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Morgan Botrel
PhD candidate co-supervised by Christiane Hudon and Pascale Biron morgan.botrel@umontreal.ca MS Biology BSc Geography/Biology |
Assessing aquatic plant ecosystem services in a changing world
Morgan is passionate about aquatic plants. This passion arises from the key role plants play in aquatic ecosystems, performing multiple ecosystem services such as purifying water through nutrient retention, reducing erosion and sequestering carbon. With environmental changes, the distribution, abundance and diversity of plants are in mutation. Morgan thus studies how submerged plant beds promote the retention and elimination of nitrogen and phosphorus, two elements that when in excess result in eutrophication. She is particularly interested in the effect of climate change, hydraulic flows, shifts in plant community structure and functional traits influence this purification ecoservice. Her work goes from plant mapping using remote sensing, to explaining changes in plant biomass and diversity and mass balance calculations. Her work is taking place in the aquatic grass beds of lake Saint-Pierre, the largest fluvial lake of the Saint-Lawrence River, and a UNESCO Biosphere site. Her project is part of a strategic grant from the FRQNT regrouping many researchers from the GRIL and studying lake Saint-Pierre habitat degradation.
Career path and other interests
Before starting her PhD, Morgan worked for the GRIL as a project manager. She is a master organizer and managed two large research projects that involved thirty researchers and a large number of graduate students from six different universities. She previously completed a master in our laboratory where she studied how the cycling of nitrate, a compound limiting primary production in lakes, can be quantified using nitrate stable isotopes. She also studied nitrogen stable isotopes in the sediment as an indicator of nitrogen pollution.
Morgan is the formal cheese expert in our lab (no joke- she passed tasting exams!), who during her free time continues to develop and explore her passion for food. She is also taking care of her community garden, of course, with a balanced input of nitrogen and phosphorus… Morgan has great interests in arts, particularly in graphic design, and practises painting. Lastly, she is a mother that paves the way for women in science.
Morgan is the formal cheese expert in our lab (no joke- she passed tasting exams!), who during her free time continues to develop and explore her passion for food. She is also taking care of her community garden, of course, with a balanced input of nitrogen and phosphorus… Morgan has great interests in arts, particularly in graphic design, and practises painting. Lastly, she is a mother that paves the way for women in science.
Publications
Charrier-Tremblay C., Botrel M., Lapierre J.-F., Franssen J., Maranger R. 2020. Relative influence of watershed and geomorphic features on nutrient and carbon fluxes in a pristine and moderately urbanized stream. Science of The Total Environment DOI: 10.1016/jscitotenc.2019.136411
Bulat, M., Biron, P.M., Lacey, R.W.J., Botrel, M., Hudon, C., Maranger, R. In press. A 3D numerical model investigation of the impact of submerged macrophytes on flow dynamics in a large fluvial lake. Freshwater Biology Accepted May 28, 2019
Masse, S, Botrel M*, Wash DA, Maranger R. 2019. Annual nitrification dynamics in a seasonally ice-covered lake. Plos One DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213748 *corresponding author
Botrel, M, Altabet M, Bristowe L, Gregory-Eaves I, Maranger R. 2017. Assimilation and nitrification in pelagic waters: insights using dual nitrate stable isotopes (d15N, d18O) in a shallow lake. Biogeochemistry 135: 221-237.
Botrel, M, I Gregory-Eaves & R Maranger. 2014. Defining drivers of nitrogen stable isotopes (d15N) of surface sediments in temperate lakes. Journal of Paleolimnology 52(4) : 419-433.
Chen, G, DT Selbie, K Griffiths, JN Sweetman, M Botrel, ZE Taranu, S Knops, J Bondy, N Michelutti, JP Smol & I Gregory-Eaves. 2014. Proximity to ice fields and lake depth as modulators of paleoclimate records: a regional study from southwest Yukon, Canada. Journal of Paleolimnology 52(3) : 185-200.
Botrel, M. 2011. Caractérisation du cycle et des sources d’azote dans les lacs tempérés par l’utilisation d’isotopes stables. MS Thesis. Université de Montréal.
Bulat, M., Biron, P.M., Lacey, R.W.J., Botrel, M., Hudon, C., Maranger, R. In press. A 3D numerical model investigation of the impact of submerged macrophytes on flow dynamics in a large fluvial lake. Freshwater Biology Accepted May 28, 2019
Masse, S, Botrel M*, Wash DA, Maranger R. 2019. Annual nitrification dynamics in a seasonally ice-covered lake. Plos One DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213748 *corresponding author
Botrel, M, Altabet M, Bristowe L, Gregory-Eaves I, Maranger R. 2017. Assimilation and nitrification in pelagic waters: insights using dual nitrate stable isotopes (d15N, d18O) in a shallow lake. Biogeochemistry 135: 221-237.
Botrel, M, I Gregory-Eaves & R Maranger. 2014. Defining drivers of nitrogen stable isotopes (d15N) of surface sediments in temperate lakes. Journal of Paleolimnology 52(4) : 419-433.
Chen, G, DT Selbie, K Griffiths, JN Sweetman, M Botrel, ZE Taranu, S Knops, J Bondy, N Michelutti, JP Smol & I Gregory-Eaves. 2014. Proximity to ice fields and lake depth as modulators of paleoclimate records: a regional study from southwest Yukon, Canada. Journal of Paleolimnology 52(3) : 185-200.
Botrel, M. 2011. Caractérisation du cycle et des sources d’azote dans les lacs tempérés par l’utilisation d’isotopes stables. MS Thesis. Université de Montréal.
