International Collaborators

UNBC Research

Landscape Ecology Graduates

International Collaborators

Dr. Marcel van der Perk

Gosro Karimlou, MSc Candidate
Marlos van Lipzig,  MSc Candidate
Email: m.l.h.m.vanlipzig@students.uu.nl
Gosro Karimlou, Msc. and Marlos van Lipzig,  Msc. are students of Hydrology and Physical Geography from Utrecht University in the city of Utrecht, Holland. They have conducted their Msc. fieldwork at the Quesnel River Research Centre (QRRC) under the supervision of Dr. Marcel van der Perk.  Dr. van der Perk  is collaborating with Dr. Phil Owens from the UNBC.  The researchers from Utrecht are investigating the effects of mining on the geochemistry of the fine sediments in gravel in rivers.

For more information, link to a full presentation.

University of Northern British Columbia Research

Catherine Henry MSc

Supervisor: Dr. Mike Rutherford
Email: duchemi@unbc.ca
The Mount Polley Mine is working on extracting copper from the copper-oxide material through biologically induced copper heap leaching.  Copper oxide cannot be processed through conventional milling techniques therefore the need for alternative technologies was identified.  In collaboration with University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC), research is being conducted to evaluate the feasibility of this technology.  Essentially, the heap is a zero-discharge acid generating facility that mobilizes the copper from the rock and is recovered through an electro-winner. The heap is amended with elemental sulphur. As the leachate solution recirculates through the heap, the sulphur is oxidized by naturally occurring bacteria, Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans. The sulphuric acid produced in this reaction is the key to liberating copper ions and leaving them in solution. Because heap leaching of this nature has not yet been preformed at an industrial scale, researchers are evaluating the changes in solid and leachate phases. The goal of this study is to provide sound scientific data that identifies the chemical and physical dynamics of the heap such that future work in this field are built from a strong academic foundation.

Crystal McRae  MSc

Supervisor: Dr. Mark Shrimpton
Email: mcraec@unbc.ca   
Factors related to Spawning Site Locations in Interior Fraser Coho Salmon- Selection of spawning sites by adult salmon is thought to insure that the incubation environment for eggs and larval fish (alevins) is suitable and guarantee the animal’s reproductive success.  Suitable site selection is crucial because the highest rates of mortality over the life of a fish generally occur during the incubation period.  Much of the mortality that occurs during this time is directly related to characteristics of the site that the female selected.  There are a range of factors that have been identified to play an influential role on survival and growth of embryos and alevins, but their relative effect may depend on species and/or region.  My thesis study aims to develop a better understanding of the spawning habitat and incubation requirements of the Interior Fraser coho (IFC) in a northern interior watershed, McKinley Creek.  The objectives of this study are to (1) determine locations within the McKinley Creek watershed where IFC spawn; (2) characterize the physical and chemical features of specific spawning sites; and (3) gain a better understanding of survival and growth during incubation.  Findings of this investigation will play a key role in understanding the early life history of IFC as well as contributing significantly to the identification of critical habitats and their basin-wide distribution; both of which are major knowledge gaps required for the recovery of declining IFC stocks.
For more information, link to full text

Kyla Warren MSc

Supervisor: Dr. Mark Shrimpton
Email: kylawarren@gmail.com
The goal of this project is to determine the physical, chemical, and behavioural factors that affect the use of habitat by juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in the Horsefly-McKinley watershed. The coho in this system belong to the interior Fraser coho population, an understudied population that has experienced severe declines in recent decades. The study areas of the Horsefly-McKinley watershed will include mainstem, large creek, and small tributary habitat, which are representative of areas present within the watershed. Habitat usage patterns will be examined on a watershed scale using otolith chemistry to track movement of individual juvenile coho through the various regions and tributaries of the Horsefly-McKinley watershed. Habitat selection on a microhabitat scale will be assessed throughout the watershed by a survey of habitat characteristics including water chemistry, substrate, velocity, canopy and underwater cover, and bank characteristics.  Behavioural studies in artificial stream channels will target behavioural interactions such as territoriality and schooling that may have consequences for the use of habitats in a natural stream. A better description of the impact of these factors can assist in protection and restoration of critical rearing habitats for interior Fraser coho: a goal suggested by governmental stock reports.
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Landscape Ecology Research Group Graduates

See Landscape Ecology Research Group page for more details on current researchers in this group.

Ty Smith MSc Candidate

Supervisor: Dr. Phil Owens
Email: tsmith2@unbc.ca
Impact of Land use Activities on Fine Sediment- Associated Contaminants; Quesnel River Watershed-  A clear association between fine sediments and the transport of organic and inorganic contaminants has been documented for many river systems.  Through remote sampling of tributaries to the Quesnel River with predominant land use associations, contaminant concentration signatures will be derived. Of interest is the spatial and temporal variation between sample sites representing different land uses, and in particular if each land use activity has a distinct contaminant signature.  High-energy events such as storms or spring flood water levels should provide the greatest yield of fine sediment and thus the greatest concentration of contaminants into the system.  Using GIS to determine land use areas within the Quesnel River watershed, the aggregate influence of fine sediment-associated contaminant inputs at the city of Quesnel will be extrapolated.   

Sam Albers MSc

Supervisor: Dr. Ellen Petticrew
Email: albers@unbc.ca
My research interests lie in examining the nutrient cycling processes that occur during the salmon spawning events within the northern interior of British Columbia.  Specifically, I would like to study the role that stream bed biofilms play in the capture and storage of decayed salmon nutrients.  I plan to use the outdoor flumes at the Quesnel River Research Centre to experimentally determine the effect of biofilms on overall stream bed storage of salmon-derived nutrients.  Using a combination of microscopic imaging techniques and the measurement of direct physical parameters I hope to understand the mechanisms behind this process.