Natasha Hannan (MSc, 2022)
Project description: Northern Canada is one of the regions in the world that is most susceptible to climate change. Ecosystems in the Northwest Territories are sensitive to disturbances, resulting in rapid environmental change. In addition to climate warming, development and the maintenance of roads is another stressor that is having impacts on the Northwest Territories ecosystem. Thus, it is necessary to determine how the ecosystem will respond to the large amounts of dust and debris that road development and maintenance might contribute to the surrounding ecosystem. Research has yet to examine how water quality changes due to road dust might influence aquatic food webs in Arctic lakes. For my thesis, I will study how climate change and development are affecting water quality and zooplankton found in small lakes adjacent to the Dempster and Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highways, in the Northwest Territories. The main objectives of my thesis are: 1) To determine the effects of road dust and road proximity on zooplankton communities; and (2) To determine if the type of roadside vegetation (boreal vs. tundra) mediates changes in water quality and zooplankton in roadside lakes. The data collected will determine how the lakes vary in their physical, biological, and chemical characteristics, and will be used to determine if there is a relationship between water quality and road proximity in my study lakes. I will also construct statistical models relating zooplankton to the physical and chemical properties of each lake. Finally, I will determine if the richness, diversity, and abundance of zooplankton is affected by road proximity using linear regression models. Using the information gathered throughout my research, I will be able to assess how road development affects zooplankton biodiversity in northern lakes.
Natasha’s thesis: Potential effects of road proximity on zooplankton communities and water quality in lakes in the Northwest Territories
Associated projects: Impacts of road dust on Arctic lakes