Year: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>This study seeks to clarify the way in which the differing canopy characteristics among tree species influence the partitioning of precipitation, and therefore the source of water available for plant water uptake, in the Plastic Lake catchment near Dorset, ON. Three dominant tree species were compared: red oak (Quercus rubra), eastern white pine (Pinus strobus), and eastern hemlock (… more Full Text: THE INFLUENCE OF CANOPY WATER PARTITIONING ON THE ISOTOPIC SIGNATURE OF PLANT WATER IN A MIXED NORTHERN FOREST A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the …
Year: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The Athabasca Oil Sands in Alberta, Canada is one of the largest point sources emitters of NOx in Canada and there</p><p>are concerns that elevated nitrogen (N) deposition will lead to widespread eutrophication impacts, including altered</p><p>species composition, similar to what has occurred in several parts of Europe. Atmospheric deposition rates as high as</… more Full Text: Nitrogen Retention of Terricolous Lichens in a Jack Pine Forest in Northern Alberta A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on the Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of Arts and …
Year: 2017, 2017
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Tree harvesting alters nutrient cycling and removes nutrients held in biomass, and as a result nutrient availability may be reduced, particularly in naturally oligotrophic ecosystems. Selection harvesting is a silvicultural technique limited to tolerant hardwood forests where individual or small groups of trees are removed creating a "gap" in the forest canopy. In order for… more Full Text: The impact of selection harvesting on soil properties and understory vegetation in canopy gaps and skid roads in central Ontario A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of …
Year: 2017, 2017
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Timber harvest can influence the rate of transfer of organic matter from the terrestrial catchment to streams, which may have both direct and indirect effects on in-stream nutrient pools and dynamics. In the interest of developing sustainable forestry practices, the continued study of the effects of forestry on nutrient dynamics in aquatic systems is paramount, particularly in sensitive… more Full Text: The effects of in-stream woody debris from selective timber harvest on nutrient pools and dynamics within Precambrian Shield streams A Thesis submitted to the Committee of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of …
Year: 2017, 2017
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>This study was designed to determine the geochemistry and potential toxicity of water draining a large slag pile in Sudbury, Ontario, which runs through a pond complex prior to entering Alice Lake. Slag leaching experiments confirmed slag is a source of sulphate, heavy metals (including Fe, Al, Ni, Co, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Mn) and base cations (Ca, K, Mg, Na). Concentrations of most metals… more Full Text: Geochemistry and Toxicity of a Large Slag Pile and its Drainage Complex in Sudbury, Ontario A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Masters of Science in the Faculty of Arts and …
Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The objective of this thesis was to assess current spatial trends and historic trends in the accumulation of trace metals related to the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR). The AOSR hosts some of the largest industrial developments in Canada, yet relatively little is known about the transport and fate of trace metal emissions from the region – particularly in the relatively remote areas… more Full Text: AN ASSESSMENT OF SPATIAL TRENDS IN THE ACCUMULATION OF OIL SANDS RELATED METALS IN THE CLEARWATER RIVER VALLEY AND TEMPORAL TRENDS IN SIX NORTHERN SASKATCHEWAN LAKES A Thesis Submitted to the Committee of Graduate Studies In Partial Fulfillment of the …
Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Phosphorus (P) is an essential macronutrient. In south-central Ontario, foliar P concentrations are low and studies have suggested that P may be limiting forest productivity. Current catchment mass balance estimates however, indicate that P is being retained suggesting that P should not be limiting to tree growth. Phosphorus deposition is measured using bulk deposition collectors, which… more Full Text: Phosphorus deposition in forested watersheds: importance of pollen A Thesis submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of Arts and Science TRENT UNIVERSITY …
Year: 2015, 2015
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The emission of acid precursors by large point sources in Western Canada</p><p>(such as the Athabasca Oil Sands Region) has prompted studies into the possible impact to downwind aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Sensitivity of catchments to acidic deposition was estimated for the total lake population of northern Saskatchewan (n=89,947) using regression kriging. Under the… more Full Text: A C I D I F I C AT I O N O F L A K E S I N N O R T H E R N S A S K AT C H E WA N AN ASSESSMENT OF SENSITIVITY AND RISK FROM ACIDIC DEPOSITION A Thesis Submitted to the Committee of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree …
Year: 2015, 2015
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Cuss, Chad Warren, Thesis advisor (ths): Gueguen, Celine, Degree committee member (dgc): Watmough, Shaun, Degree committee member (dgc): McConnell, Sabine, Degree committee member (dgc): Dillon, Peter, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a mixture of molecules with dynamic structure and composition that are ubiquitous in aquatic systems. DOM has several important functions in both natural and engineered systems, such as supporting microorganisms, governing the toxicity of metals and other pollutants, and controlling the fate of dissolved carbon. The structure and composition of DOM… more Full Text: Size and fluorescence properties of allochthonous dissolved organic matter: characterization, transformations, and reactivity A dissertation to the Committee on Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of …
Year: 2015, 2015
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The reliability and performance of four passive sampler membrane coatings specific to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were evaluated through co-exposure at multiple Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (OMOECC) active monitoring stations. All four coatings performed relatively similar under a wide range of meteorological conditions, notably showing exposure-specific atmospheric… more Full Text: Passive sampling of indoor and outdoor atmospheric nitrogen dioxide in the greater Toronto area A Thesis Submitted to the Committee of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Faculty of Arts and …
Year: 2015, 2015
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>(MRC) in central Ontario was carried out to determine the range and spatial distribution of soil Ca weathering rates, and investigate the relationships between lake Ca and soil and catchment attributes. The MRC is acid-sensitive, and has a long history of impacts from industrial emission sources in Ontario and the United States. Small headwater catchments were sampled for soil and… more Full Text: A Regional Assessment of Soil Calcium Weathering Rates and the Factors that Influence Lake Calcium in the Muskoka River Catchment, Central Ontario A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the …
Year: 2015, 2015
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>As part of a mandate to control the spread of Stratiotes aloides (WS; water soldier) in the Trent Severn Waterway, the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) created a management plan to eradicate WS. However, one of the biggest challenges in eradicating WS or any invasive aquatic plant is the ability to estimate the extent of its spread and detect new populations. While current detection… more Full Text: A Comparison of the Optical Properties of Stratiotes aloides and the Local Plant Community A Thesis Submitted to the Committee of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of Arts and Science TRENT …
Year: 2015, 2015
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>In this study, the influence of N deposition on the vegetation community of semi-natural oak woodlands in Ireland was assessed through national and regional scale analysis of forest plot data. At both scales, Canonical Correspondence Analysis suggested that N deposition was a predictor of community composition, although site-specific soil characteristics were the strongest predictors of… more Full Text: Influence of nitrogen deposition on the vegetation community of Irish oak woodlands A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of Arts and Science …
Year: 2014, 2014
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Barrett, Sophie Elizabeth, Thesis advisor (ths): Watmough, Shaun, Degree committee member (dgc): Sager, Eric, Degree committee member (dgc): Emery, Neil, Degree committee member (dgc): Hutchinson, Tom, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Peatlands are prevalent in the Sudbury, Ontario region. Compared with the well documented devastation to the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in this region, relatively little work has been conducted on the peatlands. The objective of this research was to assess factors controlling peat and plant chemistry, and vegetation composition in 18 peatlands in Sudbury after over 30 years of… more Full Text: Factors Controlling Peat Chemistry and Vegetation Composition in Sudbury Peatlands after 30 Years of Emission Reductions A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Masters of …
Year: 2014, 2014
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Stormwater ponds (SWPs) are a common feature in new urban developments where they are designed to minimize runoff peaks from impervious surfaces and retain particulate matter. As a consequence, SWPs can be efficient at retaining particle-bound nutrients, but may be less efficient at retaining nutrients that are present primarily in the dissolved form, like nitrogen (N). However, the… more Full Text: Seasonal variation in nutrient and particulate inputs and outputs at an urban stormwater pond in Peterborough, Ontario A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science …
