Presented by Dr. John P. Smol, Queen’s University on January 26 at 1pm Pacific/3pm Central/5pm Atlantic Standard Time.

Abstract: Lake managers and other environmental scientists face many new challenges, not least of which is determining how multiple environmental stressors affect aquatic resources. The situation is often complicated by a lack of systematic long-term monitoring data, making it difficult to determine the nature and timing of ecosystem changes. Furthermore, as environmental assessments are typically performed after a water quality problem is identified, critical data regarding pre-disturbance (or reference) conditions are rarely available. This presentation summarizes recent research from my lab investigating the effects of multiple stressors on lake ecosystems using paleolimnological approaches. Examples include ongoing work on the identification of new environmental problems (such as calcium declines in many softwater lakes) and the long-term impacts of industrial oil sands activities in northern Alberta. The challenges faced when dealing with multiple stressors will be highlighted.