Le besoin d’agir face aux inondations n’a jamais été aussi pressant. Le Québec a connu dernièrement des épisodes exceptionnels qui rendent à l’évidence la vulnérabilité des communautés face aux inondations, notamment d’un point de vue des infrastructures. Il est temps de réaliser un virage vers des innovations de l’aménagement qui seront davantage inclusives de l’eau. Dans cet esprit, les infrastructures vertes et bleues pourraient offrir une solution complémentaire aux infrastructures plus traditionnelles, étant plus respectueuses de l’environnement ainsi que des personnes, caractérisées par une flexibilité qui vient compenser l’incertitude climatique présentement vécue. Ce mémoire de recherche vise à étudier et cadrer le concept d’infrastructures vertes et bleues afin de proposer un scénario adapté au contexte québécois. L’exercice a permis de proposer des interventions théoriques à deux échelles complémentaires, misant sur les réalisations des acteurs de l’eau ainsi que du laboratoire de recherche dans lequel ce mémoire prend place. / The need to act in the face of floods has never been more crucial. Quebec has recently experienced exceptional episodes that highlight the vulnerability of communities to flooding, particularly from an infrastructure point of view. It is time to shift towards planning innovations that will be more inclusive of water as a resource. In this spirit, green and blue infrastructures could offer a complementary solution to more traditional interventions, being more respectful of the environment as well as people and characterized by a flexibility that can potentially compensate for the climatic uncertainty currently experienced. This thesis aims to study and adapt de concept of green and blue infrastructure to the province of Quebec, by developing a project proposal. This exercise yielded the proposal of theoretical scenarios at two complementary scales, building off local and regional interventions as well as some of the work realized by the research group in which this project takes place.

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Multiple dimensions of biodiversity within and across producer and consumer guilds in the food web affect an ecosystem’s functionality and stability. Tropical and subtropical aquatic ecosystems, which are extremely diverse, have received much less attention than terrestrial ecosystems in regards to the effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning. We conducted a field experiment that tested for effects of macrophyte functional diversity on diversity and stability of associated fish assemblages in floodplain lakes of the Upper Paraná River floodplain, Brazil. Three levels of macrophyte functional diversity were maintained through time in five floodplain lakes and response variables included various components of fish taxonomic and functional diversity and stability. Components of functional diversity of fish assemblages were quantified using a suite of ecomorphological traits that relate to foraging and habitat use. Response variables primarily distinguished macrophyte treatments from the control. Macrophyte treatments had, on average, double the number of species and total abundance than the control treatment, but only limited effects on stability. The high diversity treatment was essentially nested within the low diversity for assemblage structure and had similar or even slightly lower levels of species richness and abundance in most cases. Gymnotiformes and young-of-year were diverse and relatively abundant in macrophyte treatments contributing to the large differences in diversity between macrophyte and control treatments. Higher fish diversity in structured habitats compared to more homogenous habitats is likely associated with increased ecomorphological diversity to exploit heterogeneous microhabitats and resources provided by the macrophytes.

Shire of Murray has concerns regarding the negative impact that a 100 year flood could have on existing structures built before 1997. The increase cost in construction due to landfill has an adverse effect on development in Pinjarra. Feasibility of constructing a diversion channel at upstream of Murray River to attenuate the flood level from 1 in 100 year ARI to 1 in 50 year ARI, was investigated by Kiong (2003). The Murray River Water Surface Profile along three kilometres south of Greenlands Road was modelled. Flood damages on each flood occurrence were assessed and Average Annual Damage (AAD) was calculated. The AAD is used to estimate the monetary benefit against the construction cost of the diversion channel. Groundwater along Greenlands and Fauntleroy Drains was also modelled to determine the viable depth of the designed channel, as well as the analysis of backwater. The proposed channel is designed at different scenarios (invert level at breakout point, culvert or causeway design, and diversion channel variations). The benefit cost ratio of the proposed diversion channel is calculated. Other mitigation options are suggested including detention basins for structural measure, or building a new flood-proof township for non-structural measure.

Das Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit ist die ausführliche Analyse und Beschreibung langfristiger abiotischer Standortbedingungen von Fluss und Grundwasser für das in einem Hartholzauenwald gelegene Untersuchungsgebiet im Naturschutzgebiet Saalberghau an der Mittleren Elbe bei Dessau. Hierzu erfolgt zunächst die Entwicklung eines allgemeinen Konzeptes, dass die Modellierung des Fluss- und des Grundwasserregimes sowie die statistische Auswertung dieser miteinander verbundenen Regime umfasst. Es wird davon ausgegangen, dass nur eine Synthese dieser Einzelbausteine die Grundlage für eine zusammenhängende Analyse und Beschreibung der komplexen auentypischen Dynamik dieser beiden Regime anhand objektivierbarer statistischer Parameter bilden kann. Darüberhinaus stellt die Zielsetzung auf langfristige Aussagen eine unentbehrliche Voraussetzung dar, um das Zeitspektrum der hier zu betrachtenden Altbäume typischer Hartholzauenbaumarten adäquat berücksichtigen zu können. / The present dissertation aims at a detailed analysis and description of the long-term abiotic site conditions (river flow and groundwater) for the floodplain area under investigation, namely a hardwood forest in the nature reserve "Saalberghau" on the Middle Elbe close to the town Dessau. For this purpose, firstly a general concept which covers the modelling of the surface water and groundwater regime as well as a statistical interpretation of these two interconnected regimes is developed. It is assumed that only a synthesis of those separate modules can form a sufficient basis for a cohering analysis and description of the complex dynamics of these two regimes in floodplain forests by means of objective statistic parameters. Furthermore, only longterm statements can take into account the age spectrum of the hardwood stand.

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L’objectif de cette recherche est de comprendre comment des facteurs d’ordre social et environnemental ont influencé, en Amazonie brésilienne, le peuplement, l’appropriation et l’usage conjugué des ressouces naturelles, dans une région de transition entre des écosystèmes de plaines d’inondation et de terre ferme. L’approche adoptée est historique et ethnographique, afin d’examiner comment les relations de pouvoir et les pratiques sociales sont articulées au régime hydraulique de crues et d’étiages. Le lieu de l’étude est la région du Lago Grande do Curuai, dans la commune de Santarém (État du Pará), au croisement des communes d’Óbidos et Juruti. Je me suis interrogé sur de possibles continuités et ruptures entre les relations de pouvoir actuelles et celles de l’époque coloniale – relations qui influencent la circulation des hommes entre ces deux écosystèmes. Je conclue que les plaines d’inondation (várzeas) sont, aujourd’hui encore, contrôlées par des segments sociaux issus de l’élite locale, formés de propriétaires terriens et d’éleveurs de bovins. Ceux-ci ont construit leur pouvoir pendant la colonie portugaise et ont graditativement impulsé un mouvement vers des terres situées de plus en plus loin dans la terre ferme, avançant sur la forêt. Depuis 1950, l’élevage est la principale activité économique à l’origine de cette expansion, au moyen des pratiques liées à la transhumance du bétail. Parmi les facteurs qui induisent la circulation saisonnière entre la várzea et la terre ferme, la transhumance a reçu une attention particulière dans ce travail. Initialement réservée aux grands fazendeiros, cette pratique s’est popularisée dès les années 1970 parmi les différents profiles d’éleveurs, avec une intensification dans les années 1990. L’élevage repose sur trois pratiques locales qui favorisent la transumance : les « sociétés », les « permissions » et les locations de terrain (arrendamentos). Leur analyse conjointe m’a permis de montrer que les « sociétés » entre grands et petits éleveurs sont à l’origine de l’expansion de l’élevage. Cette activité va bien au-delà d’un « livret d’épargne » ; elle confère du prestige et une opportunité d’accéder régulièrement aux plaines d’inondation. Lors de la création, en 2005, d’un projet d’établissement agro-extractiviste – le PAE Lago Grande – afin de régulariser l’occupation foncière des populations régionales, seuls les terrains de terre ferme ont été intégrés dans la nouvelle unité territoriale. Ceux de várzea en ont été exclus. Les données disponibles permettent de montrer qu’au fond, la structure foncière n’a pas été modifiée. Dès lors, les relations de pouvoir historiquement inscrites dans ce paysage restent relativement inchangées. Enfin, la circulation des populations régionales entre ces deux écosystèmes ainsi que les pratiques de transhumance n’ont pas été prises en compte lors de la mise en œuvre des politiques de gestion territoriale en Amazonie. / The aim of this study is to understand the role of the social and environmental order influenced the peopling, land appropriation and the seasonal use of natural resources between floodplains (várzea) and firm land (terra firme) ecosystems in the Brazilian Amazon. I follow an historical and ethnographical approach to examine how social practices and the local power relations influenced the interrelated dynamic between social life and water movements (floods and droughts). The study area is Lago Grande, located in the city of Santarem, Pará State bordering the towns of Óbidos and Juruti. The main question is to investigate if power relations among social groups established and inherited during the colonial living in Lago Grande region are still operating in current times, and how this situation affects the control of transhumance between várzea and terra firme ecosystems. I conclude that the Amazon floodplains are still controlled by local elites, represented by land and livestock owners. The local elite established their socio-political power during colonial times, dominating an increasing process of entering from várzea to terra firme areas (i.e. deforestation). Since 1950, the main economical activity responsible for the expansion of land use from várzea to terra firme was cattle raising through transhumance between both ecosystems. Transumance has received a specific attention in this study, for it is among the main factors encouraging the circulation of local population between várzea and terra firme environments. From 1970’s, large farmers started the transhumance which was later followed by smaller farmers, and intensified through the 1990’s. Cattle ranching builds on three local practices which promote transhumance: “societies”, “permissions” and land rentals (arrendamentos). A joint analysis allowed me to demonstrate that “societies” between large and small farmers sustain the cattle ranching growth. This activity is lucrative and bestows prestige and opportunities to access the floodplains more regularly. In 2005, an Agro-extractivist Settlement was created (PAE Lago Grande) to favor land distribution and better economical opportunities among local populations. Though, the territorial unit included terra firme but not the areas of the várzea ecosystem, vital for the local economy part of the year. Additionally, the PAE also did not alter the land tenure, keeping the same historically constructed power structures it aimed to deconstruct. / O objetivo geral desta pesquisa foi compreender como fatores de ordem social e ambientalinfluenciaram o povoamento, a apropriação e o uso conjugado dos recursos naturais em umaregião de transição entre os ecossistemas de várzea e de terra firme na Amazônia brasileira.Adotei uma abordagem histórica e etnográfica para examinar como relações de poder e práticassociais mediaram a articulação da vida social ao regime de cheias e vazantes. A área eleita paraa realização da pesquisa foi a região do Lago Grande, localizada no município de Santarém-PA, na confluência com os municípios de Óbidos e Juruti. Questionei se seria possível, naatualidade, enxergar nas relações entre os segmentos sociais que coabitam a região do LagoGrande continuidades e rupturas com as relações de poder herdadas do período colonial e comotais relações poderiam estar intervindo na circulação humana entre os dois ecossistemas.Conclui-se que as várzeas ainda são controladas por segmentos das elites locais, formadas porproprietários de terras e gado. Estes fundaram seu poder no período colonial e lentamentecomandaram o processo de ampliação dos sistemas de uso da terra para os interiores da terrafirme. Desde 1950, a principal atividade econômica a impulsionar esta expansão tem sido apecuária, por meio da prática da transumância. Entre os diversos fatores que sustentam acirculação sazonal entre a várzea e a terra firme pela população local, a transumância recebeuatenção especial da pesquisa. Iniciada pelos grandes fazendeiros, a transumância se popularizouentre os diversos perfis de criadores a partir das décadas de 1970 e foi intensificada na décadade 1990. Três instituições comandam a atividade pecuária e logo sustentam a transumância: as“sociedades”, as permissões e os arrendamentos. Analisados em conjunto estes institutospermitiram que a pesquisa chegasse à conclusão de que as “sociedades” entre grandes epequenos criadores sustentam o crescimento da pecuária, atividade que muito mais do que umasimples poupança é sinônimo de prestígio e oportunidade de acesso regular a várzea. A criaçãode um projeto de assentamento agroextrativista em 2005, o PAE Lago Grande, anexou apenasa faixa de terra firme da região do Lago Grande, deixando as várzeas de fora. O PAE não anexouas várzeas e não alterou a estrutura fundiária em terra firme. Desta forma, pouco alterou asrelações de poder historicamente construídas. Por fim, considera-se que a circulação realizadaentre as populações regionais entre os dois ecossistemas, de maneira geral, e a transumância,em particular, não vem sendo levada em consideração nas políticas de ordenamento territorialna Amazônia.