Three recent papers by Waterloo’s Ecohydrology Research Group (ERG) on the fate and transport of nutrient elements along the water cycle have been featured in American Geophysical Union’s EoS Research Spotlights.
ERG is led by Philippe Van Cappellen, a Water Institute member, a professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Canada Excellence Research Chair Laureate in Ecohydrology. Van Cappellen’s interdisciplinary team focusses on the processes, both natural and human-driven, that control water quality in freshwater and nearshore marine environments. Understanding these processes is key to assessing and predicting the ecological and biogeochemical consequences of changing climatic, demographic and economic pressures on water resources.
“The research program in ecohydrology is motivated by the need for science-based approaches to evaluate and predict the ecological impacts of the use of water resources by humans,” says Van Cappellen.
Featured articles below.
The Lasting Legacy of Phosphorus Buried in Lakes
Research at an experimental lake suggests that anthropogenic phosphorus enrichment may affect the health of aquatic ecosystems long after external additions of the nutrient are reduced.
Stored Nutrients and Climate Warming Will Feed More Algal Blooms
High inputs of nutrient elements, in particular phosphorus, cause severe water quality problems in lakes, and as the climate warms, these issues will only get worse. A new model assesses future scenarios and explores solutions.
Dams Alter Nutrient Flows to Coasts
Modeling results yield new insights on how dams worldwide influence the mix of nutrients in river water reaching the ocean. As more dams are built, changing nutrient loads may adversely affect coastal ecosystems.