Julien Arsenault

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Postdoc at Université de Sherbrooke

In the last 25 years, several degraded peatlands in eastern Canada have been restored toward their natural structure. Pools are common in natural peatlands and are important habitats for unique flora and fauna. Because of their ecological value, pools have been created in some restored peatland sites. Nevertheless, the biogeochemistry of created po...

In the last 25 years, several degraded peatlands in eastern Canada have been restored toward their natural structure. Pools are common in natural peatlands and are important habitats for unique flora and fauna. Because of their ecological value, pools have been created in some restored peatland sites. Nevertheless , the biogeochemistry of created p...

Peatland pools are unvegetated, inundated depressions that cover up to 30 % of the surface of many temperate and boreal peatlands and that are net carbon (C) sources within C-accumulating ecosystems. The emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) from peatland pools comes from the degradation of organic matter (OM) that comprises the surrou...

Peatlands pools are unvegetated, inundated depressions that cover up to 30 % of the surface of many temperate and boreal peatlands and that are net carbon (C) sources within C-accumulating ecosystems. The emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) from peatland pools comes from the degradation of organic matter (OM) that comprise the surrou...

Aquatic ecosystems are increasingly recognized for their contribution to local and global biogeochemical cycles because of their high reactivity potential. Peatlands are relatively stable ecosystems but that nonetheless play a large role in biogeochemical cycles because they sequester large amounts of carbon (C) and other elements. Within temperate...

Small waterbodies have potentially high greenhouse gas emissions relative to their small footprint on the landscape, although there is high uncertainty in model estimates. Scaling their carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and methane (CH 4 ) exchange with the atmosphere remains challenging due to an incomplete understanding and characterization of spatial and t...

Peatland pools are freshwater bodies that are highly dynamic aquatic ecosystems because of their small size and their development in organic-rich sediments. However, our ability to understand and predict their contribution to both local and global biogeochemical cycles under rapidly occurring environmental change is limited because the spatiotempor...

Peatland open‐water pools can be net carbon (C) emitters within heterogeneous peatland ecosystems that are generally net C sinks. However, the intra‐ and inter‐regional patterns and drivers of CO2 and CH4 production, as well as their link with dissolved organic matter (DOM) quality and quantity, remain poorly understood. We analyzed a range of opti...

Small lentic freshwater ecosystems play a disproportionate role in global biogeochemical cycles by processing large amounts of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), but it is unlikely that they behave as one homogenous group for the purpose of extrapolation. Here, we synthesize biogeochemical data from > 12,000 geographically distinct freshw...

Excess reactive nitrogen (N) is linked to a myriad of environmental problems that carry large societal costs. Nitrogen footprint tools can help institutions understand how their direct and indirect activities are associated with N release to the environment through energy use, food, and transportation. However, little is known about how geographic...

Ombrotrophic bogs can comprise a mosaic of vegetation patches and open-water pools, with hydrological and biogeochemical connections between pools and the surrounding peat and vegetation. To establish these connections, we studied the spatial heterogeneity of hydrology and water chemistry in two zones of distinct vegetation assemblages in the subbo...

Academic mobility for field work, research dissemination and global outreach is increasingly recognized as an important contributor to the overall environmental footprint of research institutions. Student mobility, while less studied, also contributes to universities' environmental footprint. Université de Montréal (UdeM) is the largest university...

Open-water pools are common features in high-latitudes and coastal peatlands but their biogeochemistry is poorly understood. In previous studies, we showed that pools C, N and P biogeochemistry is very heterogeneous within a peatland, and that variations are controlled by internal processes related to pools depth, and by the surrounding vegetation...

Peatlands are ecosystems that accumulate carbon (C) over long periods of time. The anoxic conditions created by prevailing water saturation, coupled with vegetation litter slow to decompose, reduces organic matter decay and allows net C accumulation. Open-water pools that cover many boreal and maritime peatlands are, however, net C sources to the a...

Disruptions in the way of life of indigenous peoples from the Far North have greatly affected their ability to meet their food needs. The implementation of community greenhouse and gardening projects is one of the initiatives taken to address this issue in Nunavik. Through a mixed-method approach, we analyze social benefits and challenges, as well...

Université de Montréal (UdeM) is the largest of Montreal's four full scale universities : 33,770 undergraduate and 11,860 graduate students, 1925 professors and 5825 full-time equivalent employees. Its main campus is located in the heart of the city and is well served by public transit. Three small satellite campuses have also been considered in th...

Open-water pools are common features in boreal peatlands but their biogeochemistry is poorly understood. Here, we focus on the relationship between vegetation and pool biogeochemistry in two distinct zones of a sub-boreal peatland in Québec, Canada. We assess the summer hydrological and biogeochemical connectivity between peat and pools in a moss-d...

Les mares sont abondantes dans les tourbières nordiques mais aucune recherche ne s’est penchée spécifiquement sur les cycles des nutriments dans ces environnements. Ce mémoire vise donc à comprendre les cycles de l’azote (N), du phosphore (P) et du carbone (C) dans les mares d’une tourbière ombrotrophe du sud du Québec, et à déterminer quels facteu...

Open-water pools are common features in boreal peatlands but their biogeochemistry is poorly known. We studied C, N and P biogeochemistry in open-water pools of a sub-boreal peatland in Québec, Canada. We assessed the relationship between pool physical characteristics and biogeochemistry, and quantified the temporal evolution of C, N and P concentr...