1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Event details: A graduate exam seminar is a presentation of the student’s final research project for their degree.
This is an ALES PhD Final Exam Seminar by Karling Roberts. This seminar is open to the general public to attend.
Zoom Link: meet.google.com/jhx-zgzd-ddv
Thesis Topic: The Structure and Dynamics of Fish Isotopic and Trophic Niches in Natural Lakes and
Constructed Fisheries Offsets in the Alberta Oil Sands
Seminar Abstract:
Habitat offsetting occurs when the damage or destruction of natural ecosystems is compensated for by constructing or restoring other ecosystems. Habitat offsets can contribute to biological conservation, but the ability to construct ecosystems that offer high quality habitat and support desired ecosystem services remains uncertain. In the Alberta oil sands, unavoidable destruction of fish habitat from open-pit mining is offset with the construction of small lakes on or near mine sites. I examine the trophic structure and seasonal trophic dynamics of a constructed offset lake and examine how stable isotope analysis can be improved for use on sensitive species. We demonstrate how constructed offsets can be studied to advance understanding of human modified ecosystems, basic ecological principles, and ecological methods. As offsetting grows in popularity across Canada and around the world, such studies will improve the practice of offsetting and offer new ecological research opportunities.
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