From bogs to bays: Watershed exports link Pacific coastal temperate rainforests to marine ecosystems
Wednesday February 21, 2018 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church (corner of First Avenue and King Street) - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
The coastal temperate rainforests (CTR) of British Columbia are dynamic zones for the transfer of water and carbon from land to sea. However, little is known about the quantity or quality of carbon exported from the CTR or its fate in coastal ocean food webs. This presentation describes ongoing research to determine how much carbon the CTR is exporting to coastal waters, the source and quality of that carbon, and its role in coastal food webs. Results demonstrate that the CTR is a global “hotspot” for carbon cycling, and terrestrial carbon may play an important role in marine productivity. These results emphasize the importance of studying terrestrial-freshwater-marine linkages across the greater CTR, as future changes in CTR watersheds due to land management or climate change may have substantial implications for coastal food webs, ocean acidification, and regional carbon biogeochemical cycles.
About Allison Oliver
Allison Oliver, PhD, is an aquatic ecologist and biogeochemist who moved to Hazelton in early 2017. She recently completed a postdoctoral research fellowship with the University of Alberta and the Hakai Institute and is currently working as a consultant. Her research experience includes over 10 years of studying the effects of disturbances, such as wildfires and dams, on freshwater biogeochemistry and aquatic communities and the implications for water quality and ecosystem structure and function. Her work also investigates how hydrology and biogeochemical processes link ecosystems across multiple scales and ecosystem types. In her spare time, she can be found riding her bike, skiing, fishing, or otherwise tramping around in the woods with her mutt named Moe.
