Grant: Canada Research Chairs

One of the most pressing challenges faced by environmental researchers and managers isthe lack of long-term monitoring measurements, as these data are required to assess trends in ecosystem change, determine the relative impacts of natural versus anthropogenic changes, and set realistic mitigation goals (i.e. define reference or background conditions). Fortunately, lakes archive a record of past environmental change in their sediment profiles, which can be interpreted and used in lieu of these missing instrumental data. This proposal will develop and apply paleolimnological approaches to study many key environmental issues, including climatic change (especially in sensitive Arctic and mountain regions), water quality problems, as well as studies on contaminant transport and related issues.