This text is part of the special section Higher Education
The University of Quebec in Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT) has won two new Canada Research Chairs, places of expertise and innovation par excellence. One focuses on the link between the climate and the boreal forest, while the other strives to find solutions to better manage contaminated mine water.
The composition of forests and the behavior of the trees in them are influenced and modified by climate change. The creation of the new Canada Research Chair in Dendroecology and Dendroclimatology aims precisely to better understand these variations and their impacts on vegetation in the boreal region.
These two little-known disciplines take their name from the Greek word ” dendron which means “tree”. They are interested in the growth rings of trees. These are layers of cells which form concentric rings and which constitute a veritable treasure trove of information for flushing out clues to the evolution of the climate.
Thus, the trees have their say. The width of the wood, its density, its chemical composition, but also its anatomy constitute precious archives in an attempt to answer a double question: how has the forest reacted to climate change in the past and how will it in the future? Factors such as water stress and increasingly frequent extreme events can affect the process and overall forest productivity.
“We compare the most recent period influenced by human activity with the oldest, that is to say the natural variability for 2000 years”, explains Fabio Gennaretti, director of the new chair and professor at the on forests. Seasonal and weekly data are also collected using sensors and microcores, small wood samples that record the growth and conditions of wood formation.
Adapt practices
The creation of the chair is synonymous with access to innovative laboratory equipment, while new technologies have profoundly transformed these two disciplines. Wood samples are usually viewed on microscope slides, then scanned and run through image analysis software. “We can now measure the traits that interest us much more quickly thanks to semi-automatic analyses,” enthuses the professor. That was not possible when I was doing my doctorate only ten years ago. »
The work of the chair will make it possible to develop tools for modeling the carbon balance in the boreal forest. Also called the taiga, it covers about 11% of the planet’s land mass and can be recognized by its coniferous trees as well as its rivers, lakes, bogs and other marshes. “It’s an enormous carbon sink, in the trees as well as in the soil, which is influenced by climate change, underlines Fabio Gennaretti. This is why it is important to study it, understand it and preserve it. »
Eventually, sustainable forest management solutions adapted to climate variations could be offered to the various players in the forestry sector.
Better management of mine water
If you don’t receive The duty in paper format, you probably use a phone, computer or tablet to read this text. These objects, on which we are made dependent, are made from critical minerals, that is to say rare and highly demanded since they also make it possible to design heart implants, batteries for electric vehicles and solar panels. However, the processes for extracting these raw materials can have significant social and environmental impacts, such as air and water pollution.
Thus, the new Canada Research Chair in the treatment and management of mining water aims to improve current systems. “We want to better understand the characteristics of pollutants and promote sustainable processes that avoid treatment every time with chemicals,” says Carmen Mihaela Neculita, professor at the Mining and Environment Research Institute and director of the chair.
This involves, among other things, using controlled mixtures to pre-treat the water, as well as local residual materials, i.e. those present near the mining site, to favor a circular economy. “Transportation can account for up to 50% of the costs in the management of mine waters,” emphasizes the researcher. Using local materials reduces these costs as well as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. »
Social acceptability
The results of the work will be made available to governments and mining companies managing active, closed or abandoned sites. But why do miners treat water? the teacher regularly asks her students at the start of the year. If environmental protection is the main long-term issue, the social acceptability of mining projects and the reputation of firms are two strong incentives. Without it, projects hardly see the light of day and shareholders flee at the same rate as operating costs increase.
Each mine works thanks to a certificate of authorization subject to biological and toxicological standards. “If they are not respected, the operations cannot continue, underlines the researcher. It is then necessary to find the source and eliminate it or replace the problematic process. »
In the past, Carmen Mihaela Neculita collaborated with the Technological Center for Industrial Residues at Cégep de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue, the Agnico Eagle mines and the Mabarex company to improve the treatment of mine water contaminated by cyanides and their derivatives. “It’s really a great example of success,” she says.
The professor also observes a change in mentalities and an awareness of the public, which urges the community to do more to reduce its ecological footprint.
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