José Cristiano Freitas Vieira
Doctorat
Impact of a historical disturbance: Assessment and restoration of boreal lakes affected by the transport and extraction of submerged wood
Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue
Directeur: Guillaume Grosbois
Codirecteur: Miguel Montoro Girona
Biography
Passionate and innovative final-year PhD student in Ecology of Disturbances in Aquatic Ecology from Portugal, dedicated to applied ecology and the transmission of knowledge. I am known for a creative mindset and an inexhaustible thirst for learning. I thrive in collaborative environments but am equally effective at working autonomously. Eager to contribute my expertise and enthusiasm to foster educational growth and environmental awareness.
Formation
- Ph. D. in Ecology of Disturbances in Aquatic Ecology, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (Currently)
- M. Sc. in Ecology and Environmental Management, University of Lisbon (2022)
- B. Sc. in Biology, University of Madeira (2019)
Ph.D. Project
The first lumber raft down the Ottawa river 1806 ( Library and Archives Canada, MIKAN No 283524)
Logging has happened for generations in boreal and temperate countries where forestry is a major economic activity for the development of the society. This is particularly true for Canada and the province of Quebec where forestry and mining companies were the first to establish during colonization. Logs gathered by the forestry sector in Canada were first carried by rivers because of a lack of infrastructure, through a method known as the log drive. Of the large number of logs transported down the rivers, a portion sank to the bottom of the water courses. The deposition of woody debris in lakes can affect spawning and shelter areas and nutrient availability, as well as release toxic elements, such as wood soluble components and mercury, and can create anoxic zones due to a restraint of oxygen renewal caused by the stratification of the watershed. The development of an oxygen deprived environment favours the synthesis of methylmercury (MeHg), a toxic compound that is absorbed in aquatic organisms. Only few research studies focused on the effects of such activities on the aquatic environments and organisms, stressing the need to acquire knowledge to better understand the impact of these past human activities on aquatic ecosystems.
The goal of this research is to evaluate the effects of submerged logs from log-drive on the freshwater ecosystems of the Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Mauricie regions. We will (i) estimate the degree of disturbance in lakes affected by the log drive by quantifying the volume of submerged logs in the lakes, (ii) evaluate the impacts of submerged logs on current aquatic communities (plankton, benthic invertebrates, and fish) and (iii) assess the potential of log extraction to restore aquatic ecosystems.
Resume of the methodology: Log biomass , water physical-chemistry properties ( total nitrogen, total phosphorus, dissolved organic and inorganic carbon ), methylmercury concentration and aquatic community assessments ( zooplankton and fish communities ) will be conducted throughout the 2022 and 2023 summer seasons to understand the level of disturbance caused by the log driving on aquatic ecosystems and the effects of the submerged wood extraction process.
The project’s outcomes will help us to better understand the extent of the disturbance generated by the log drive industry and how the several physicochemical, biological, and ecological variables react to such disruption. The results of this project will lay the foundations for the development of future management strategies that will allow the environmental preservation of freshwater ecosystems as well as emphasizing the relationship between forest and aquatic systems as a key aspect in freshwater management
Publications
Non-reviewed articles
- Labrecque-Foy, J.P., Vieira C., Bergeron A., Grosbois G. et Montoro Girona M. 2023. La drave, une perturbation historique au Québec. Le Couvert Boréal
- Montoro Girona M., Labrecque-Foy, J.P., Bergeron A., Vieira C., Gemme M.A., Gennaretti F. et Grosbois G. 2022. Voyager dans le passé pour prédire la forêt de l’avenir : La drave. Journal le Soleil
Articles reviewed by a peer review committee
- Órfão, I., Álvarez, S., Ramalhosa, P., González, C., Vieira, C., Almeida, S., Parretti, P., Freitas, R., Radeta, M., Monteiro, R., Rocha, R., Domingos, I., & Canning‐Clode, J. (2024). Searching for the critically endangered European eel in oceanic islands: A pioneer study in the freshwater systems of Madeira, Macaronesia. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 34(2).https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.4106
Participation in Conferences
Oral presentations
- Historical Disturbance on Aquatic Ecosystems-The Log Drive. Colloque du Groupe en Recherche en Écologie de la MRC Abitibi (GREMA), Amos, Québec, Canada. (June, 2023)
Poster presentations
Poster presentation at Conference of Groupe de recherche interuniversitaire en limnologie, March 2023
- Aquatic impact of an historical disturbance: the log drive. Colloque du CEF, Shérbrooke, Québec, Canada. (September, 2022)
- Historical Disturbance on Aquatic Ecosystems-The Log Drive. Groupe de recherche interuniversitaire en limnologie, Montréal, Québec, Canada. (March, 2023)
- Historical Disturbance on Aquatic Ecosystems-The Log Drive. Groupe de recherche interuniversitaire en limnologie, Orford, Québec, Canada. (March, 2024)
Thesis, dissertation and essays
- Vieira, J. 2022. Development of management proposals for offshore marine protected areas. Master Thesis , University of Lisbon.
