Climate and Environmental Change Research Laboratory

Bishop's University, Sherbrooke, Québec
What the facility does

Research on climate and environmental change, using geological proxy evidence.

Areas of expertise

The primarily focus of the research program involves using and integrating lake, marine, and terrestrial sediments to reconstruct past environment in order to better understand the patterns and causes of natural climate variability. The research in the lab also examines human influence on the natural environment. The research that is undertaken is essential for understanding the responses of ecosystems to climate changes over a variety of spatial and temporal scales. It provides the only reliable means for documenting the magnitude and rate of natural climate variability before the advent of instrumental records, enabling us to place ongoing global warming into a long-term context.

Research services

Environmental monitoring, sedimentology, microscopy, micropaleontology, dendroecology, statistical analysis, 3D printing

Sectors of application
  • Agriculture, animal science and food
  • Energy
  • Environmental technologies and related services
  • Forestry and forest-based industries
  • Ocean industries
Equipment Function
Zeiss Axio Imager M2 motorized upright microscope with camera High-level research grade microscope with phase contrast, DIC, and fluorescence capabilities
Zeiss Axio upright microscope with camera High-level research grade microscope
Zeiss Axio Lab.A1 upright microscopes (2) High-level research grade microscope
Autostagepollen counter Automated pollen counting machine (experimental)
Centrifuge For sediment processing
Convection oven For sediment analysis
Muffle furnace For sediment analysis
Magnetic susceptibility meter For determining the presence of iron-bearing minerals in sediment
Visible/UV spectrophotometer For determining humification, biogenic silica, and other sediment parameters
Hot water bath and shaker For sediment processing
Microtrac particle size analyzer For determining the proportions of different particle sizes of sediment
Livingstone piston corer (2) For collecting sediment cores from lakes
Water chemistry meter For measuring variables such as pH, conductivity, etc.
Russian peat corer (2) For collecting sediment cores from peat bogs
Percussion corer For collecting sediment cores from floodplains
Coring accessories For fieldwork
Raft To be used as a platform for obtaining sediment cores from lakes
Honda outboard motor To be used with raft
Velmex tree-ring measuring system For tree-ring analysis
WinDENDRO tree-ring analysis software For tree-ring analysis
  • McGill University
  • University of Ottawa
  • Université de Sherbrooke
  • McMaster University
  • Université du Québec à Montréal
Title URL
Multi-scale Climate and Environmental Change Research Laboratory http://www.envirolab.ubishops.ca/home.html