| research furthers innovation and teaching at the University of Lethbridge winter 09 vol 2 issue 1 | ulethbridge.ca
Water centre offers high-tech ‘toolbox’ for scholars Dr. Sarah Boon
The Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building fosters collaboration and enables researchers like Dr. Sarah Boon to make big waves in water research
As the University of Lethbridge continues to gain momentum as a leader in water research, it is achieving a critical mass of outstanding scholars. Dr. Sarah Boon, who came to the U of L a year-and-a-half ago, is one of the University’s newest researchers. She’s also part of a diverse group of scholars conducting research at the new Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building (AWESB). Focusing on mountain hydrology, Boon studies snow melt and glacial melt and how they contribute to runoff in mountain systems. “Right now, my specific research is looking at forest disturbance, like pine beetle or wildfires, and how that changes snow processes in alpine watersheds,” says Boon. She’s also exploring how these changes affect the timing and magnitude of runoff from the watersheds into downstream systems. Boon says the new AWESB offers researchers greater opportunities to collaborate. “I think that’s what’s going to bring us forward as a place of international excellence, where there’s a lot of good research taking place.” The AWESB offers a toolbox to help researchers continue to excel in the field of water research, says Vice-President (Research) Dr. Dennis Fitzpatrick. “In many ways, it’s more than just a building. It’s a repository of people and tools that are going to produce profound research,” he says. The $27-million centre is a partnership between the U of L and seven provincial and federal research partners, including Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Health Canada and Alberta Environment. The 5,500 sq. m. facility opened on Nov. 13, 2008, and it will initially house 20 researchers and up to 150 supporting technicians, graduate students and doctoral candidates from the
departments of biological sciences, geography and physics and astronomy. Research at the centre revolves around these key areas: social policy (including how the government is legislating water use); ecology (the relationship of water to flora and fauna); toxicology (the effects of chemical pollutants to the health of water
Hugenholtz and Dr. Mathew Letts). The basement of the building is home to the Aquatic Research Facility, housing specialized tanks for fish and aquatic organisms, in which environmental conditions can be manipulated. Researchers like Dr. Alice Hontela, who studies water toxicology, use the facility to study
U of L water and environmental science researchers supplies); environmental impacts (including how agriculture and industry impact water); and water-climate interactions (for instance, how rising global temperatures affect water systems). The AWESB contains many state-of-the-art technologies, offering researchers the chance to expand the breadth and depth of their work. “The tools you have access to affect the questions you can answer,” Fitzpatrick explains, adding that it’s rare for a university to possess so many new technologies at once. “You can usually be up-to-date in one thing – but we’re up-to-date on a whole host of tools that will help us answer more questions.” Other significant acquisitions include earthimaging tools (for geomatics research) and instruments for stable isotope analysis as well as environmental monitoring (a significant acquisition for researchers like Dr. Christopher
responses to environmental stressors like chemical pollutants or rising temperatures. The facility isn’t just a benefit to established scientists. The AWESB will also incubate developing talent, like PhD candidate Lana Miller, who is studying the health of Alberta’s lakes and rivers. She is one of more than 100 graduate students who will benefit from both the new infrastructure and the outstanding researchers that the centre is attracting. “Researchers want to go to places where there’s research actually going on,” Fitzpatrick says. For many researchers – including Boon, who’s fieldwork often takes her to the Crowsnest Pass – the University is uniquely situated within the ‘living laboratory’ that is southern Alberta. “These things all come together and make the University of Lethbridge a very attractive place to do research,” Fitzpatrick says.
FOCUSED ON WATER: U of L takes a multidisciplinary approach to water research Teaching the next generation about the environment Dr. Dennis Fitzpatrick
Vice-President (Research)
Welcome to the winter 2009 issue of FIAT: Furthering Innovation and Teaching. Water is the source of all life on Earth. It is an important economic resource for our province and our world, and it is a research focus here at the University of Lethbridge. And that focus didn’t happen by accident; as an institution, the U of L has made strategic decisions to become a world leader in water research. In April 2005, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 2005-2015 as the international decade for action on “Water for Life” and selected the U of L as the Canadian location for that initiative. University officials, water researchers, agricultural and irrigation management community members and Bob Sanford, Canadian Chair of the program, joined together to launch this important enterprise. The Alberta Water Research Institute was established in the spring of 2007 to coordinate world-class and leading-edge research to support the Alberta provincial water strategy, “Water for Life: A Strategy for Sustainability.” The Institute’s scope includes national and international efforts aimed at ensuring the longterm safety, quality and sustainability of Alberta’s water resources. As a result, the Alberta Water Research Institute is truly an organization “where ideas flow.” The University of Lethbridge is a key player in these and other water research programs, and we hold collaborative arrangements with researchers at other universities and with industrial partners. We have also benefited from a multiplicity of investors who believe we are best positioned to take the lead on solving water issues of global concern. On November 13, 2008, the University proudly unveiled the Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building (AWESB). This building provides 5,500 sq. m. of classroom and research space and serves as the gateway to a rich and diverse living laboratory – the southern Alberta landscape. It will also create a physical and intellectual environment that will serve as the catalyst for innovative research solutions, and it will allow for further growth of our everexpanding culture of graduate education. This issue of FIAT features our community of faculty and students who, through research, education and public outreach, seek to advance global knowledge to enable businesses, landowners, policy makers and individuals to make informed decisions that affect water quality and availability. The people profiled here, like all researchers at the University of Lethbridge, stand out for their commitment to advanced learning and to their community. Editor: Alesha Farfus-Shukaliak Associate Editor: Jane Allan Photography: Glenda Moulton, Bernie Wirzba Writer: Caitlin Crawshaw Design: Sarah Novak Design Printing: University of Lethbridge Printing Services Correspondence should be addressed to: Research Services, University of Lethbridge 4401 University Drive Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4 Phone: (403) 317-2869 E-mail: jane.allan@uleth.ca www.ulethbridge.ca Recycled paper containing 50% recycled fibre and 25% post-consumer waste.
Teaching upcoming generations about the environment is critical to ensuring a healthy future for all of us, says long-time educator Dr. Rick Mrazek. “The bottom line is, you can’t have healthy human beings in an unhealthy environment. We have to understand that relationship,” he explains. Mrazek, a veteran professor in the Faculty of Education and Board of Governors Teaching Chair, has been internationally recognized as a leading science, technology and environmental educator and researcher. For decades, he’s dedicated his research to helping upcoming generations understand the world around them. But he says traditional methods are proving to be less effective. His research now explores how to integrate new technologies into classroom learning. “We know that this generation now thinks differently and uses information differently,” he explains. Mrazek isn’t just researching the use of technology in education – he’s creating digital resources too. With U of L geography professor Dr. Jim Byrne and George Gallant of Gallant Productions, he helped create the Canadian Wildlife Federation’s Water Under Fire website from the Water Under Fire documentary series, which draws upon the knowledge of water scientists from coastto-coast to create concise public service announcements and webisodes about our water systems and conservation topics. The short videos provide key information about surface water, ground water, wastewater, and how to use water in a more sustainable way.
Dr. Rick Mrazek integrates new technologies into classroom learning Water Under Fire public service announcements run on television networks across Canada to the general public, but the series is meant to also function as a teaching tool for educators, says Mrazek. “It provides authentic information ‘on demand’ anywhere, anytime – which is what today’s youth prefer,” he says. Mrazek is presently taking part in a national study, funded by the Canadian Wildlife Federation, which is examining levels of adoption of emerging technologies
– particularly web applications like YouTube and TeacherTube – by teachers of conservation and environmental education. “We know that a lot of people are being exposed to (online) information, but now we’re trying to figure out how this is being used in classes.” The Water Under Fire webisodes and public service announcements are available online at www.waterunderfire.ca and cwf-fcf.org.
The tricky relationship between farming and water Researchers’ collaborative efforts will beef up knowledge base It’s a staggering statistic: more than 70 per cent of southern Alberta’s water consumption is used to irrigate farmers’ fields. But even as water issues are coming into the fore, farmers’ water choices are still being made independently, as government hasn’t stepped in to regulate water use, explains Dr. Kurt Klein, a professor in the U of L’s Department of Economics. The agricultural economist and former farmer says this might change when water becomes more scarce. There’s also a strong need to understand how to balance farmers’ business interests with the protection of the resource before tough choices need to be made. Klein has done extensive work on bioproduct-based economies and trade partnerships. In 2003, he earned one of the largest Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) grants in the U of L’s history ($650,000). In recent years, he’s turned his attention to water issues and says understanding the economy of water is crucial to planning for the future.
Dr. Kurt Klein Unlike countries such as Australia and the United States, there’s been little research done in Canada on how to use economic instruments (like subsidies and taxes) to motivate farmers to use water in more efficient ways, without harming their ability to make a living. Because agricultural enterprises have such a narrow profit margin and are susceptible to both environmental and market changes, it’s crucial to make well-informed policy decisions. “At the heart of this is the
profitability of agriculture,” says Klein. Dr. Klein and his colleagues, Drs. Henning Bjornlund and Ruth Grant Kalischuk, are working to fill this gap in the literature. They’re contributing to a study examining some of the sociological factors underlying how water is used on livestock farms in southern Alberta. Bjornlund, a professor in the U of L’s Department of Economics and a Canada Research Chair (Water and the Economy -
Where aquifers and accounting meet On the surface, aquifers and accounting don’t seem to have a lot in common. But if you dig a little deeper, the connection is much more apparent – just ask U of L Faculty of Management accounting instructor and doctoral student Deborah Jarvie. Jarvie is exploring ways to balance human interests and the health of aquifers, the underground layers of permeable rock, sand, silt or clay that have absorbed groundwater. There is growing concern that aquifers may be increasingly at risk as coalbed methane – a form of natural gas extracted from coalbeds – becomes a more popular alternative to conventional energy like oil and gas. The extraction process requires removing large amounts of water, which could potentially affect aquifers and the environment. “One of the ways to prevent some of the
environmental problems we’ll run into – or to help remedy situations that have arisen – is through policy,” Jarvie explains. Jarvie is working on an equilibrium model that will use policy instruments (like incentives or taxation) to encourage companies to be better environmental stewards while maximizing economic gain. “The model is intended to incorporate and integrate the concerns of the economy, the environment and society, and thereby be used as a tool for determining the best policy mix for all parties concerned,” she says. Her research, once completed, will have direct applications to the corporate world. “A model such as this would enable businesses to make the most cost-effective decisions based on the policy mixture.”
Deborah Jarvie digs deep to discover the connection between accounting and aquifers
Shedding light on the watershed
(l-r) Jeremy Emerson and Denise Calderwood
Filmmakers bring watersheds to the surface
Dr. Ruth Grant Kalischuk International), has done extensive work on water management both in Australia and Alberta. Much of his recent work has focused on the Government of Alberta’s new Water for Life strategy, which seeks to strike a better balance between environmental and human needs. He explains that this study of livestock farmers, which began in 2006, explores the environmental and public health issues associated with water use on farms, how
Though water has become a hot topic in academic circles, the broader community isn’t necessarily aware of human impact on water systems. “Water is one of those quiet, silent things that literally flows through your life unless it’s not there. Then everything stops,” says filmmaker and University of Lethbridge alumna Denise Calderwood (MEd ’93). Water – specifically the watershed of Alberta’s east slopes – was a natural choice for her sixth documentary, Water Resources: The East Slopes of Alberta. The film, which features researchers, ranchers and environmentalists, examines how the watershed works and is affected by human activity. A whole range of development activities in the east slopes are gradually diminishing the capacity to deliver the water we depend on, Calderwood says. Every film is a team effort, and Calderwood says this time she was fortunate to recruit Jeremy Emerson, who was then a
fourth year student, through the Faculty of Fine Arts New Media internship program. The program is one of the many ways the U of L partners with the community, in this case to promote education about the environment. Emerson (BFA – New Media ’08), who now works for a Yellowknife film society, says this project provided a hands-on production experience, like camera operation and video editing, and opened his eyes to the complexity of water issues and the importance of research in this area. “We don’t see the effects of what we’re doing to our watershed today,” he says. “We could be doing horribly bad things and we wouldn’t know it for a while – and by then, it could be too late.” Water Resources: The East Slopes of Alberta was screened at the University of Lethbridge in November 2008 and is now being used as a resource by the provincial government.
Dr. Henning Bjornlund farmers decide to allocate water and deal with wastewater issues, and how surrounding communities perceive livestock operations. Bjornlund and his associates are collecting data via surveys and focus groups with farming families and residents in surrounding communities. So far, data reveals that farming families are quite concerned about the operations’ impact on human health. This doesn’t come as a surprise to Grant Kalischuk, who is a nurse researcher within
the School of Health Sciences. “They were aware of the impacts of the huge farming industry in Alberta and realized that there’s a huge runoff from manure and urine,” she explains, adding that most people surveyed feel that the livestock industry is generally associated with the degradation of the area’s water supplies. Grant Kalischuk says the solutions to health-related water issues require understanding the viewpoints of an entire community.
This research program provides one example of the multidisciplinary research currently taking place at the University of Lethbridge. Drs. Klein, Bjornlund and Grant Kalischuk believe that their collaborative efforts will improve our knowledge base about the tricky relationship between farming and water use. “Through our multidisciplinary approach, we are endeavouring to create a more comprehensive picture,” Grant Kalischuk says.
research furthers innovation and teaching at the University of Lethbridge
Corporate partnerships and collaborations enable U of L researchers to dive deep into the complexities of water.
Collaborating to advance water research
Dr. Stewart Rood
(l-r) Dr. Joseph Rasmussen and Lars Brinkmann By studying water issues locally, University of Lethbridge water researchers are discovering fundamental principles about water systems and their management that bolster a global body of knowledge. Lars Brinkmann, a PhD candidate in the Department of Biological Sciences, is the inaugural recipient of a $30,000 fellowship – the largest individual student award endowed at the U of L. The fellowship is made possible by energy company Nexen Inc. and their initial investment of $300,000 which, when matched through the Province of Alberta’s Access to the Future Fund, will establish a $600,000 endowment for graduate scholarships and fellowships in water research at the University of Lethbridge. Brinkmann is exploring how mercury concentrations in fish are affected by the food web. He explains that even in seemingly pristine bodies of water, traces of mercury often threaten the health of humans and other animals in the ecosystem. “Mercury is a serious problem because it’s a very potent neurotoxin, and it has very adverse effects in human adults. What’s even worse is that at very low concentrations, it still has a very bad effect on developing fetuses,” Brinkmann explains. The heavy metal is a byproduct of some industrial processes. Even water systems nowhere near a point of contamination can contain mercury, as it is transported by rain and wind. Mercury becomes most concentrated at the top of the food web. Predatory fish can contain very toxic levels of mercury and can be dangerous for humans to consume. However, the concentration is affected by what those fish eat and how they allocate energy to survive (like spawning, movement and growth of the body), which makes concentrations in ecosystems quite variable. Brinkmann hopes to find out why the food web is causing so much variation by studying the fish in the South Saskatchewan River Basin and determining how their energy budgets
relate to mercury concentration. His work suggests that it’s not the size of a fish that minimizes concentration, but rather its rate of growth; fish that grow quickly tend to have less mercury in their tissues. Brinkmann’s supervisor, Dr. Joseph Rasmussen, a professor in the U of L’s Department of Biological Sciences and a Canada Research Chair (Aquatic Systems), explains that the doctoral student’s research is filling an important gap in the literature. Most of the research on mercury toxicology hasn’t dealt with food web interactions. “It treats food web components as generic, but it’s hugely variable from one system to another,” Rasmussen says. In recent years, emission controls have limited the amount of mercury that industry produces, but it continues to pose an environmental threat. It’s becoming more important to find ways to manage the pollutant once it’s in the system, Rasmussen explains. “It’s good to promote practices that reduce emissions, but you can’t control it like a tap. However, you can manage the system on the other end and, say, manage our fisheries in such a way that we reduce mercury in fish.” When it comes to Alberta’s spring systems – the points at which groundwater comes to the surface – even less is known. That’s why a team of U of L researchers and partners is studying the natural springs as a strategy to learn more about groundwater and ensure the resource is used sustainably in the future. But at the moment, scientists don’t understand the role springs play in local habitats. “One might imagine that because springs are relatively scarce, their ecological value might be limited. Conversely, they provide unique environments, and it’s likely that there may be some unique organisms that rely on them,” explains Dr. Stewart Rood, a U of L Board of Governors Research Chair in Environmental Science and 2008 Killam Research Fellowship recipient. Rood has been collaborating with Dr. Abe Springer, a professor with Northern
Arizona University, to better understand the province’s springs. The Alberta Springs Project – modelled after Springer’s and colleagues’ Southwestern U.S. springs studies – was created when Springer visited the U of L as its first Fulbright Scholar in water research in 2007. The Alberta Springs Project will investigate springs throughout southern Alberta, including those of the Porcupine Hills region, an outcrop of foothills that is not directly linked to the Rocky Mountain zones. In the areas with springs, the topographical conditions allow for groundwater to come to the surface and create a diverse array of springs. The project is broad. In addition to inventorying the springs, researchers are studying their hydrology, water chemistry and aquatic and riparian ecology. They hope to find out, among other things, how springs are impacted by seasonal and climatic changes, how the type of spring affects the area’s biology and how groundwater relates to surface water. The research initiative will also compare the spring systems in Alberta, Arizona and Wisconsin. Eventually, the information will help Alberta plan for the future. “As surface water resources become overextended in a region, the next source of water which is typically tapped is groundwater stored in aquifers,” Springer says. “Alberta is in a unique position of not yet having significantly tapped the extensive groundwater resources of the province, so there is still time to plan for better management of them and minimize or mitigate any potential future impact to aquifers or springs from groundwater use.” The Alberta Springs Project has secured $200,000 in funding over four years from the Imperial Oil Foundation, and it has attracted researchers from across North America. “One emphasis of this project is to bring together individuals with shared interests in order to better understand what we know and don’t know and to develop a more systematic strategy for studying and inventorying springs,” Rood says.
Dr. Abe Springer
U of L students Jamie Novlesky and Karen Gill
research furthers innovation and teaching at the University of Lethbridge