Carbon Characterization as an Ecological Monitoring Tool in Essex, Ontario
Standing
Undergraduate
Type of Proposal
Oral Research Presentation
Faculty
Faculty of Science
Faculty Sponsor
Catherine Febria
Proposal
Carbon Characterization as an Ecological Monitoring Tool in Essex County, Ontario.
Emily Browne University of Windsor
Catherine Febria University of Windsor
Lauren Weller University of Windsor
(Authorship order: Browne, E., Weller, L. and Febria, C.M.)
Wetlands were once a common feature in the Laurentian Great Lakes basin prior to agriculture intensification and may be an important restoration option to address water quality concerns. Wetlands provide several ecological services, such as flood mitigation, water purification, habitat provisioning for birds and aquatic species, as well as the ability to sequester from atmospheric CO2 in its’ sediments. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a component of both soil and water and reflects the origin and complexity of carbon and the roles it has in ecosystem functions. Florescence dissolved organic matter (FDOM) can reveal unique carbon signatures that indicate the complexity and likely source materials of carbon (e.g., terrestrial leaves, algae) and likely human activities (e.g., urbanization, agriculture). The objective of this study is to characterize carbon using FDOM properties in both agricultural and wetland soils in Essex, Ontario. Three agricultural fields were selected to represent a gradient of wetland and conservation agricultural approaches: conventional tillage, cover crops, and no tillage, and retired agricultural lands. All sites were otherwise located on Brookston clay soil. This study predicts: (1) the wetlands will have more complex FDOM signatures due to the older humic standing stocks of carbon in the soils, (2) agricultural fields will have simpler FDOM signatures due to the management practices and extensive use of the soil, and (3) the complexity of the FDOM signatures will vary with depth in the soil. FDOM was characterized using fluorescence spectroscopy to produce excitation-emission matrices for each sample (EEMs; n=111 samples). A multivariate model (parallel factor analysis) was employed to test my study predictions and compare FDOM signatures across varying spatial gradients at the site level and across sites. Understanding the properties of restored wetlands could help inform the importance of soil quality and health in restoration projects in Essex County, Ontario and more broadly in restoration efforts in agricultural landscapes.
Availability
March 29-31 all day. April first only after 1pm.
Carbon Characterization as an Ecological Monitoring Tool in Essex, Ontario
Carbon Characterization as an Ecological Monitoring Tool in Essex County, Ontario.
Emily Browne University of Windsor
Catherine Febria University of Windsor
Lauren Weller University of Windsor
(Authorship order: Browne, E., Weller, L. and Febria, C.M.)
Wetlands were once a common feature in the Laurentian Great Lakes basin prior to agriculture intensification and may be an important restoration option to address water quality concerns. Wetlands provide several ecological services, such as flood mitigation, water purification, habitat provisioning for birds and aquatic species, as well as the ability to sequester from atmospheric CO2 in its’ sediments. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a component of both soil and water and reflects the origin and complexity of carbon and the roles it has in ecosystem functions. Florescence dissolved organic matter (FDOM) can reveal unique carbon signatures that indicate the complexity and likely source materials of carbon (e.g., terrestrial leaves, algae) and likely human activities (e.g., urbanization, agriculture). The objective of this study is to characterize carbon using FDOM properties in both agricultural and wetland soils in Essex, Ontario. Three agricultural fields were selected to represent a gradient of wetland and conservation agricultural approaches: conventional tillage, cover crops, and no tillage, and retired agricultural lands. All sites were otherwise located on Brookston clay soil. This study predicts: (1) the wetlands will have more complex FDOM signatures due to the older humic standing stocks of carbon in the soils, (2) agricultural fields will have simpler FDOM signatures due to the management practices and extensive use of the soil, and (3) the complexity of the FDOM signatures will vary with depth in the soil. FDOM was characterized using fluorescence spectroscopy to produce excitation-emission matrices for each sample (EEMs; n=111 samples). A multivariate model (parallel factor analysis) was employed to test my study predictions and compare FDOM signatures across varying spatial gradients at the site level and across sites. Understanding the properties of restored wetlands could help inform the importance of soil quality and health in restoration projects in Essex County, Ontario and more broadly in restoration efforts in agricultural landscapes.