Lakes Archives - News@91��ɫ

Professor Emeritus wins at the World Triathlon Championship Finals, 91��ɫ experts comment on the postal strike, ice cover on lakes, and more

Nichole Jankowski — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 18:59:39 +0000

Professor emeritus Glen Norcliffe, 81, won the 80 to 84 age group of the male sprint distance race at the 2024 World Triathlon Championship Finals held in Spain on Oct. 17. says Norcliffe of his win. Next year, Norcliffe has qualified for a triathlon in Australia and a duathlon.

Professor Steven Tufts talks to CBC about the Canada Post workers' strike and whether a shift in Canada Post's business model is needed. Tufts says , but there's a bigger issue: What should the business model of a company that has lost money in the last six years look like in the future? CUPW has been pushing for expanding services, such as postal banking and seniors' wellness checks, but Tufts says they have not built the large-scale public campaign needed to pressure Canada Post into changing its business model.

Screenshot via CBC

Artist and PhD student Shannon Garden-Smith wants us to think more about a crucial building material we are running out of: sand. Her recent artworks were created using pigmented dust from sand she collected around the city. For this year's Nuit Blanche, she created an 2,500 square-foot interactive floor installation using vibrantly dyed sand to form marbled patterns. During the all-night event, attendees were invited to walk across the 'carpet', disrupting the sand patterns and muddying colours in the process. "," she tells CBC. "Their engagement becomes visible in the living, changing work as an index of movement."

Scientists who study the characteristics of inland fresh-water systems are confronting — and rushing to address — a serious knowledge gap on the role winter ice cover plays on lake cycles and functioning. Professor Sapna Sharma comments on new research into under-ice conditions that is challenging what limnologists thought they understood about lakes’ winter behaviour. Speaking to Inside Climate News Sharma says there was a during the 1960s and '70s. Then the work paused before slowly beginning again about a decade ago.

At the 6th Muskoka Summit on the Environment on Oct. 4 in Bracebridge, Professor Deborah McGregor shared simple truths that have guided Indigenous stewardship for thousands of years, reports MuskokaRegion.com. "We cannot manage water; we can only learn how to live with water," says McGregor, and "Water is a relative of ours. Wise stewards treat water with humility and respect."

Wise stewards treat water with humility and respect
McGregor at the Muskoka Summit on the Environment

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Lakes in hot water, climate change creating a cauldron of issues

sandramc — Mon, 18 Jul 2022 19:05:15 +0000

TORONTO, July 18, 2022 – As intense heatwaves grip the United Kingdom, Spain, France and Portugal, at times exceeding temperatures 40C, as well as parts of North America and Asia, lakes around the world are feeling the heat from climate change, which is creating a cascade of ecological and environmental issues.

Northern-most lakes are considered the bellwethers of environmental change, but research shows consequences of climate change can affect any of the more than 100 million lakes in the world.

To get a cohesive picture of how climate change is threatening lakes, Reader of Bangor University, Wales, Associate Professor of 91��ɫ, and Distinguished University Professor of Queen’s University, reviewed and synthesized available studies on freshwater lakes from across the globe.

The research team found that the effects of climate change on lakes are often cumulative. Warmer water temperatures lead to changes in stratification regimes, declines in dissolved oxygen, a higher risk of cyanobacterial algal blooms, as well as a loss of habitat for native cold-water fish. It can affect not only water quality and quantity, but also cultural and recreational activities, and local economies.

Little Wiles Lake (Bridgwater, NS). Image courtesy of Jennifer Korosi (formerly Queens University, now 91��ɫ)

“Climate change has far-reaching social and ecological repercussions, but the impacts of climate change, combined with other environmental pressures, are often little understood and the significance of them has not been appreciated at a global level,” says Sharma of 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Science. “There is still much work to be done.”

Warmer air temperatures can impact winter ice cover in the case of northern lakes. Ice loss is one of the most blatant consequences of climate warming on lakes, which can increase winter evaporation rates and water temperatures, and lead to a multitude of physical and chemical effects, including greater salinity. The global mean annual evaporation of lakes is expected to increase by 16 per cent by century’s end. In addition, lower levels of precipitation can also have a significant effect on lake levels.

“The ecological consequences of climate change coupled with the impacts of extreme climate events are already occurring in lakes globally and will continue to do so in the future, often without warning or time to adapt,” says Woolway. “The results of these kinds of changes have been felt in lakes from Algonquin Park in Ontario to Lake Chad in Africa, the English Lake District in the U.K. to Lake Mead in the United States.”

Declines in water levels can be severe in some regions. Historically ranked as one of the largest lakes in Africa, Lake Chad, which borders Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria, has shrunk considerably because of decreases in local precipitation and discharge from its catchment, as well as increased evaporation.

“Events like an earlier summer season can also cause mismatches in fish spawning and foraging, often with widespread ramifications across the food web. Although a ‘longer summer’ may be welcome to many cottagers and campers, such weather conditions increase the risk of algal blooms, and especially cyanobacterial blooms, which can have far-reaching ecological consequences and even make drinking water toxic,” says Smol.

Some of the effects of climate change are creating conditions where lakes are losing oxygen needed for fish and other aquatic species. This deoxygenation can be made worse by cyanobacterial blooms.

Typical Nova Scotia recreational lake located near Halifax. Image courtesy of Joshua Thienpont (Queen's University)

“Algal blooms can block sunlight from reaching the deeper waters and bacterial decomposition of sedimented algae can lead to a decrease in oxygen for deep-water fish and other aquatic life,” says Woolway. “In addition, episodic storms can cause nutrients to suddenly wash into lakes and foster the development of cyanobacterial blooms.”

A decline in the availability of safe drinking water caused by harmful algal blooms is considerably worse when combined with a reduction in water quantity. In 2014, a Cyanobacteria bloom in Lake Erie shut down the water supply in Toledo, Ohio, while a massive toxic cyanobacterial bloom in Lake Taihu, China, shut down the water supply for two million people for a week in Wuxi city.

“In Ontario, reports of algal blooms have not only increased, but have been reported as late as November, something that was typically not the case in previous years,” says Sharma. “These blooms could also affect tourism and lakeside property values.”

Seven years ago, Algonquin Park banned overnight camping on remote and nutrient-poor Dickson Lake because cyanobacterial blooms caused health concerns. A sediment-based study determined that these blooms were new to the lake and no comparable events had occurred in the last century, but that’s changing.

Warmer water temperatures, algal blooms, earlier onset, and longer periods of thermal stratification, combined with lower dissolved oxygen concentrations can have important cumulative and potentially negative effects on aquatic organisms, such as fish.

“The effects of climate change also interact synergistically with multiple environmental stressors exacerbating problems with water quantity and quality, including salinization, contamination, and the spread of invasive species,” says Smol. “As humans can’t survive without water, a better understanding of how climate change affects lake function is needed along with recognition of early warning signals.”

The researchers hope that recent advances in technology, such as remote sensing and environmental DNA, combined with a move to work beyond traditional silos, will allow for a better understanding of lake responses in the future.

For the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal of equitable access to clean water to be realized by 2030, the inclusion of diverse voices from researchers worldwide, including the Global South, and the cross-pollination of ideas across disciplines, will be essential.

The paper, , was published today in the journal .

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91��ɫ is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change and prepare our students for success. 91��ɫ's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91��ɫ’s campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contact:
Sandra McLean, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 416-272-6317, sandramc@yorku.ca

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Wood ash recycling program could help save Muskoka’s forests and lakes

roshanp — Thu, 28 Mar 2019 13:49:53 +0000

Restoring calcium levels may spark forest growth across cottage country

��TORONTO, March 28, 2019 – Implementing a new residential wood ash program to restore calcium levels in Muskoka’s forest soils and lakes could help replenish the area’s dwindling supply of crayfish and maple sap, according to new research co-led by 91��ɫ.

Calcium levels in soil and lakes are essential for the growth of all forms of life, but the levels across central Ontario are declining due to decades of acid rain. It could take centuries for this calcium to rebuild on its own.

Researchers discovered that residential wood ash – a common household waste derived from wood-burning fireplaces and wood-fired ovens – was rich with the nutrients needed for restoring growth, including about 30 per cent calcium.

The study, published today in the journal , shows that adding controlled doses of cold residential wood ash to the watershed of Muskoka’s forests could help solve the calcium decline problem and boost forest growth.

“Calcium is an essential nutrient for all living things,” said , a senior scholar and professor emeritus of biology in the Faculty of Science, who co-led the study. “When you suffer from low calcium, you get osteoporosis and the ecosystem can suffer from osteoporosis as well. Many scientists have called this calcium decline problem ecological osteoporosis.”

A new residential wood ash recycling program could help replenish Muskoka's dwindling supply of crayfish and maple sap.

Supplementing watershed soils with calcium-rich wood ash may also improve the region’s crayfish stock, water quality, seedling regeneration and sugar maple tree production of sap, used to make maple syrup.

“Lack of calcium has slowed the growth, reproduction and development of trees in Muskoka’s forests,” said Yan, chair of Friends of the Muskoka Watershed, a not-for-profit environmental organization that has conducted the research with 91��ɫ, Dorset Environmental Science Centre, and Queen’s University.

While forest programs using industrial wood ash exist in areas of Europe such as Sweden, the use of the non-industrial residential wood ash has not been researched and tested until now, said the study co-author, Shakira Azan, a former post-doctoral biology student and research associate at 91��ɫ.

“A lot of people in Muskoka burn wood for heat and some send it to the landfill so, by collecting and recycling their wood ash, we are diverting waste from landfills,” said Azan, an environmental project lead at Friends of the Muskoka Watershed.

The second phase of the research is AshMuskoka, a three-year pilot project which aims to be Canada’s first residential wood ash recycling program. The project team, which launched in January, is working on securing 200 homeowners to donate their wood ash. This fall, researchers will conduct small-scale wood ash additions to test dosage needs, develop tools to identify site-specific doses, and��determine the benefits and harm of residential wood ash applications. The first test site will be three sugar bushes in Muskoka, where maple syrup producers are eager to see if the controlled doses will restore the bushes to good health and yield maple sap.

Friends of the Muskoka Watershed is working on the project with nine Canadian partners – including Trent University, University of Victoria, Laurentian University, Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association and 91��ɫ’s .

91��ɫ champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91��ɫ students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91��ɫ U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91��ɫ is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni.

91��ɫ U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contact: Vanessa Thompson, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 647-654-9452,��vthomps@yorku.ca

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Research shows lake ice may disappear across Northern Hemisphere due to climate change

roshanp — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 16:22:56 +0000

Fresh drinking water and winter recreational activities would suffer

TORONTO, January 28, 2019 – The iconic winter traditions of skating outdoors and ice fishing on a frozen lake could vanish across southern Canada and the Northern Hemisphere by the late 21st century thanks to climate change, according to new research led by a professor in 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Science.

The international study, published today in the journal , revealed that an extensive loss of northern lake ice will occur within the next generation with an estimated 35,300 lakes likely to lose annual winter ice cover, if the climate warms by a projected two degrees Celsius. That figure jumps to 230,400 lost lakes without annual ice cover under an extreme warming climate scenario of eight degrees Celsius.

, an associate professor in the Department of Biology, led the international team who researched the state of lake ice for 1.4 million northern lakes with warming winters. Their study provides new insights into when lakes north of the equator may begin to lose winter ice cover, and the extent and timing of intermittent ice cover loss which can be a precursor to permanent ice loss.

“This is the first comprehensive large-scale assessment of lake ice loss,” said Sharma, an expert on environmental stressors on lakes. “Lake ice is considered a long-term indicator of climate and is one of the world’s resources most threatened by climate change.”

Lake ice is disappearing at an accelerated rate and it has a myriad of consequences – from the end of cultural and recreational activities to degraded ecological status including less fish and fresh drinking water.

“The winter season gives us a sense of place and a sense of belonging,” said Sharma. “Lake ice in Canada, the northern United States and Europe is an important part of our cultural identity.”

“Lake ice is also important for recreational and commercial industries, such as ice fishing, ice skating and snowmobiling, which are part of the social fabric for many communities across the Northern Hemisphere,” explained Sharma. “In Northern Canada, Indigenous communities rely on winter lake ice roads for food, supplies and social interactions. The warming winters has meant limited access to remote Indigenous communities because the duration and quality of the ice roads have been reduced. Also, ice festivals in northern countries attract thousands of residents and visitors. For small communities that’s a big economic boom in the winter.”

The study team was comprised of 11 researchers from across the globe – including Kevin Blagrave, a Research Associate at 91��ɫ, and scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Wisconsin, Rutgers University in New Jersey, University of Konstanz in Germany and University of Reading in the United Kingdom – who began their investigation by compiling lake ice records for 520 lakes across the Northern Hemisphere going back to AD 875.

The team categorized the lakes into two categories, annual or intermittent winter ice-covered lakes. Annual ice-covered lakes (more than 50 million lakes currently) experienced ice cover every winter, whereas intermittent ice-covered lakes (14,800 current lakes) had one or more winters without complete ice cover since 1970. The study is predicting a shift of lakes from annual to intermittent ice cover by the 21st century for thousands of lakes.

The researchers conducted analysis – using a set of climatic, geographical and lake characteristics – to discover that regional climactic conditions and local lake features predict sustainability to loss of winter ice cover. They found that air temperature, lake depth, elevation and shoreline complexity were important factors for the presence of ice cover, with mean annual air temperature being the most important factor for explaining whether a lake had annual or intermittent winter ice cover. The researchers also identified how interactions between characteristics – such as regional climate and lake shape (area and depth) – will dictate when and where the threat of lake ice loss is greatest.

The study’s results show that ice cover is an important component of how our lake ecosystems work and losing it could affect up to 656 million people in as many as 50 countries, including northern United States, Norway and Sweden where they are already beginning to lose annual lake ice. Sharma said climate mitigation strategies are required to preserve this ice cover.

“Ecologically, not having ice on these lakes does not bode well for how the ecosystem will respond,” she said. “Ice may act as a re-set for lakes. If there is a year where a lake does not freeze, the water temperatures in that lake are expected to be a lot warmer as you progress through the summer. Rapid warming of lakes has implications for the potential to have degraded water quality and development of algal blooms earlier on in the open-water season. In addition, dissolved oxygen concentrations could decline earlier in the summer season, leaving more fish at risk of dying due to a compromised habitat.”

Funding for the study was provided by the Ontario Ministry of Research, Innovation, and Science’s Early Researcher Awards, 91��ɫ Research Chair program, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

Media Contact: Vanessa Thompson, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 22097,��vthomps@yorku.ca

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