1. No category

Cities and biodiversity:
antagonism or synergy?
QCBS – March 19th 2015
The Laval Streams
Biodiversity Project :
Ecological dynamics in urban
streams
Marie-Christine Bellemare, Biol. M.Sc., CRE de Laval
Outline
• The city of Laval, a case study
• The urban stream syndrome
• A new model of project
management
• Ongoing projects
Gascon stream
Paradis stream
Laval: an example of rapid urbanization
Laurentides
Population 2013 : 410 000
Population 2030 : ±500 000
Parking lots : 4 %
Protected areas : < 1%
Loss of 50% of
wetlands since
2004 in the white
area
Sources : Ville de Laval, BDTQ
Montréal
Urban stressors
•
•
•
•
Extreme flow regimes
Pollution by urban runoff
Channel homogenization
Reduced biodiversity
Papineau-Lavoie stream
De la Pinière stream
De la Pinière stream
1Paul and Meyer,
2001
Drivers of the urban stream syndrome
▫  Land use & imperviousness in catchment
▫ Dysfunctional riparian zone
Stormwater
management
issues
40 %
25 %
30 %
10 %
55 %
10 %
Walsh et al.,2004; EPA, 2003
Drivers of the urban stream syndrome
▫  Land use & imperviousness in catchment
▫ Dysfunctional riparian zone
Urban land cover
management practices
& policies
40 %
25 %
30 %
10 %
55 %
10 %
Walsh et al.,2004; EPA, 2003
Urban land cover
management practices
& policies
Contribution of
conservation
biology and urban
ecology is limited
Discussion &
management of
natural
environments
Urban land cover
management practices
& policies
Scientific data
acquisition &
research
Discussion &
management of
natural
environments
Urban land cover
management practices
& policies
Scientific data
acquisition &
research
Orconectes virilis
Esox lucius
Gascon stream
Aquatic ecosystem services
• Natural ecological corridors
• Water management
• Social and cultural benefits
Paradis stream
Daylighting urban streams
Cheonggyecheon stream in Seoul, South Korea, daylighted from sewers in 2003. Image: Kaizer
Rangwala, Flickr. Source : www.freshwaterblog.net
Our project in Laval
Sources : Ville de Laval, BDTQ
Our project in Laval : Objectives
1.
Evaluating degradation using
biological and physical
indicators;
2.
Developing new methods
and decision-making tools
for conservation and
restoration;
3.
Accomplishing wildlife and
water management projects;
4.
Providing scientific
monitoring;
Main drivers associated with urbanization and benthic macro
invertebrate communities response in Laval
Laurent Fraser, M.Sc. ongoing project
Barnabé Kiepura (B.Sc. student) and Laurent Fraser
(M.Sc. student) collecting benthos samples in Gascon
stream.
Urban streams in the conservation of fish species of Mille-Îles
and des Prairies rivers
• Evaluating the effect of
urbanized channels on
reproduction and hatching fish
habitat
• Using hydrological and biological
mitigation to improve habitat
quality
• Promoting the practice of
activities (ex.: fishing)
Jan Franssen, Assistant Professor
- Department of Geography
Lepomis gibossus
New molecular approaches to biodiversity assessment and the
maintenance of aquatic ecosystem services in urban habitats
• Using environmental DNA
(eDNA) to detect target species
and biodiversity estimations
• Optimizing this method for use
by decision-makers
▫ Enabling the early detection of
undesirable exotic invasive
species
▫ Reducing costs associated with
wildlife management
Catherine Mounier, Professor –
Department of Biological Sciences
Marilyne Robidoux
Also an opportunity to …
1.
Mobilise actors from various
disciplines
▫
Universities
▫
▫
▫
▫
▫
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Municipalities
Local organizations
Fondations
Ministries
Laval commmunity
Develop an expertise
Acquire data for land
management
Contribute to research and
development
Coach students in this field of
activity
Introduce the general population
to urban streams
Collaborators
CRE:
Guy Garand, General manager
UQAM : Beatrix Beisner, Professor,
Catherine Mounier Professor,
Felipe Casasanta, Charlie
Dumais, Laurent Fraser,
Barnabé Kiepura et Roxanne
Richard; Students
Katherine Velghe et Marilyne
Robidoux, Research agent
Claire Vanier, Service aux
collectivités;
U de M: Jan Franssen, Professor.
MFFP : Étienne Drouin, Marie-Hélène
Fraser, Mélissa Lamoureux;
Fondation de la faune du Québec : Claude
Grondin, Geneviève Lacroix et
Geneviève Roy;
Ville de Laval : Luc Landreville, Martine
Lanoue, Scarlett Van Blaeren;