How do agricultural land use and tile drainage influence nutrient and sediment transport in agricultural watersheds? Join Gianna Saarenvirta, a PhD student at Trent University, as she presents her research in the Pinewood Watershed, part of the Lake of the Woods basin. Her work examines nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment export across areas of varying agricultural intensity, including mixed farming and tile-drained row crops. This webinar will explore seasonal differences between growing and non-growing periods, and the role of rainfall and snowmelt in transporting nutrients and sediment from agricultural fields into receiving waterways.
Gianna Saarenvirta is a PhD student at Trent University, working under Dr. Catherine Eimers, with completion expected in early 2027. She holds an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science and Geography and a master’s degree focused on wind-driven landform processes and airborne dust emissions from dry lakebeds.
Since 2023, Gianna’s research has focused on how agricultural land use affects nutrient and sediment loading, combining watershed monitoring with sampling at the edges of farm fields. Her research began in Ontario’s Ganaraska region and expanded to the Lake of the Woods basin in summer 2024. She regularly visits the Pinewood Watershed to study how tile drainage and agricultural intensification influence seasonal nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment movement.
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