Marie Guittonny

Marie Guittonny is a Research Professor at the University of Quebec in Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT) specializing in reforestation of mining sites. She is affiliated with the Institute for Research in Mining and the Environment (IRME) and the Mineral Technology Research and Service Unit (URSTM), where she leads significant research in mine site reclamation and restoration ecology. As a regular member of the Centre for Forest Research (CEF), she collaborates extensively with researchers across Quebec universities on forest restoration projects, particularly focusing on boreal ecosystems affected by mining operations.

Dr. Guittonny earned her Doctorate in Environmental Biosciences from Aix-Marseille University in 2004, following a Master's degree in Environmental Biosciences, Chemistry and Health (2001) and Bachelor's degree in general biology and earth sciences (1999), all from Aix-Marseille University. Her educational background in environmental biosciences provided the foundation for her specialized work in mine reclamation and soil-plant interactions in degraded environments.

Her research primarily investigates how soil-plant systems function in reclaimed mining environments, with particular focus on organic and mining waste management and the reforestation and revegetation of degraded sites. Dr. Guittonny's work bridges theoretical ecology with practical applications, developing techniques for establishing vegetation on challenging substrates like waste rock and tailings. She has pioneered approaches using ramial chipped wood mulch to facilitate boreal forest succession on mine sites and has extensively studied root development in reclaimed areas to improve long-term stability of reclamation covers. Her research integrates traditional ecological knowledge with scientific approaches, as evidenced by her work incorporating Cree TEK into mine tailings revegetation.

Analysis of her publication record reveals a strong focus on hydrogeological properties of reclamation covers, particularly how vegetation and root systems affect water balance in elevated water table systems. Her work spans from fundamental soil science to applied mine reclamation techniques, with increasing attention to climate change impacts on reclamation success. The research demonstrates a clear progression from basic revegetation techniques to sophisticated understanding of ecosystem development on mine sites, with recent work emphasizing long-term performance and climate resilience of reclamation systems.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• Doctoral scholarship from the Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME) and the Provence-Alpes Côte d'Azur region (PACA) in 2004
• Postdoctoral Fellowship in Industrial R&D from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) from 2010-2012

Dr. Guittonny has supervised an impressive number of graduate students throughout her career, serving as primary advisor for numerous PhD and Master's candidates. Her supervision portfolio demonstrates expertise across multiple aspects of mine reclamation, from soil structure improvement to vegetation establishment and long-term ecosystem development. She has also co-edited the significant volume 'Hard rock mine reclamation: from prediction to management of acid mine drainage' (CRC Press, 2020), which has become a key reference in the field.

Her research operates at the intersection of several laboratories and research units, primarily through the Institute for Research in Mining and the Environment (IRME) at UQAT. This collaborative environment allows her to integrate field studies at active mine sites with laboratory analyses of soil and plant properties. Her work frequently involves multi-institutional teams, leveraging expertise from across Quebec's university network through the Centre for Forest Research framework.