Les pressions anthropiques peuvent avoir une influence négative sur la qualité de l’eau et sur la capacité d'un lac à fournir des services écosystémiques (SÉ). Cependant, une approche intégrant les connaissances écologiques et sociales nécessaires pour identifier les lacs les plus à risque de perdre leurs SÉ fait actuellement défaut. Nous fournissons ici un cadre qui intègre l'état écologique des lacs, les menaces pour la qualité de l’eau et l’utilisation des SÉ récréatifs à des échelles régionales pour identifier les zones vulnérables. En utilisant les données de plus de 660 lacs échantillonnés à travers le Canada, une classification régionale des lacs basée sur les caractéristiques biophysiques de lacs peu impactés a été déterminée. L'écart des lacs impactés par rapport aux caractéristiques naturelles de leur région a permis d'identifier les concentrations d'azote total et de chlorure comme les indicateurs les plus constants d’une altération de l’état écologique des lacs par l’activité humaine. L'état écologique, le niveau de menace et l’utilisation des SÉ ont été combinés et cartographiés avec un modèle de couleur additif. Les lacs du sud de l'Ontario et du Québec étaient les plus préoccupants, car ils étaient très altérés, menacés et fortement utilisés. Les lacs situés près des centres urbains des deux côtes étaient altérés et utilisés, mais apparemment moins menacés, tandis que ceux des Prairies étaient altérés et menacés, mais moins utilisés. Notre nouveau cadre fournit la première biogéographie socio-écologique des lacs canadiens et constitue un outil de gestion prometteur pour évaluer l'état et la vulnérabilité des lacs. / Anthropogenic pressures can negatively influence water quality and a lake's ability to provide ecosystem services (ES). However, an approach that integrates the ecological and social knowledge needed to identify lakes most at risk of losing their ES is currently lacking. Here, we provide a framework that integrates lake ecological status, water quality threats, and recreational ES use at regional scales to identify vulnerable areas. Using data from over 660 lakes sampled across Canada, a regional classification of lakes based on the biophysical characteristics of low impact lakes was determined. The deviation of impacted lakes from the natural characteristics of their region identified total nitrogen and chloride concentrations as the most consistent indicators of altered ecological state of lakes due to human activity. Ecological status, threat level and ES use were combined and mapped using an additive color model. Lakes in southern Ontario and Quebec were of greatest concern as they were highly altered, threatened and heavily used. Lakes near urban centers on both coasts were altered and used, but apparently less threatened, while those in the Prairies were altered and threatened, but less used. Our new framework provides the first socio-ecological biogeography of Canadian lakes and is a promising management tool for assessing lake state and vulnerability.

The prey consumption by benthivorous fish predators can have profound top-down effects in stream food webs. To analyse this effects in small temperate stream ecosystems, a long-term field experiment was conducted in two streams in South-eastern Germany, Gauernitzbach and Tännichtgrundbach, from 2004 to 2011. The densities of two small-bodied benthivorous fish species, gudgeon (Gobio gobio) and stone loach (Barbatula barbatula), were manipulated following a Before-After-Control-Impact design. The top predator regime affected the benthic community composition of the streams mainly in pools, whereas the total benthic invertebrate biomass was not affected in any mesohabitat. The present work describes a causal analysis of the observed food web effects using additional field analyses and laboratory experiments, with a special focus on the habitat use and foraging behaviour of the fish as top predators. The probably most important of the analysed mechanisms was mesohabitat-specific predation by the fish. Three 24-h field video surveys combined with benthic invertebrate sampling showed that constraints in habitat use, especially for gudgeon, induced a differential predator-prey habitat overlap which resulted in a higher predation risk for the invertebrate prey in pools than in riffles. Another important mechanism was selective predation of both fish species. Their prey selectivity was largely explained by a small number of prey variables being connected to the partly non-visual foraging mode of these benthic predators. Besides the traits body size and feeding type, long-term mean abundance played a central role, small and highly abundant invertebrates, grazers and sediment feeders being preferred by gudgeon and stone loach. The preference for small and abundant prey taxa (chironomids) exceeded purely opportunistic feeding and probably facilitated resource partitioning between the two fish species having very similar diets. In addition to active selectivity, different predator avoidance strategies of the invertebrates analysed in laboratory experiments explained the passive selectivity of the fish predators for certain prey taxa in the streams. This could be shown for two abundant taxa being consumed by the fish predators in very different quantities, Gammarus pulex and Hydropsyche instabilis. These three mechanisms, although probably interacting with several other factors, could explain a large part of the effects the top-down food web manipulation had on the benthic community, especially the observed high degree of mesohabitat and species specificity. Confirming this, quantitative characteristics of predation food webs, for instance the importance of intraguild predation, differed markedly between pool and riffle mesohabitats. From the results of this study it can be concluded that the benthivorous fish affected benthic community structure mainly by mesohabitat-specific and selective predation. A manipulation of this (native) top predator type therefore will probably have such rather subtle but not catastrophic consequences in ecosystems with a high biotic diversity and a rich natural habitat structure and connectivity.

Nous avons cherché des relations empiriques entre l’abondance des macrophytes submergés et le développement résidentiel du bassin versant, les propriétés du lac et la présence de milieux humides dans 34 lacs de la région des Laurentides et de Lanaudière sélectionnés à travers un gradient de développement résidentiel. Les macrophytes submergés ont été échantillonnés par méthode d’échosondage à l’intérieur de la zone littorale. L’abondance moyenne des macrophytes a ensuite été estimée à l’intérieur de quatre zones de croissance optiquement définies (profondeur maximale = 75 %, 100 %, 125 % et 150 % de la profondeur de Secchi) ainsi qu’à l’intérieur de toute la zone littorale. L’occupation humaine a été considérée selon trois échelles spatiales : celle présente 1- dans un rayon de 100 mètres autour du lac, 2- dans la fraction du bassin versant qui draine directement vers le lac et 3- dans le bassin versant en entier. Nous avons aussi testé, lac par lac, l’effet de la pente locale sur l’abondance des macrophytes. Nous avons observé des corrélations positives et significatives entre l’abondance des macrophytes submergés et l’occupation humaine de l’aire de drainage direct (r > 0.51). Toutefois, il n’y a pas de relation entre l’abondance des macrophytes submergés et l’occupation humaine de la bande de 100 mètres entourant le lac et du bassin versant entier. Les analyses de régression multiple suggèrent que l’abondance des macrophytes submergés est faiblement corrélée avec l’aire du lac (+) et avec la présence de milieux humides dans le bassin versant entier (-). Localement, l’abondance des macrophytes est reliée à la pente et à la profondeur qui expliquent 21% de la variance. Les profondeurs de colonisation maximale et optimale des macrophytes submergés sont corrélées positivement au temps de résidence et à la profondeur de Secchi et négativement à l’occupation humaine et à l’importance des milieux humides. / We searched for empirical relationships between whole-lake submerged macrophyte abundance and residential development, lake properties and wetlands in 34 lakes from the Laurentides-Lanaudière region subjected to a wide range of residential development. Submerged macrophyte abundance was assessed by echosounding of the entire littoral zone. Human encroachment was measured at three spatial scales: Within 1- a 100 m-wide buffer strip circling the lake, 2- the fraction of the watershed that drains directly into the lake and 3- the entire watershed. Single and multiple regression were used to test the effect of residential development on macrophyte abundance in the entire littoral zone and within four optical growth zones defined by Secchi depth. The local effect of slope on local macrophyte abundance was also tested in individual lakes. We found significant positive correlations between submerged macrophyte abundance and dwelling density present within the direct drainage area (r > 0.51). In contrast, there was no significant relation between macrophyte abundance and human occupation of the 100 m-wide buffer circling lake and the entire watersheds. Multiple regression analysis suggest that submerged macrophyte abundance is weakly correlated with lake area (+) and wetland importance within the entire watershed (-). Locally, macrophyte abundance is related to slope and depth which explained together 21% of the variance. Maximum and optimum colonization depths of submerged macrophytes were positively correlated to residence time and Secchi depth and negatively to human occupation and to wetland importance.

Im Rahmen einer deutsch-australischen Forschungskooperation erfolgte im Südsommer 2001/2002 eine Expedition in die Amery-Oase (70°50’S, 68°00’E), die im Einzugsgebiet des Lambert-Gletscher/Amery-Schelfeis-Systems, dem größten ostantarktischen Eis-Drainagesystem, liegt. Von deutscher Seite wurden im Zuge der Geländekampagne erstmals lakustrine Sedimentsequenzen gewonnen, um die bislang wenig erforschte spätquartäre Klima- und Umweltgeschichte dieser rund 1800 km² großen eisfreien Region zu rekonstruieren. Die drei untersuchten Glazialseen Beaver, Radok und Terrasovoje unterscheiden sich sowohl deutlich in ihrer Größe, Bathymetrie und den hydrologischen Merkmalen sowie in ihren Sedimentabfolgen. <br><br> Einen Schwerpunkte dieser Doktorarbeit bildet die Rekonstruktion der Sedimentationsprozesse und des Ablagerungsmilieus sowie Untersuchungen zur Herkunft des detritischen Sedimentmaterials in den Seebecken. Der methodische Ansatz verfolgt die Charakterisierung der klastischen Sedimentfazies an Hand lithologisch-granulometrischer Merkmale sowie mineralogisch-geochemischer Analysen der Sedimentherkunft. Ein weiterer Schwerpunkt ist die Rekonstruktion der holozänen biogen gesteuerten Ablagerungsbedingungen im Terrasovoje-See, die Rückschlüsse auf den kurzfristigen postglazialen Klima- und Umweltwandel in der Amery-Oase gestattet. Dabei wurden mikrofazielle Untersuchungsmethoden und hochauflösende Elementscannermessungen angewandt. <br><br> Die klastische Sedimentherkunft in den drei Seen unterscheidet sich räumlich deutlich voneinander und spiegelt den komplexen geologischen Aufbau der Amery-Oase wider. Als Sedimentquellen konnten präkambrische Metamorphite, permotriassische Sedimentgesteine und tertiäre Lockersedimente identifiziert werden. Die Varibilität der Herkunftssignale ist zeitlich weniger deutlich als räumlich ausgeprägt und deutet auf relativ konstante Liefergebiete in den einzelnen Seen hin. <br><br> Das glaziolakustrine Ablagerungsmilieu der drei untersuchten Seen zeigt klare räumliche und zeitliche Unterschiede. In allen drei Seen setzen sich die älteren Sedimente aus grobkörnigem, häufig diamiktischem Material zusammen, während die jüngeren Sedimente aus feinkörnigen Laminiten bestehen. Die lithofazielle Zweiteilung in den Sedimentabfolgen deutet auf einen Rückzug der Gletscher und/oder einen Anstieg der Wassertiefen im Übergang von den grobkörnigen zu den feinkörnigen Ablagerungseinheiten hin. Die oberen feinkörnigen Kernabschnitte spiegeln in allen drei Seen die postglaziale lakustrine Sedimentation wider. Im Beaver-See wird die postglaziale Fazies durch laminierte klastische Stillwassersedimente repräsentiert, im Radok-See durch Turbiditsequenzen und im Terrasovoje-See durch Algenlaminite. <br><br> Abgesehen vom Terrasovoje-See ist die zeitliche Einordnung der Fazieswechsel auf Grund mangelnder Altersinformationen schwer erfassbar. Im Terrasovoje-See setzte die postglaziale Sedimentation um rund 12,4 cal. ka ein. Somit weisen die darunterliegenden glazigenen Klastika mindestens ein spätpleistozänes Alter auf. Die sedimentologischen Eigenschaften, Änderungen der Sedimentationsraten und organogene Zusammensetzung der postglazialen Biogenlaminite des Terrasovoje-Sees deuten auf Variationen der paläolimnologischen Bedingungen hinsichtlich Eisbedeckung, biologischer Produktivität, Wasserstand, Redoxbedingungen und Salinität hin, die mit regionalen holozänen Klimaänderungen in Verbindung gebracht werden können. Weitere Anhaltspunkte ergeben sich aus der Zusammensetzung und den Mächtigkeitsvariationen der Laminae, die generell aus Wechsellagerungen von Cyanobakterienmatten mit feinklastischen Lagen bestehen. Lagenzählungen der Laminae belegen Änderungen des Ablagerungsmilieus auf subdekadischen Zeitskalen, wobei zeitweilige jährliche Signale nicht ausgeschlossen werden können. Unter Berücksichtigung aller faziellen Indikatoren lässt sich aus der Sedimentabfolge des Terrasovoje-Sees ein frühholozänes Klimaoptimum zwischen 9 und 7 cal. ka sowie weitere Wärmephasen zwischen 3,2 und 2,3 cal. ka sowie 1,5 und 1,0 cal. ka ableiten. <br><br> Im Vergleich mit Eiskernarchiven und anderen Seesedimentabfolgen aus ostantarktischen Oasen zeigt sich, dass das Auftreten postglazialer Warmphasen nicht allenorts einem allgemein gültigen räumlich-zeitlichen Muster folgt. Die Ursachen hierfür liegen vermutlich in den lokalen geographischen Gegebenheiten. Es lässt sich daraus schliessen, dass die bisher vorliegenden Klimarekonstruktionen eher das Lokalklima an einem Untersuchungsstandort als das Großklima der Ostantarktis reflektieren. Daraus ergibt sich die Notwendigkeit weiterer Untersuchungen von antarktischen Klimaarchiven und Untersuchungsstandorten, um örtliche von überregionalen Klimasignalen besser unterscheiden zu können. / In the scope of a German-Australian research cooperation field work was conducted in the Amery Oasis (70°50’S, 68°00’E), situated in the Lambert Glacier/Amery Ice Shelf region, the largest East Antarctic ice drainage system. The German part comprised the retrieval of lacustrine sediment cores for the reconstruction of the late Quaternary development of the palaeoenvironment in the 1800 km² large ice-free region. The three studied glacial lakes Beaver, Radok, and Terrasovoje reveal marked differences in size, hydrology and their sedimentary inventory. The goals of this thesis were to infer the onset of depostion in the lacustrine basins and to characterize changes in the depositional environment in the course of glacial retreat and the postglacial climate development. The methodic approach followed the recognition of sedimentary facies variability and sediment sources by means of facies analysis and mineralogical-geochemical provenance analysis. Another aspect was the high-resolution reconstruction of postglacial biogenic sedimentary modes in Lake Terrasovoje that provide insights into the short-term Holocene palaeo-climatic and palaeoenvironmental development. <br><br> The origin of siliciclastics shows marked spatial differences between the lakes, reflecting the complex geological setting of the Amery Oasis. The main detrital sources comprise crystalline rocks of the East Antarctic craton, Permotriassic and Tertiary sedimentary rocks. The temporal variability of sediment provenance is less developed than the spatial pattern, pointing to relatively constant sediment sources through time in the respective lakes. <br><br> The glaciolacustrine depositional environment of the three lakes shows clear spatial and temporal contrasts. In all lakes, the older sediments are composed of coarse, partly diamictic lithologies, while the younger materials consist of fine-grained laminites. The twofold lithofacial pattern is related to regional glacial retreat at the boundary between both sedimentary units that reduced direct glacigenic sediment input. In the epishelf Lake Beaver, in addition, the effect of postglacial sea-level rise led also to the rise of lake level and shifted the study site towards a more distal position from the shore, away from the influence of coarse clastic sediment input. The upper sedimentary units of the three lakes are dominated by fine-grained sediments, which only occasionally include ice-rafted dropstones. The postglacial sediments comprise clastic stillwater laminites at Lake Beaver, finely laminated turbidites in Lake Radok, and algal laminites in Lake Terrasovoje. <br><br> Apart from Lake Terrasovoje the timing of the lithological change is hard to determine, because of missing age constraints. At Lake Terrasovoje, the postglacial sequence started at approximately 12.4 cal. ka BP, suggesting an late Pleistocene age for the underlying glacial sediments. Sedimentological features, changes in sedimentation rates, and the compositional variability of the organic-rich postglacial laminites in Lake Terrasovoje point to variations in the palaeolimnic environment in terms of ice cover, biological productivity, lake level, redox conditions, and salinity that can be related to the regional Holocene climate history. Further evidence arises from the structure, composition, and thickness variations of the laminae, which basically consist of alternations of algal mats (cyanobacteria) and fine-clastic layers. The counting of laminae couplets reveal changes in the depositional enviroment at sub-decadal time scales that partly might include annual layering. Under the consideration of all sedimentological facies indicators, the postglacial laminite sequence of Lake Terrasovoje documents an early Holocene climate optimum between 9 and 7 cal. ka as well as two warm spells between 3.2 and 2.3 cal. ka and 1.5 and 1.0 cal. ka, respectively. <br><br> In comparison with ice-core records and lake records from other East Antarctic ice-free regions, it becomes evident that the appearence of warm episodes does not follow a consistent spatial-temporal pattern. Common trends comprise the existence of an early Holocene climate optimum, as seen in the ice-core records and in the Amery Oasis, and several warm episodes in the middle to late Holocene that are often time-transgressive. The cause of this inconsistent pattern probably can be explained by local boundary conditions that affect the study sites, such as topography, maritime influences and the distance to glacial ice. Therefore, many climate reconstructions basically document local climate rather than overregional Antarctic climate. In conclusion, there is need for ongoing palaeoclimatic studies in East Antarctica and the establishment of a dense network of study sites to distinguish and validate local from overregional palaeoclimatic fingerprints.

The aim of this study was to identify the algal genera found in the different freshwater bodies on Marion Island, to relate the presence or absence of the genera to the chemistry of the water bodies and to group the genera according to their limno-chemical preferences. The Island's freshwater algal genera were also compared with genera found on other Southern Ocean islands. The major factors influencing the chemical composition of the freshwaters of the island are the surrounding ocean and the manuring of seals and seabirds. The Western and Southern lakelets and wallows had higher mean conductivity values than most of the other water bodies. Eastern Inland lakelets, crater lakes and glacial lakes had low ion and nutrient concentrations, since they are mainly situated inland, away from bird or seal colonies. The chemical composition of wallows was influenced by manuring of seals and seabirds. The freshwaters are acidic and lakelets tend to be more acidic than glacial lakes. The lentic waters were more acidic than the stream. In total, 106 genera, mainly belonging to Chlorophyta (60 genera; 56% of total) and Cyanophyta (29 genera; 27% of total), were found in the freshwaters on the island. Other algal divisions found were Chrysophyta (7 genera), Euglenophyta (4 genera), Pyrrophyta (2 genera) and Xanthophyta (4 genera). Mean number of genera per sample ranged from 8 (in wallows) to 16 (in Eastern Inland lakelets). Filamentous algae were present in all the samples. Abundant green algae were Cosmarium, Klebsormidium, Mougeotia and Oedogonium. The most common cyanobacteria were Lyngbya and Chroococcus. The filamentous yellow-green alga, Tribonema, was also common. There were distinct differences in the algal composition between the southern, western and northern lakelets and the lakelets on the eastern side of the island. Sixty percent of the algal genera were present in waters with low conductivity values. Trichodesmium, Sphaerocystis and Tolypothrix occurred in freshwater bodies with higher conductivity values. Variance analysis showed that 87 of the 106 genera were less likely to occur in nitrogen and phosphate containing waters. Chlamydomonas, Prasiola, Spirogyra Trachelomonas, Tribonema, Ulothrix and Xanthidium were among the genera commonly found in nitrogen and phosphate containing waters. Diversity (number of genera per sample) was negatively correlated with conductivity, PO4-P, NH4-N and NO3-N. Diversity declined significantly with increasing salinity and eutrophication. Genera likely to occur in acidic waters include Binuclearia, Chlamydomonas, Chroococcus, Cosmarium, Klebsormidium, Microspora, Oedogonium, Oocystis, Prasiola, Scenedesmus, Staurastrum, Stigeoclonium, Tetrastrum, Ulothrix, Lyngbya, Synura and Tribonema. Marion Island’s algal flora shows a high affinity with that of Îles Kerguelen and Crozet, both located in the same biogeographical province (South Indian Ocean Province) of the sub-Antarctic than Marion Island, and a lesser affinity with islands in other sub-Antarctic provinces. Algal genera were grouped according to their limno-chemistry preferences. / Thesis (MSc (Environmental Sciences))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

The aim of this study was to identify the algal genera found in the different freshwater bodies on Marion Island, to relate the presence or absence of the genera to the chemistry of the water bodies and to group the genera according to their limno-chemical preferences. The Island's freshwater algal genera were also compared with genera found on other Southern Ocean islands. The major factors influencing the chemical composition of the freshwaters of the island are the surrounding ocean and the manuring of seals and seabirds. The Western and Southern lakelets and wallows had higher mean conductivity values than most of the other water bodies. Eastern Inland lakelets, crater lakes and glacial lakes had low ion and nutrient concentrations, since they are mainly situated inland, away from bird or seal colonies. The chemical composition of wallows was influenced by manuring of seals and seabirds. The freshwaters are acidic and lakelets tend to be more acidic than glacial lakes. The lentic waters were more acidic than the stream. In total, 106 genera, mainly belonging to Chlorophyta (60 genera; 56% of total) and Cyanophyta (29 genera; 27% of total), were found in the freshwaters on the island. Other algal divisions found were Chrysophyta (7 genera), Euglenophyta (4 genera), Pyrrophyta (2 genera) and Xanthophyta (4 genera). Mean number of genera per sample ranged from 8 (in wallows) to 16 (in Eastern Inland lakelets). Filamentous algae were present in all the samples. Abundant green algae were Cosmarium, Klebsormidium, Mougeotia and Oedogonium. The most common cyanobacteria were Lyngbya and Chroococcus. The filamentous yellow-green alga, Tribonema, was also common. There were distinct differences in the algal composition between the southern, western and northern lakelets and the lakelets on the eastern side of the island. Sixty percent of the algal genera were present in waters with low conductivity values. Trichodesmium, Sphaerocystis and Tolypothrix occurred in freshwater bodies with higher conductivity values. Variance analysis showed that 87 of the 106 genera were less likely to occur in nitrogen and phosphate containing waters. Chlamydomonas, Prasiola, Spirogyra Trachelomonas, Tribonema, Ulothrix and Xanthidium were among the genera commonly found in nitrogen and phosphate containing waters. Diversity (number of genera per sample) was negatively correlated with conductivity, PO4-P, NH4-N and NO3-N. Diversity declined significantly with increasing salinity and eutrophication. Genera likely to occur in acidic waters include Binuclearia, Chlamydomonas, Chroococcus, Cosmarium, Klebsormidium, Microspora, Oedogonium, Oocystis, Prasiola, Scenedesmus, Staurastrum, Stigeoclonium, Tetrastrum, Ulothrix, Lyngbya, Synura and Tribonema. Marion Island’s algal flora shows a high affinity with that of Îles Kerguelen and Crozet, both located in the same biogeographical province (South Indian Ocean Province) of the sub-Antarctic than Marion Island, and a lesser affinity with islands in other sub-Antarctic provinces. Algal genera were grouped according to their limno-chemistry preferences. / Thesis (MSc (Environmental Sciences))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Les thiols et le sélénium peuvent jouer un rôle important dans la méthylation du mercure des environnements aquatiques. Pour démontrer la présence des thiols et du sélénium et leur relation avec le mercure dans certains écosystèmes d'eau douce québécois, une campagne d’échantillonnage fut réalisée durant l’été 2010, dans le parc national du Mont-Tremblant (Laurentides, Québec). Il existe une corrélation significative entre le sélénium et le mercure total dans l’eau des lacs du parc. Cependant, les concentrations de sélénium sont très faibles dans les lacs, les étangs de castor et les ruisseaux. Par ailleurs, les lacs du parc national du Mont-Tremblant ont des concentrations relativement élevées de méthylmercure avec une moyenne de 0,33 ng L-1 et des maximums allant jusqu’à 3,29 ng L-1. Les étangs de castor peuvent aussi être considérés comme des lieux de contamination au méthylmercure, avec une concentration moyenne de 0,95 ng L-1. Toutefois, la présence d’une colonie de castors sur le bassin versant d’un lac ne semble pas influencer les concentrations de mercure que l’on y retrouve. Deux thiols sont détectables dans l’eau de surface des Laurentides, soit le glutathion et l’acide thioglycolique. La concentration de ce dernier thiol est corrélée significativement avec celle du mercure total et du méthylmercure. Les thiols peuvent jouer un rôle important dans les processus de méthylation en favorisant le transport du mercure inorganique à l’intérieur des bactéries sulfato-réductrices. Afin de mieux comprendre l’action antagoniste entre le sélénium et le mercure, des études devraient être réalisées au niveau des tissus des organismes vivants dans ces zones pauvres en sélénium. / Thiols and selenium may influence mercury methylation in aquatic environments. To demonstrate the occurrence of both elements with mercury in selected aquatic systems of Quebec, a sampling campaign was conducted during the summer of 2010 in Mont-Temblant national park (Laurentians, Quebec). There is a significant correlation between selenium and total mercury in surface water. However, concentrations of selenium are very low in lakes and beavers ponds. In addition, the park’s lakes have a relatively high concentrations of methyl mercury with an average of 0,33 ng L-1 and maximum values up to 3,29 ng L-1. Beaver ponds can also be considered hotspots of methylmercury contamination, with an average concentration of 0,95 ng L-1. However, the presence of a colony of beavers in the watershed of a lake does not appear to influence the levels of mercury in that lake. Two species of thiols are present in the surface water of the Laurentian ecosystems: glutathione and thioglycolic acid. The latter is significantly correlated with total mercury and methyl mercury. Thiols may play an important role in the methylation process by promoting the transport of inorganic mercury within the sulfate-reducing bacteria. To better undestand the antagonistic action between selenium and mercury, more research should be conducted in the tissue of organisms living in areas of low concentration of selenium to know if they are protected against mercury toxicity.

L’effet du développement résidentiel des bassins versants sur l’habitat et la distribution des macrophytes dans le littoral de six lacs des Laurentides a été évalué à l’aide de carottes de sédiments et de quadrats. Le développement augmente la proportion de milieux déboisés ce qui réduit l’apport en débris de bois et augmente l’érosion et les apports de nutriments dans les sédiments du littoral. Les sédiments sont plus fins, plus denses et contiennent moins de matière organique. Ces changements favorisent les macrophytes en augmentant leur couverture dans les lacs développés. La présence d’espèces submergées de macrophytes est également favorisée au détriment des espèces à feuilles flottantes, plus caractéristiques des lacs moins développés. Même si la biomasse des macrophytes est limitée dans certains lacs, celle-ci augmente dans les lacs développés et montre des signes d’un effet tampon sur les apports de nutriments. Des quantités équivalentes à des valeurs entre 35 et 230% des apports annuels de phosphore et entre 79 et 659% des apports d’azote par les résidents ont été accumulées dans les tissus des macrophytes des lacs dont le bassin versant est très déboisé. Les sédiments s’enrichissent à la sénescence des macrophytes et contiennent alors plus de nutriments que la colonne d’eau et ce, pour tous les lacs. Une présence accrue d’espèces submergées et plus de nutriments dans les tissus des macrophytes des lacs développés, jumelés à l’absence de prolifération de phytoplancton malgré un plus grand apport de nutriments, laisse penser que les lacs des Laurentides sont en état d’eutrophisation précoce. / Effects of residential development on macrophyte habitat and distribution in the littoral zone of six lakes of the Laurentian region were assessed with quadrats and small cores. Residential development increases the proportion of open area which reduces coarse woody debris inputs and enhances erosion and nutrient inputs into the sediments. Sediments are then finer, more compact and contain less organic matter. With less important proportion of forested area in developed watersheds, nutrients inputs are then more important in sediment as well. These changes in macrophyte habitats enhance coverage of the littoral by aquatic plants in developed lakes. Submerged species are also favoured at the expense of floating species that are more typical of pristine conditions. Despite the limitation of aquatic plants biomass in some lakes, macrophyte biomass is higher in developed lakes and showed signs of a buffering effect on nutrient inputs, especially for phosphorus. Macrophyte nutrient content represented values between 35 and 230% of annual phosphorus inputs by residents on the shore of developed lakes and between 79 and 659% of the annual nitrogen inputs. Sediments are enriched by macrophytes at their senescence and therefore contain more nutrients than the water column and macrophytes for all lakes. The greater presence of submerged macrophytes, and the higher amount of nutrients in macrophytes of developed lakes combined with absence of phytoplankton blooms in spite of greater nutrient supply, suggests that Laurentian lakes are in an early stage of eutrophication.

Dans cette étude de trois lacs sujets aux efflorescences de cyanobactéries, nous avons examiné la diversité des bactéries diazotrophes et des cyanobactéries toxiques. Nous avons tenté de définir les facteurs environnementaux influençant la composition des communautés phytoplanctoniques, la concentration ainsi que la composition des microcystines (MCs). Nous avons émis l’hypothèse que l’azote jouerait un rôle majeur dans le façonnement des communautés cyanobactériennes et influencerait la concentration et composition des MCs. Des concentrations de cette toxine ainsi que le gène mcyE codant pour l’enzyme microcystine synthétase ont été détectés à chaque échantillonnage dans tous les lacs. L’azote, particulièrement sous sa forme organique dissoute (AOD) ainsi que la température de l’eau étaient les facteurs environnementaux expliquant le mieux les concentrations des MCs, tandis que la biomasse de Microcystis spp. était globalement le meilleur prédicteur. Le gène nifH codant pour l’enzyme nitrogénase (fixation d’azote) a aussi été détecté dans chaque échantillon. Malgré les concentrations faibles en azote inorganique dissous (AID) et les densités importantes d’hétérocystes, aucun transcrits du gène n’a été détecté par réverse-transcription (RT-PCR), indiquant que la fixation d’azote n’avait pas lieu à des niveaux détectables au moment de l’échantillonnage. De plus, le pyroséquençage révèle que les séquences des gènes nifH et mcyE correspondaient à différents taxons, donc que les cyanobactéries n’avaient pas la capacité d’effectuer les deux fonctions simultanément. / In this study of three eutrophic lakes prone to cyanobacterial blooms, we examined the diversity of diazotrophic bacteria and toxic cyanobacteria. We evaluated the environmental factors effects on the community composition, the concentration and composition of the family of toxins microcystins (MCs). Since the assimilation of nitrogen and the synthesis of MCs in cyanobacteria are thought to be under the same control of the NtcA transcriptor, we hypothesised that nitrogen played a major role in shaping cyanobacterial communities and influenced indirectly the concentration and composition of MCs. The mcyE gene coding for the microcystin synthetase enzyme and MCs concentrations were detected at each sampling date in all lakes. Nitrogen, particularly under its organic dissolved form (DON) as well as water temperature were the environmental factors explaining the most variation in MC concentration although Microcystis spp. biomass was overall the best predictor. The nifH gene coding for the nitrogenase enzyme (N2-fixation) was also detected at all times. Even though the concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen were relatively low, and that heterocysts were present in high densities, no nifH transcripts were detected by RT-PCR, indicating that no N2-fixation was going on at detectable levels at the time of sampling. Moreover, pyrosequencing revealed that sequences of the genes nifH and mcyE corresponded to different taxa, thus cyanobacteria did not have the capacity to perform both functions simultaneously.

Les thiols à faible masse moléculaire (FMM) peuvent affecter la biodisponibilité du mercure et mener à une plus grande production de méthylmercure par les microorganismes méthylants. Les résultats d’une étude réalisée au sein de la matrice extracellulaire du périphyton de la zone littorale d’un lac des Laurentides ont démontré que les concentrations en thiols à FMM retrouvées dans cette matrice sont jusqu’à 1000 fois supérieures à celles de la colonne d’eau avoisinante. Ces thiols sont significativement corrélés à la chlorophylle a du périphyton, suggérant une production par les algues. Le mercure de la matrice extracellulaire, plus spécifiquement dans la fraction colloïdale mobile, est aussi corrélé aux thiols d’origine algale. Ces résultats suggèrent qu’une accumulation de thiols s’opère dans l’espace extracellulaire du périphyton et qu’ils peuvent favoriser le transfert du mercure vers les microorganismes produisant le méthylmercure. Les résultats d’une seconde étude menée sur les méthodes de préservation d’échantillons d’eau pour la conservation des thiols à FMM ont démontré que la température optimale d’entreposage était de -80 °C et que la lyophilisation menait à une sous-estimation des concentrations mesurées. Les taux de dégradation étaient plus rapides lors de la conservation à -20 °C et variables selon la chimie de l’eau utilisée et les espèces de thiols observées. Suivant ces résultats, nous proposons un cadre de recherche pour de futures études sur la spéciation du mercure dans le périphyton et nous suggérons des précautions lors de la manipulation et de la conservation des thiols à FMM d’échantillons naturels. / Low molecular weight (LMW) thiols can affect the bioavailability of mercury and by enhancing methylmercury production by methylating microorganisms. Results of a study conducted within periphyton extracellular matrix in the littoral zone of a lake of the Laurentians have shown that LMW thiol concentrations found in this matrix are up to 1000 fold higher than those in the water column of surrounding waters. Relationships between these thiols and periphyton chlorophyll a were significant, suggesting production by algae. Mercury in the extracellular matrix, especially in the mobile colloidal fraction, was also correlated to thiols from algal sources. These results suggest thiol accumulation in the periphyton extracellular space, and that thiols likely promote mercury transfer to methylating microorganisms. A second study on preservation methods of natural water samples for LMW thiols conservation showed that a storage temperature of -80 °C was optimal and that freeze-drying led to an under-estimation of measured concentrations. Degradation rates were faster with storage at -20 °C and varied substantially depending on the chemistry of the water used as depending on thiol species observed. In regards of these results, we propose a research framework for future studies on mercury speciation processes in periphyton. We also suggest precautions on handling and storing natural samples for LMW thiol analyses.