Audrey Maheu

Professor in Ecohydrology

audrey.maheu@uqo.ca mail_outline
819-595-3900 #2944

Research themes

Ecohydrology, environmental hydrology, river water temperature, evapotranspiration, modeling, climate change

Education

• 2016 : Postdoctorate in Hydrology – Université Laval
• 2012-2015 : PhD in Water sciences – National Institute of Scientific Research (INRS)
• 2008-2009 : Master of Science – Integrated Water Management – McGill University
• 2004-2008 : Bachelor of Science – Geomatics applied to the environment – Université de Sherbrooke

Description of research

My work seeks to better understand and predict i) how water and energy flow in the environment, and ii) how this influences forest and aquatic ecosystems.

For example, my research seeks to measure and model the energy balance controlling river water temperature, a key variable in habitat quality for fish and aquatic life in general. My work also seeks to quantify the water balance in the forest environment and I am particularly interested in evapotranspiration. A good understanding of this process is essential to properly assess the episodes of water stress that the forest faces.

• add removeKey publications
  • Maheu, A., Anctil, F., Gaborit, E., Fortin, V., Nadeau, D.F. & Therrien, R. 2018. A field evaluation of soil moisture modelling with the Soil, Vegetation, and Snow (SVS) land surface model using evapotranspiration observations as forcing data. Journal of Hydrology 558 : 532-545.
  • Maheu, A., St-Hilaire, A., Caissie, D., Jabi, N., Bourque, G. & Boisclair, D. 2016. A regional analysis of the impact of dams on water temperature in medium-size rivers in eastern Canada. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 73(12) : 1885-1897.
  • Macnaughton, C.J., Senay, C., Dolinsek, I., Bourque, G., Maheu, A., Lanthier, G., Harvey-Lavoie, S., Asselin, J., Legendre, P. & Boisclair, D. 2016. Using fish guilds to assess community responses to temperature and flow regimes in unregulated and regulated Canadian rivers. Freshwater Biology 61(10): 1759-1772.
  • Maheu, A., Poff, N.L. & St-Hilaire, A. 2016. A classification of stream water temperature regimes in the conterminous United States. River Research and Applications 32(5) : 896-906.
  • Maheu, A., Caissie, D., St-Hilaire, A. & El-Jabi, N. 2014. River evaporation and corresponding heat fluxes in forested catchments. Hydrological Processes 28(23) : 5725-5738.
• add removeProjects

  Analysis of water stress and predisposing factors for tree mortality in the temperate forest of the Outaouais : With climate change, it is projected that droughts will become more frequent and more intense, leading to a decrease in growth and an increase in tree mortality. The objective of this project is to better understand the tree mortality phenomenon in the Outaouais region and to characterize the predisposing abiotic and biotic factors. The first component of this project will assess exposure to water stress by modeling present and future soil moisture conditions in the Outaouais forests. The second component aims to develop a method of identifying dead trees using multi-temporal LiDAR data to identify environmental and stand factors that predispose tree mortality. This project is in collaboration with Frédérik Doyon (UQO), Daniel Houle (Ouranos), Jean-Daniel Sylvain (MFFP), Guillaume Drolet (MFFP) and Sébastien Meunier (MFFP).

  

  Role of biodiversity in the response of forests to drought :This project aims to test adaptive management based on the assumption that diversity would mitigate the negative effects of water stress on forest productivity and mortality. This hypothesis will be tested using IDENT network diversity experiments that include water stress treatments. This project is in collaboration with Alain Paquette (UQAM), Christian Messier (UQO), Sergio Rossi (UQAC) and Daniel Houle (Ouranos).

  CapNat Network, an ecosystem services research and monitoring infrastructure : This project aims to monitor the ecosystem services provided by forest islands and riparian strips in the urban, agricultural and forestry environments of the Outaouais region. The research will monitor ecosystem services for the supply of wood and non-timber forest products as well as ecosystem services for regulating water and local climate. This project is in collaboration with Sylvain Delagrange (UQO).

  

  Hydrologic modeling with energy balance :When subjected to global warming, many hydrological models tend to overestimate evapotranspiration. One way to overcome this gap is to integrate a better description of the energy balance into hydrological models with evapotranspiration being one of the components. This project aims to develop a modeling tool by coupling a hydrological model with an energy budget model based on the principle of maximum entropy production (MEP). This project is in collaboration with François Anctil, Daniel Nadeau and René Therrien (U. Laval).

  Characterization and modeling of the thermal regime of rivers : The temperature of water is an important variable for the health of aquatic ecosystems. This project has characterized the impact of different types of dams on the temperature of waterways in eastern Canada. By developing a method for measuring river evaporation, this project has also improved the estimation of the heat flux associated with evaporation in a water temperature model. This project is in collaboration with André St-Hilaire (INRS), Daniel Caissie (MPO) and Nassir El-Jabi (U. Moncton).

  
• add removeStudents and postdoctoral fellows

  Étudiants actuels

  Stagiaires postdoctoraux

  • Cybèle Cholet

  Doctorat

  • Enrick Potiron

  Maîtrise

  • Florence Tauc
• add removeAvailable projects
  • Maîtrise en écohydrologie forestière
  • Suivi de la température des cours d’eau pour évaluer l’impact des barrages artificiels et la sensibilité aux changements climatiques dans le Parc de la Gatineau