Lithium batteries, developed during 80’s, are used more and more as energy sources for electronic devices, hybrid or electric vehicles or other uses. Another application currently in development is the use of lithium batteries to stabilize the energy grid system and energy fluctuations from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power. Hydro-Québec is […]

Une grande partie des rejets produits par l’industrie minière est souvent entreposée en surface. En contact avec l’oxygène atmosphérique et l’eau, les minéraux sulfureux contenus dans ces rejets s’oxydent et génèrent un drainage minier acide (DMA) comportant des contaminants préjudiciables pour l’environnement. Une des techniques utilisées pour contrôler ce phénomène est les recouvrements à plusieurs […]

Dams can be problematic for fishes, particularly those that migrate. In order to help fish move around dams, fisheries managers may construct fishways (aka “fish ladders”). However, these structures do not always function properly, often because they were built only to pass trout and salmon and are thus inappropriate for other species. This project aims […]

The present study investigates the impact of Eurasian honeybees on the functional diversity and reproductive ability of native stem-nesting bees. Honeybees have the potential to compete with native stem-nesting bees, however, currently no studies have examined this interaction in North American temperate forests. The main goal of this project is to develop a more mechanistic […]

An emerging strategy for managing natural resources such as Canada’s forests more sustainably and responsibly is to use knowledge of how Mother Nature has done it to help guide our hand. This so-called ‘ecosystem-based” approach has gained favour with provincial and federal governments, as well as national and international certification agencies. One of the foundations […]

Low impact development (LID) technologies are increasingly part of the urban landscape for Canadian municipalities. Bioretention planters, also known as rain gardens, are an LID technology that infiltrates and filters runoff at the source. Though design guidance exists, there is little data available on the long term performance of LID technologies, such as bioretention systems. […]

This project will provide characterization of two strains of Pseudomonas spp. for the use of plant growth promotion. The project will accomplish this through direct field trials in order to show the benefits of these strains when inoculated on canola. We wish to explore/demonstrate other key features of these organisms such as bioremediation hydrocarbons and […]

Salt marshes are important coastal ecosystems because they provide many services to surrounding areas. Due to the high fertility of salt marsh soil, they have a long history of being converted to farmland in Maritime Canada. In recent years, there has been growing interest in restoring salt marshes to protect against coastal erosion, mitigate sea […]

Declines in migratory bird populations have been linked to a range of complex environmental factors, including the dramatic increase in application of neurotoxic neonicotinoid insecticides in recent decades. Neonicotinoids are used as seed treatments in a wide variety of Canadian crops, and consumption of treated seeds could result in poor navigation and migration delays in […]

Ce projet de recherche vise à développer un procédé innovant pour répondre à une problématique de traitement des eaux usées à laquelle font face les centres de traitement en Amérique du nord. Les variations climatiques saisonnières limitent les capacités de traitement du procédé conventionnel de lagunage en termes de volume de traitement et de réduction […]

Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) is a key species in the ecology of the upper Bay of Fundy, Canada, that provides food to numerous predators and scavengers. Each year, Alewife migrate into freshwater systems to spawn in lakes. Dams and fishways often impede the migration of Alewife, which can have detrimental effects on Alewife populations, as well […]

In the coming months, a new set of energy efficiency targets called “step codes” will be incorporated into the standards used to build houses. The step code is intended to provide builders with a better understanding of what is expected of them when they build energy efficient homes. It will also allow municipalities incorporate energy […]