. A limited number of lake sediment studies using fossil organisms have extended the record of acidification and metal contamination, demonstrating variable lake response and raising questions concerning ecosystem function within and beyond lakes. This research will combine established methods in paleolimnological and surface process study (e.g. radiocarbon dating, sediment budgeting, geophysical survey etc.) with more novel approaches (e.g. geochemical fingerprinting and microtextural analysis of natural and anthropogenic particles in soils and lake sediments). In so doing, the work will consider impacts other than acidification, industrial metal contamination and municipal pollution, for example, deforestation, fires, agriculture, consequent soil erosion, hydrological change, and more recent urban expansion. As the cumulative effects of environmental pollution begin to abate, the effects of larger scale climate change are beginning to be felt as well, and rates of change are expected to increase. It is therefore critically important that multidisciplinary research of the type proposed here be carried out as soon as possible, before evidence of past change is lost, so that appropriate adaptation strategies may be developed if necessary. In conjunction with its commitment to the Kyoto Protocol, the Government of Canada has identified research into climate change scenarios, impacts and adaptation as a national priority. Given Sudbury's international recognition for environmental restoration work, the proposed research will support Canada's international reputation for environmental management while facilitating the exchange of information, expertise and appropriately trained personnel.