Innovation Anthology #398:
For more than a decade, Dr. Kevin Devito has researched the unique hydrology of the boreal forest.
Dr. Devito is a professor specializing in eco-hydrology at the University of Alberta.
His findings from the Utikuma Lakes region of northern Alberta have particular importance to industries like forestry and oil sands production.
DR. KEVIN DEVITO: First of all that it’s really quite different from other parts of Canada, driven mostly by the climate. It’s sub-humid, as well as the deep glacial deposits that we have here really increase storage. So storage of water is very important. And evapotranspiration by the vegetation has a large control on the hydrology in this landscape. So when you are looking at how water flows through this landscape you need to understand where the storage is a lot less or a lot more to understand the sink and the storage of water through this landscape. And what we’re starting to realize now is that most forested areas, will be a sink for water because of the high demand by vegetation in an area that’s sub-humid or in a deficit.
Dr. Kevin Devito presented his research at a recent workshop on oil sands reclamation.
Thanks today to Syncrude Canada Ltd
FOR INNOVATION ANTHOLOGY
I’M CHERYL CROUCHER
Guest
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Sponsor
Syncrude
Program Date: 2011-05-12