Integrating Classical And Dna Based Approaches To Advance The Field Of Paleolimnology

"Paleolimnology offers insights into long-term perspective in freshwater ecosystems and is useful to fill gaps in historical limnological data. Using multiple indicators to reconstruct ecological trajectory of lakes may strengthen our comprehension of their ecology over long time periods. Past ecological changes of lakes are often based on morphological remains archived in the sediments (e.g., diatom subfossils, cladocerans remains) as well as geochemical indicators (e.g., algal pigments, carbon and nitrogen content). However, many other organisms (e.g., bacteria, protists, copepods), which might play essential roles in the aquatic food webs, are not widely studied in paleolimnology. Technical advancements in molecular methods have opened the possibility of using DNA-based approaches applied to sediment extracts, which can greatly expand the number of taxa studied in paleolimnology. My research aimed (1) to evaluate the advantages and limitations of using DNA-based approaches in paleolimnology and (2) use both classical and DNA-based approaches to reconstruct past ecological dynamics of a peri-urban lake, Cultus Lake, British Columbia. In my second chapter, I used a contemporary 36-month time series to evaluate which taxa DNA can be deposited in the sediments. The specific goals were to assess the extent to which the micro-eukaryotic communities identified with the 18S rRNA gene in the sediments reflect the biological communities present in the water column, and to assess the congruence between morphological and DNA identification of diatoms and crustaceans in water and sediment extracts. From this chapter, I identified other potential taxonomic groups of organisms that could be studied in paleolimnology, such as ciliates, dinoflagellates, chytrids and cercozoans. The results also showed that DNA-based approaches are robust enough to reconstruct ecological dynamics from sediments, when compared to morphological data. Using morphological identification of diatoms from chapter 2 and contemporary limnological data, I evaluated the present ecological conditions of Cultus Lake to better assess how the lake deviated from its reference period. In chapter 3, I used multiple paleolimnological indicators and archival material of human history to reconstruct the ecological changes of Cultus Lake. The lake has experienced modest eutrophication since the mid-1900s, which was related to multiple stressors, such as an increase of anthropogenic use of the watershed, a warmer regional climate mainly after the 1970s, and a decrease in sockeye salmon escapement returning to the lake. This chapter indicates the importance of studying long-term perspective to understand the complexity of changes in lake ecosystems and their related drivers. In my last chapter, my objectives were to evaluate how micro-eukaryotic communities reconstructed with 18S rRNA gene changed in Cultus Lake over time and to compare the changes observed in micro-eukaryotic communities to the changes in classical paleolimnological indicators from chapter 3. Using both extracellular and intracellular DNA fractions archived in the sediments, I found that micro-eukaryotic community dynamics followed similar temporal dynamics than classical indicators. Intracellular DNA was more suitable to track long time periods as extracellular DNA seemed to have preservation issues after 30 years of burial. Overall, my doctoral thesis demonstrated that DNA-based approaches applied to sediment extracts were efficient to reconstruct past biological conditions and could increase our knowledge of ecological dynamics of lakes on a longer time scale when applied simultaneously with classical paleolimnological indicators"--

This much revised and expanded edition provides a valuable and detailed summary of the many uses of diatoms in a wide range of applications in the environmental and earth sciences. Particular emphasis is placed on the use of diatoms in analysing ecological problems related to climate change, acidification, eutrophication, and other pollution issues. The chapters are divided into sections for easy reference, with separate sections covering indicators in different aquatic environments. A final section explores diatom use in other fields of study such as forensics, oil and gas exploration, nanotechnology, and archaeology. Sixteen new chapters have been added since the first edition, including introductory chapters on diatom biology and the numerical approaches used by diatomists. The extensive glossary has also been expanded and now includes over 1,000 detailed entries, which will help non-specialists to use the book effectively.

Now in its second edition, Pollution of Lakes and Rivers provides essential insights into present-day water quality problems from an international perspective. Explains simply and effectively how lake sediments can be used to reconstruct pollution history Includes over 200 additional references and a new chapter on recent climatic change and its effects on water quality and quantity Tackles present-day water quality problems from an international perspective Previously published by Hodder Arnold PowerPoint slides of the artwork from the book are available from: http://post.queensu.ca/~pearl/textbook.htm Reviews: "This is a very well-written and wide-ranging volume that is both instructive and topical. It is likely to prove useful as an introduction to the general area, a reference source and for teaching purposes." (The Holocene, November 2008) "If you thought that paleolimnology was just mud, pollen, and diatoms then you will likely be both struck by the complexity of this field of research and grateful that John Smol, FRSC, has described it so clearly and broadly. Simply put, the second edition is an excellent book." ( Journal of Phycology, 2008) “This is a useful text. It provides a good level of detail so that the beginner in this area can appreciate what palaeolimnology can (and cannot) achieve. It goes beyond the simple introduction to provide a detailed understanding of how techniques can be applied ... This is a different take on the usual pollution text and would be of great use to those wishing to understand more from sedimentary records.” Taken from the British Ecological Society’s Teaching Ecology website "John Smol has extensive experience in this field of paleoenvironmental research which he combines well with his excellent written communication skills to produce a text that is easy to read but also thought provoking." (Quaternary Science Reviews, 2009) “The breadth of coverage in this text is impressive.” (Lake and Reservoir Management, 2009) “If I could speak with fluidity and clarity in my lectures as consistently as John Smol writes my students would be very grateful.” (Journal of Paleolimnology, 2009)

Adaptive radiation is the evolution of diversity within a rapidly multiplying lineage. It can cause a single ancestral species to differentiate into an impressively vast array of species inhabiting a variety of environments. Much of life's diversity has arisen during adaptive radiations. Some of the most famous recent examples include the East African cichlid fishes, the Hawaiian silverswords, and of course, Darwin's Gal--aacute--;pagos finches,. This book evaluates the causes of adaptive radiation. It focuses on the 'ecological' theory of adaptive radiation, a body of ideas that began with Darwin and was developed through the early part of the 20th Century. This theory proposes that phenotypic divergence and speciation in adaptive radiation are caused ultimately by divergent natural selection arising from differences in environment and competition between species. In The Ecology of Adaptive Radiation the author re-evaluates the ecological theory, along with its most significant extensions and challenges, in the light of all the recent evidence. This important book is the first full exploration of the causes of adaptive radiation to be published for decades, written by one of the world's best young evolutionary biologists.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) refers to DNA that can be extracted from environmental samples (such as soil, water, feces, or air) without the prior isolation of any target organism. The analysis of environmental DNA has the potential of providing high-throughput information on taxa and functional genes in a given environment, and is easily amenable to the study of both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. It can provide an understanding of past or present biological communities as well as their trophic relationships, and can thus offer useful insights into ecosystem functioning. There is now a rapidly-growing interest amongst biologists in applying analysis of environmental DNA to their own research. However, good practices and protocols dealing with environmental DNA are currently widely dispersed across numerous papers, with many of them presenting only preliminary results and using a diversity of methods. In this context, the principal objective of this practical handbook is to provide biologists (both students and researchers) with the scientific background necessary to assist with the understanding and implementation of best practices and analyses based on environmental DNA.

This is a comprehensive treatise on meiobenthology, the science of small animals which live, often disregarded even by zoologists, in huge numbers in all aquatic sediments. Covering all the scientific literature on the subject, particular emphasis is placed on ecological and systematic aspects. After a survey of the biotope conditions and important methods, the animals are introduced in a systematic account. This is followed by a report on the meiobenthos in relevant biotopes. The book concludes with an analysis of the productive role and the position of meiofauna in the food web and perspectives for future research.

This textbook provides a unique and thorough look at the application of chemical biomarkers to aquatic ecosystems. Defining a chemical biomarker as a compound that can be linked to particular sources of organic matter identified in the sediment record, the book indicates that the application of these biomarkers for an understanding of aquatic ecosystems consists of a biogeochemical approach that has been quite successful but underused. This book offers a wide-ranging guide to the broad diversity of these chemical biomarkers, is the first to be structured around the compounds themselves, and examines them in a connected and comprehensive way. This timely book is appropriate for advanced undergraduate and graduate students seeking training in this area; researchers in biochemistry, organic geochemistry, and biogeochemistry; researchers working on aspects of organic cycling in aquatic ecosystems; and paleoceanographers, petroleum geologists, and ecologists. Provides a guide to the broad diversity of chemical biomarkers in aquatic environments The first textbook to be structured around the compounds themselves Describes the structure, biochemical synthesis, analysis, and reactivity of each class of biomarkers Offers a selection of relevant applications to aquatic systems, including lakes, rivers, estuaries, oceans, and paleoenvironments Demonstrates the utility of using organic molecules as tracers of processes occurring in aquatic ecosystems, both modern and ancient

An accessible introduction to the theory and practice of multivariate analysis for graduates, researchers and professionals dealing with ecological problems.

This book honors the career of Professor Elizabeth Gierlowski-Kordesch who was a pioneer and leader in the field of limnogeology since the 1980s. Her work was instrumental in guiding students and professionals in the field until her untimely death in 2016. This collection of chapters was written by her colleagues and students and recognize the important role that Professor Gierlowski-Kordesch had in advancing the field of limnogeology. The chapters show the breadth of her reach as these have been contributed from virtually every continent. This book will be a primary reference for scientists, professionals and graduate students who are interested in the latest advances in limnogeologic processes and basin descriptions in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and China. *Free supplementary material available online for chapters 3,11,12 and 13. Access by searching for the book on link.springer.com