Atmospheric Science Seminar: "Constructed Landscapes as Natural Laboratories"
Presented by: Graham Clark, StFX
Abstract:
In this presentation, I will delve into the concept of utilizing watershed-scale reclamation as a natural laboratory to unravel human leverage on carbon and water cycling functions in the landscape. In Alberta, the reclamation of post-mining landscapes to achieve "equivalent capacity" is defined in the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act. As a result of this legislative framework, some of the world's largest pit mines, situated in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region of Alberta, are being transformed into boreal plains landscapes through a process known as closure. Despite our incomplete understanding of environmental systems, closure initiatives are fostering the construction of extensive and highly interconnected ecosystems on an unprecedented scale. This presents a unique opportunity to examine the efficacy of design based on current theories in achieving desired outcomes on a broad-scale. Throughout this presentation, I will delve into the findings from the past decade of my research program, focusing on some of the largest watersheds ever constructed, encompassing lakes, "peat"lands, and their supporting uplands.
Bio: Dr. M. Graham Clark is a scholar who is interested in how landscape modification leads to changes in surface-atmosphere interactions. Primarily his work is focused on large scale reclamation projects and how design impacts landscape scale evaporation and carbon cycling. He completed his PhD at Carleton University, where his thesis focused on the carbon cycling functions of one of the first wetlands built for the purposes of restoring boreal peatland function to the post-mining landscape. He completed his post-doctoral research at McMaster University, where he worked both on analyzing how timing and design of landscape units impact the watershed of large reclamation projects and on questions about the best methods to quantify evaporation from large managed reservoirs. He is an Assistant Professor at St. Francis Xavier in the department of Earth and Environmental Sciences.
Category
Atmospheric Science Seminars
Time
Location
Dunn 304