Parsons Lab - Research

Research Themes

All of our research contributes to Environment and Climate Change Canada priority programs such as the Great Lakes Protection Initiative, the Great Lakes Action Plan, the Lake Winnipeg Basin Program and the Climate Change Adaptation Plan. Some projects are also conducted in collaboration with external academic research partners.

Nutrient export from watersheds

Agricultural and urban landscapes

Agricultural best management practices and urban low impact development strategies aim to minimize nutrient losses from the landscape. What effect do these practices have on the magnitude, timing and bioavailility of exported nutrients? How well do they work during storms or snowmelt?

Riverine transport and transformation of nutrients

Dammed Reservoirs as gate keepers of nutrient loads

Physical and biogeochemical processes in dammed reservoirs can retain, eliminate or transform nutrients exported from the landscape. Could managing reservoirs differently allow us to improve water quality downstream?

Phosphorus release from sediments

Internal loading / benthic recycling

Release of phosphorus from sediments can exacerbate eutrophication in lakes and reservoirs. How much phosphorus has accumulated in sediments? Does this legacy phosphorus store represent a risk to improving water quality? Can we predict if, how and when phosphorus will be released back to the water column?

Organic matter degradation and carbon balance

Does nutrient availability matter?

Microorganisms responsible for the breakdown of organic matter and the release of methane and carbon dioxide require nutrients to grow and reproduce. How much does nutrient availability control organic matter degradation and carbon storage in lake sediments and wetland soils?