Research projects and publications

Studying the potential impacts of climate change on northern biodiversity will provide better tools for tracking its spatial and temporal dynamics. The results will help identify areas that meet the goals of the protected areas network and ensure sound biodiversity conservation.

This project enabled us to adapt values for dimensions of liquid and solid manure storage structures based on climate change forecasts; and to update the guides created by Joncas et al. (1993) and train designers of open-air liquid and solid manure storage structures to use this new guide.

This projet allows to raise awareness among dairy producers and their agricultural consultant on the impacts of climate change for different styles of farms. Moreover, it will enable government departments to assess the potential impacts of climate change on the profitability and environmental performance of businesses in the dairy sector.

The results of this project will allow to ensure better management of fish stocks in lakes by taking account of future thermal profiles under climate change. It will also permit to assist the government of Québec formulate its strategic orientations and policies with respect to fauna, contributing to the survival of aquatic ecosystems and species in Northern Québec by quantifying the sensitivity of fish to climate change.

The study findings suggest that it is important to put information panels in parks and wooded areas in the Montérégie region to increase the awareness of users about the potential risks and the steps to take to protect themselves.

The hydrodynamic model of the river is now calibrated and ready to be used for low-flow and high-flow simulations of contaminant diffusion and dispersion, allowing hydrologists to adapt infrastructure according to anticipated climate change.

This project allows to improve knowledge about the competitive position of Quebec under climate change for three major agricultural sectors, as well as the identification of adaptation measures that could optimize production costs under climate change.

This project made it possible to raise awareness on the magnitude of climate change impacts and the evolution of agricultural land use on surface water quality in the future (2041-2070); and to improve the model used to evaluate the effectiveness of various combinations of agricultural adaptation options to reduce sediment and nutrient transport towards surface waters.

Taking into account both forest productivity and fire risk, as developed under this project, was used by the committee to study the northern limit for forest attribution in Québec as one of the determining criteria for evaluating a region’s potential for sustainable forest management.

This project enabled local forest stakeholders to identify key vulnerabilities and preferred adaptation approaches, and as much relevant information as possible to initiate a climate change adaptation strategy, and to become aware of the strengths in their governance practices that can serve as a foundation for building a possible climate change adaptation strategy.

These results help Québec maple syrup producers develop a vision and a development strategy for the sector, taking climate change into account. The results also help MAPAQ and the Table filière acéricole better adapt their programs and support measures and improve strategic planning for the maple syrup sector in the face of climate change.

This project made it possible to identify economic sectors influenced positively and negatively by climate change in order to devise and implement compensation measures, which may greatly facilitate the implementation of an adaptation program.

This project aims to get an overall view of hydrological drought episodes in southern Quebec in the context climate change by better identifying the meteorological conditions leading to such events and analyzing their prevalence in future climates. The project could pave the way for a hydrological forecast adapted to low water levels.

The study summarizes current knowledge on the probable evolution of deciduous forests in eastern Canada, and can be used as a baseline for future observations. Adapted management of forest resources will make it possible to plan properly, while leaving enough flexibility to adjust to future advances in knowledge.

The study shows that it would be more appropriate then a warning system to consider long-term measures to reduce municipal water consumption throughout the year, along with measures to increase the retention capacity of the watershed.

Analysis of climate analogs can help water managers and decision makers to direct their search for information on adaptation methods towards regions identified as sharing similar climates, and draw upon the most appropriate adaptation measures from among the water use and conservation strategies and programs already being used by particular sectors of activity.

This project made available for practitioners in the assessment of climate change adaptation a list of indicators collected and categorized in a logical structure that can be implemented and adapted according to context and assessment requirements.

This project provides monetary valuations of ecological goods and services that can be used in cost-benefit analyses, assessments of damage, or quantifying compensation for environmental damages using the benefit transfer method. It can serve to guide the choice of the most relevant valuation method for each type of ecological goods and services and analytic situation.

The lessons learned, the choice recommendations and the implementations can be used by other municipalities when incorporating economic tools in the management of their climate change adaptation strategy.

This project made it possible to provide important information, thereby giving specialists better tools with which to model marsh evolution based on climate change with a view to protecting at-risk environments.

The economic analysis generated plausible economic values for wetlands in both regions studied, offering a useful reference scale for cost/benefit analyses of wetland conservation projects.

This project made it possible to guide the planning of a green belt for Montreal and provide science-based advice to the Quebec government, in particular the provincial government departments, the municipalities (RCM), local and regional conservation NGOs and researchers and biologists working in the field.

The knowledge and tools generated by this project may be integrated into plans aimed at managing biodiversity and monitoring natural environments and protected areas. They may also be used for the development of various practices (e.g. prevention, early detection and control of invasive species) and environmental/natural heritage protection policies, as well as various scientific programs seeking an understanding of invasion mechanisms.

The widespread adoption of TBI systems in the south of Quebec could help limit the dependance of farmers to risk management programs. It could also generate substantial savings for the institution that largely finances these programs.

The results show the importance of working in close collaboration with local populations in order to implement political strategies that are appropriate and context-specific.

This project made it possible to formulate principles and guidelines to orient the adaptation of the management of protected areas toward climate change, a process in which Parcs Québec has already embarked. Moreover, it made it possible to reproduce the method for assessing the vulnerability of species to climate change.

This project helped to raise awareness among produce sector stakeholders about the main climate risks and their future evolution in relation to climate change, to identify mitigation measures for these risks in the form of production practices and technological solutions, and to recommend possible ways to guide and assist produce growers in diagnosing climate risks on their farm.

The methodological framework provides the scientific basis upon which to establish a network for monitoring biodiversity and the impacts of climate change in Quebec. Monitoring of biodiversity will provide the opportunity to assess the impacts of human disturbances and development and conservation efforts, as well as changes in biodiversity and ecological services, in the interest of climate change adaptation.

The benefits for adaptation of this project include the confirmation of the importance of the time of application in relation to heavy rainfall events, and also the identification of a potential increase in the contamination of runoff in the near future (2040) for apple scab.

This research made it possible to inform and educate regional stakeholders about the main invasive exotic species posing a risk to soybean crops in Quebec. It also provide more in-depth knowledge of the future establishment risk of three of these species. This will be useful for evaluating the feasibility of implementing adaptation measures (monitoring network, recognition tools for agricultural advisors and producers, documentation on ways to combat the phenomenon, etc.).

The project helped to provide the Naskapi community with a Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan that applies across four sectors: animals, hunting and travelling on the land, health and well-being, culture and learning.

The participatory approach used in this project made it possible to develop tools that are appropriate for the people who will use them, and at the same time helped strengthen the adaptation capacity of participants.

The maps produced in this project have already been used to select suitable sites for the construction of residential buildings. The results of these analyses were also used in projects to develop tools for improving municipal management.

How can we make Quebec's more resilient to climate change? This project identifies the industries to be targeted and offers possible solutions to better understand all the risks, cascading effects and cross-border impacts on the Quebec economy.

The project results are directly applicable by the stakeholders in the road sector. The percentages of the relative service life span can be considered in the design phase of the road structures in order to adapt the pavements to climate change. The methodology for selecting a frost index adapted to in the design phase that takes climate change into account is also directly applicable by practitioners.

Implementing the design measures described in the guide will contribute significantly to reducing the heat island effects of parking lots. This normative guide can serve to accelerate innovation and become a reference tool for municipalities when drafting regulations or call for tender documents.

This project has presented a preliminary map and hierarchy of the vulnerability of this area that can serve as a valuable decision support tool for the region.

This project highlights the importance for water users to prepare for prolonged dry periods during the growing season, which could lead to increased irrigation needs, especially when recharge is already extremely low.

This study provides perspectives for the development of one or more decision support tools that would enable forest communities to identify priority areas of vulnerability so that they can develop a strategy for strengthening the capacity to adapt to climate change.

The findings of the study helped refine the indicators that are used to better assess future forest productivity. The findings help identify sectors where certain species may be affected in the future and may serve as a basis for certain forest management choices.

The results presented in the Atlas will help actors of the forest sector to better understand the links between the expected changes in climate and ecological impacts; to evaluate the opportunities and the risks associated with climate change for this sector; to better focus future projects on forest ecosystems and more generally on terrestrial ecosystems in Quebec in terms of adaptation to climate change.

The results of this study point out that for the salamanders, it may be more important to monitor anthropogenic activities than climate changes. It also allows to illustrate the relevance of a comprehensive approach to land conservation at the local scale.

In the current context of declining caribou populations, the inclusion of climate components in the analysis of space use by the migratory caribou sheds new light on the factors that determine the dynamics of these populations. These factors are being taken into account in the development of management plans.

The approach and the toolbox have been distributed among various major partners in the environmental assessment field, in particular the Commission sur les enjeux des mines uranifères, appointed by the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE).

The project helped to raise awareness among plant health professionals regarding the potential impacts of climate change on crop pests and their natural enemies.

As a result of this research, Quebec stakeholders in crop protection will have the elements needed to launch a climate change adaptation strategy for the sector based on an analysis of the coherence between the actions identified in Quebec’s 2011-2021 crop health strategy and the priority adaptation measures identified during this project.

Agricultural sector users have now access to summary knowledge on climate change and its potential impacts on the agricultural sector. They can access resource documents validated by experts, including an inventory of the knowledge and tools available for dealing with expected climate changes.

The tool developed in this project describes the levels of freedom space and can serve to integrate this concept into municipal and provincial water management policies. The analyses revealed the important role wetlands play in the proper functioning of rivers, especially in the climate change context, and supports efforts to better protect these essential areas.

This project has allowed to increase awareness through regular meetings of the municipal water withdrawers who share the same finite resource. It will allow improved preparedness for expected low flow periods, through a decision support tool that helps municipal users react more
rapidly and equitably. Moreover, it is an approach to monitoring that can be adapted to circumstances other than low flows.