L’évapotranspiration est un élément fondamental du cycle de l’eau. Selon Environnement Canada, jusqu’à 40 % des précipitations du Canada se dispersent par évaporation ou par transpiration en moyenne. Comme l’évaporation représente une portion considérable du bilan hydrique, sa variabilité a des impacts relativement plus élevés sur les autres processus connexes. Par exemple, l’évaporation influe sur […]

Land surface temperature can tell us a lot about the health of ecosystems, forests and trees. Generally, the healthier, greener and more diverse a forest is, the colder it is, as plants use solar energy to grow, rather than releasing it as heat. This project focuses on using images of temperature measurements from satellites, space […]

Coastal wetlands and embayments are sensitive ecosystems located between rivers and the shoreline of lakes. Human activities (e.g., urban development and agriculture) on land can influence the functioning of these ecosystems and the quality of water that flows through them. Healthy coastal wetlands can offer significant services in the form of water quality purification, flood […]

With limited funding available, managers must prioritize which invasive species and which areas need to be managed. This project will involve finding out which sites and species need to be prioritized for management within the Greater Toronto Area. Through formal discussions with different stakeholders in the area and by using existing data (e.g. species distribution […]

As the intensities of urbanization and climate change increase across the Toronto region, there are many benefits pointing to a need for increased investments in our regions urban forests. Urban forests provide co-benefits, services that benefit both humans and the environment, through heat mitigation and mitigation of the “urban heat island”, removing air pollution, sequestering […]

Today almost 3 million people live in Toronto (almost 6 million in the Greater Toronto Area). As the city’s population continues to grow, people are increasingly seeking connection to the natural landscape within the city limits. This project will illuminate and re-invigorate understanding and appreciation of the natural history of the area and the importance […]

The Etobicoke Creek watershed is heavily urbanized with erosion issues due to the high amount of impervious cover and creek channelization. This research will help to better understand the current erosion sensitivities and risks within the watershed for inclusion in a comprehensive watershed plan that will inform municipal land use and infrastructure planning.

The purpose of this project is to identify bees and evaluate plant-pollinator networks based on the biomonitoring surveys conducted at the Meadoway in 2020 in partnership with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA). The aim of these surveys is to develop a baseline understanding of bee diversity in the Meadoway and evaluate the impacts […]

With increasingly urban populations worldwide and a growing need to ensure ecosystem service provision, managers must plan not only for the urban woodlands we have today, but also for what they might become. This project will develop indicators to detect changes urban woodland succession and its repercussions on future biodiversity. Using existing environmental monitoring data […]

Due to urbanization in the GTA, many green areas are replaced by impervious infrastructure, preventing runoff infiltration and increasing flood risks. The Meadoway project proposed by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) aims to restore meadow habitats with native plants along a hydro-corridor over 16 km across Scarborough, which can potentially improve the runoff […]

The project aims to study the use of advanced machine learning algorithms to enhance the ability of TRCA to detect shoreline erosion. Accurate detection of shoreline erosion will have significant contribution to optimizing TRCA asset management plans. This will enable TRCA to work with local communities to reduce the impacts of climate change on shoreline […]

The purpose of this project is to identify bees and evaluate plant-pollinator networks based on the biomonitoring surveys conducted at the Meadoway in 2020-2021 with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA). The aim of these surveys is to develop a baseline understanding of bee diversity in The Meadoway and evaluate the effects of plant […]