COARSE WOODY HABITAT ADDITIONS TO BOREAL LAKES - AN EFFECTIVE RESTORATION TOOL?

We are experimentally evaluating coarse woody habitat (CWH) addition in northern boreal regions for compensating for fish habitat loss linked with hydroelectric production before it is applied at a broader scale in Québec. Over the next five years, we will conduct a replicated whole lake ecosystem experiment in the Haute-Mauricie region, Québec in which CWH additions will be installed in boreal lakes that will be monitored, along with nearby reference lakes, for five years for fish movement and production, fish prey community dynamics, and metrics of lake ecosystem function.
Collaborators: Hydro-Québec, the Atikamekw First Nation (Manawan) and the ministère de l’Environnement, de la lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la faune et des parcs (MELCCFP).