Download or read book Hydrogeochemical Soil Dynamics Relative to Topography for Forested Land Units Undergoing Reclamation in a Post mined Landscape in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region Alberta written by Tristan Gingras-Hill and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 87 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Natural forest soils of the Western Boreal Forest rarely witness near-surface soil flushing events during the growing season due to the forest's excessive evapotranspiration demands and large unsaturated zone storage capacity. This leads to the accumulation of nutrients such as Soluble Reactive Phosphorus (SRP) and Total Inorganic Nitrogen (TIN) within the surface soils, increasing along a low-relief moisture gradient transitioning through upland forests, riparian zones and wetlands, influencing vegetation communities. In the post-mined landscape, decompressed overburden produce topographically elevated hillslopes with cover soils exhibiting poor transmissivity and hydrophobic properties, which are often subject to erosion. Reclamation projects are beginning to develop entire watersheds consisting of engineered wetlands, uplands and hillslopes, varying in elevation, to ensure a hydrologic connectivity that can support resiliency to moisture deficit during periodic stresses. To avoid undesirable interactions between land units, it is important to understand their hydrogeochemical connectivity. This study focuses on the interactions between a recently (i.e. three years) reclaimed low-relief upland and three encompassing hillslopes (aged five to nine-years since reclamation), located within a constructed fen watershed. The objectives were to determine if topographically driven moisture-nutrient gradients were being formed and how this would influence vegetation colonization. No topographically driven moisture-nutrient gradient was detected within the lower-lying constructed upland, attributed to the heterogeneity of the cover soil placement and the lack of preferential flow paths, typically witnessed in newly reclaimed soils. Furthermore, the application of control release fertilizer likely hindered the detection of any topographic influence on ion mobility. Runoffs collectors suggest that fertilizer may lead to off-site movement immediately following application. Results also demonstrated that SRP is likely in excess within this system and susceptible to leaching following overland flow events. However, TIN is potentially a limiting nutrient and while immobilized at the surface, demonstrated greater susceptibility towards vertical flow, especially when groundwater recharge promoting structures are incorporated within the construction of forested land units. Sapling survival within the constructed upland appeared to be influenced by moisture stress over nutrient availability, re-examining the need for fertilizer application when reclaimed soils still lack moisture absorbing properties. The elevated hillslopes also did not demonstrate any topographically driven moisture-nutrient gradient regardless of age since reclamation. The more mature hillslope was expected to demonstrate such a gradient, however the dry growing season likely hindered subsurface interflow downslope. The two younger hillslopes still demonstrated poor transmissivity attributed to their immaturity. TIN contributions towards the constructed upland proved to be minimal, however phosphorus inputs from erosion prone areas are likely to influence SRP availability following phosphate desorption processes within the constructed upland. Although our system demonstrated positive correlations of increased SRP on native species establishment, TIN availability demonstrated increased forb and non-native species colonization. This study demonstrates how current forested upland reclamation practices might influence other land units when re-initiating hydrogeochemical connectivity throughout engineered landscapes. This study also demonstrates how contributions from topographically elevated land units might impact vegetation communities downslope, which is crucial for re-establishing the resiliency of the landscape. Current forest upland and hillslope reclamation practices will likely need to be re-evaluated when considering landscape scale hydrogeochemical connectivity.

Download or read book Quantifying the Influence of Soil Prescriptions on Ecosystem Processes in Reclaimed Forests of Varying Age in a Post Oil Sands Landscape in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region Alberta Canada written by Tyler Matthew Prentice and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR) in northern Alberta, Canada contains ~4800 km2 available for surface mining, and as of 2017 ~767 km2 had been disturbed for oil sands operations. The Alberta government requires this land to be reclaimed back to an equivalent capacity following the closure of mining operations. This includes the reclamation of upland forests, which serve vital ecosystem functions to the region. These functions are influenced by the cover soils used while reclaiming these ecosystems as they are designed to provide sufficient water and nutrients for the vegetation being planted. There are two different cover soils typically used in reclamation, peat mineral mix (PMM) and forest floor material (FFM), while there have been studies examining the differences between them some of the results are inconsistent. This research aims to further the understanding of how differences in cover soils used can influence the moisture and nutrient regimes of reclaimed forests, and how these processes change as vegetation develops. Seven sites in the AOSR that varied in age, cover soil, and vegetation prescription were used for this study. Differences in soil physical properties were assessed and compared to changes in volumetric water content throughout the growing season to assess their impact on water regimes. Once the relationship between soil physical properties and water regimes were established the nutrient regimes of the sites were assessed through the in situ buried bag method. Similarly, to volumetric water content, nutrient mineralization rates were compared to soil physical properties to assess their impact on the nutrient regimes of the sites. Once the relationship between soil prescription and the water and nutrient regimes were established, how vegetation development can impact these processes could be determined. Soil texture was found to be the dominant driver of water regimes at reclaimed sites, having a greater influence than topographical variables. This led to some sites being re-vegetated incorrectly, which can lead to increased time for vegetation to become established and a potentially longer period before sites can become certified. Furthermore, the type of cover soil and mineral layer used were found to influence soil water regimes, with prescriptions using FFM having higher infiltration rates then PMM, while fine tailings sand mineral layers were more likely to result in water limited systems than overburden material. In contrast the impact soil prescriptions used in reclamation had on nutrient regimes was much smaller then hypothesized. The lack of differences observed between FFM and PMM suggests that five years post-revegetation any initial benefits to the nutrient regimes of the soil will no longer be present. The only parameter that seemed to influence nutrient mineralization rates was silt content, where sites with a higher silt content typically had a slight increase in N, NH4+, and NO3- mineralization. In contrast, litter mineralization rates followed a similar trend to what would typically be observed in natural boreal forests, with broadleaf sites having higher P mineralization rates while NH4+ and N were unrelated to vegetation type. These findings suggested that while soil physical properties have a significant influence on the water regimes of reclaimed sites, they have little impact on nutrient regimes five years post-revegetation. Instead vegetation inputs are the dominant control on nutrient availability. However, soil water regimes drive what vegetation can become established on reclaimed sites. Therefore, when attempting to predict the nutrient regimes of a site it is important to consider the impact soil properties will have on water regimes and how that may impact vegetation colonization, which will ultimately govern the nutrient mineralization rates.

Download or read book Characterizing Controls on Plot scale Evapotranspiration and Soil Water Dynamics of a Constructed Fen in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region Alberta written by Sarah Scarlett and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 59 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the Athabasca oil sands region of the Western Boreal Plains (WBP) mining companies now recognize the importance of reclaiming peatlands, as they cover > 50% of the pre-mined regional landscape. Open-pit mining operations require the removal of overburden, which is the surficial soil and vegetation overlying the oil-bearing formation. As a result, mining processes leave an unnatural, undulating landscape, which promotes the establishment of ecosystems non-native to the region. To date, oil sands wetland reclamation efforts have focused on marsh and open water wetlands. However, these wetland systems are not abundant in the sub-humid climate of the WBP due to high evaporative demand from free water surfaces. Despite their abundance on the landscape, the re-establishment of peatland ecosystems had not been previously tested due to their complexity and long successional development. However, the importance of these ecosystems was recognized by Alberta's Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (EPEA), which mandated mining companies to test peatland reclamation. As a result Suncor's Nikanotee Fen, an experimental fen and watershed constructed as part of the landscape reclamation, was completed in 2013 and engineered with the intent to support natural fen vegetation and hydrologic processes. During the initial years post-construction, the influence of the experimental planting design on the fen's hydrology is unknown. Therefore, plot-scale evapotranspiration (ET) and soil water dynamics were monitored at various mulched and unmulched vegetation plots (control, moss, seedlings; n = 31) across the fen, including ponds. Treatments types were found to influence available energy and thus ET, with highest rates over open water (4.4 mm/day) and lowest rates over moss-mulch plots (2.4 mm/day). Mulch reduced ET by lowering the vapour pressure deficit within the mulch layer, thus providing a favorable microclimate for moss establishment by elevating near-surface relative humidity and reducing air and soil temperatures by ~2°C. Plot-scale ET trends followed ponds (331 mm) > seedlings (294 mm) > seedling-mulch (273 mm) > control (246 mm) > moss (212 mm) > moss-mulch (179 mm), where cumulative seasonal ET exceeded cumulative precipitation (132 mm) in all plots. While plot type was found to influence ET losses, it did not show a significant control on soil water dynamics in this study. While there were slight water deficits (P-ET) and lower soil moisture contents in mulched plots, probably caused by precipitation interception, the specific effects of mulch on plot soil water dynamics are difficult to elucidate due to significant differences in plot water table levels (p 0.05). Water table variability was directly related to surface elevation, which differed between plots by ~ 24 cm. Despite a relatively small range in elevations, plot water table positions varied 20 cm bgs, where plots located at higher elevations had consistently lower and more variable water tables. Furthermore, the salvage and placement methods of the peat created highly heterogeneous peat properties across the fen, which significantly differed with location across the fen (p

Download or read book Methane Dynamics of a Constructed Fen in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region Alberta written by Kimberley Murray and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Oil sands mining activities in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region in northeastern Alberta, Canada have resulted in an extensive amount of land disturbance. The Alberta government requires some reclamation of disturbed land to be to wetland ecosystems, and given the predominance of fen peatlands in the area, fen construction on post-mined landscapes has recently been attempted. Peatlands sequester substantial amounts of carbon over thousands of years due to waterlogged conditions and inefficient decomposition, and on a large time scale provide a cooling effect on the planet's radiative budget. However, peatland conditions are also ideal for production of the strong greenhouse gas methane (CH4). Natural peatlands emit a significant amount of CH4 to the atmosphere, particularly following formation when these ecosystems have a net warming effect associated with the large CH4 flux. Given the knowledge that the conditions that are conducive to CH4 production and flux in natural peatlands also result in the eventual accumulation of peat and carbon sequestration, understanding the CH4 dynamics of constructed fens may indicate biogeochemical function, along with the ability of these ecosystems to ultimately accumulate peat, a major goal of reclamation. Further, understanding important controls on CH4 dynamics from the constructed fen, including vegetation and geochemistry, in comparison to natural sites, is beneficial for the development of recommendation that may result in lower CH4 flux through vegetation impacts, but appropriate water chemistry for peat accumulation. For this research CH4 flux, CH4 concentration, and variables including vegetation and hydrochemistry were monitored from a constructed fen and two natural reference sites in northeastern Alberta over the 2015 growing season. A factorial greenhouse experiment was also used to understand differences in CH4 flux, concentration, and oxidation between two vascular plants, Carex aquatilis and Juncus balticus, planted for fen construction. This greenhouse experiment further considered how water sourced from the reclaimed constructed fen influenced CH4 dynamics compared to natural rich fen water. Both the field data from 2015 and the greenhouse experiment results found lower CH4 concentration from constructed fen plots compared to natural fen plots. Differences in hydrochemistry/water chemistry variables were found between constructed fen and natural fen plots in both studies, including evidence of terminal electron acceptors known to influence CH4 production such as sulfur, iron, manganese, and inorganic forms of nitrogen. While aboveground biomass and productivity in the field was found to be similar or higher at the constructed fen site compared to the two reference sites, belowground biomass was lower. In the greenhouse experiment, on the other hand, above and belowground biomass and productivity was similar between Carex aquatilis and Juncus balticus plots. Overall, several vegetation and hydrochemistry/water chemistry variables were found to significantly explain the CH4 results in the field and greenhouse experiment. For example, in both cases high sulfur at the constructed fen plots decreased CH4 flux and concentration. Lower CH4 concentration and higher relative oxidation found from plots including Juncus balticus compared to Carex aquatilis in the greenhouse experiment suggest that planting Juncus balticus in future constructed fen projects may result in lower CH4 flux. However, CH4 emissions will likely remain low at constructed fens if water chemistry does not change over time, or if future constructed fen designs are not altered to result in water chemistry more similar to natural sites.

Download or read book Baseline Hydrogeochemistry and Connectivity Among Landscape Units of Two Wetland rich Boreal Sites in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region Alberta written by Caren Küsel and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Developing critical loads for nitrogen (N) in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR) requires an understanding of the hydrological connectivity and potential for N transport among uplands, fens and bogs typical in the wetland-rich Boreal region of northern Alberta. The Cumulative Environmental Management Association's (CEMA) overarching mandate is to determine a nitrogen critical load specific to the Boreal region of northern Alberta. To this end, nitrogen amendment experiments were initiated at two Boreal wetland sites: an upland -- rich fen gradient at Jack Pine High (JPH) and an upland -- fen -- bog mosaic at Mariana Lakes (ML), 45 km north and 100 km south of Fort McMurray respectively.The objectives of this study are to use geochemical and isotopic tracers to describe baseline hydrogeochemical variability and connectivity between bog, fens and upland areas in the AOSR. Sites were instrumented with piezometer nests and water table wells along transects that cover the targeted landscape units (n = 108 sampling locations). Fieldwork related to this thesis was conducted during the open-water season: in June and August 2011, and in May, July, and September 2012. Field campaigns also included a snow survey (March 2012), and spring melt/freshet sampling (April 2012). The analysis of spatiotemporal variability of water isotopes and geochemistry in the years 2011-2012 yielded: i) a characterization of baseline conditions from which perturbations can be assessed, and ii) evidence of connectivity among landscape units. No evidence for elevated concentrations of nitrogen related to the amendment experiments was found in 2011 or 2012. The baseline characterization and annual monitoring did show increasing concentrations of inorganic ammonium with increasing depth associated with increasing solute concentrations: average concentrations of inorganic ammonium were 23 mg/L at deepest sampling locations (7 m) at ML bog and ML fen landscape units. These ammonium concentrations in porewaters, given a porosity of 0.90 for peatlands, constitute a store of ammonium that may be a significant source of nitrogen if the hydrology is altered due to co-occurring changes in vegetation (due to, for example, elevated nitrogen inputs), climate and/or landuse.Hydrologic connectivity at JPH is likely driven by topography. Hydraulic head in 2011 and 2012 field seasons showed that flow persisted from the upland to the fen. The consistent and distinct geochemical signatures and isotopic labelling of mid-depth and deep groundwater samples of fen and upland landscape units is consistent with such a stable groundwater continuum. Near-surface water samples at JPH fen however varied hydrogeochemically in response to seasonal changes in precipitation inputs, water levels, and biogeochemical productivity ... .

Download or read book Comments written by United States. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement and published by . This book was released on 1983 with total page 656 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Nitrogen Plant and Microbial Community Dynamics in Sites Recovering from Wildfire and Surface Mining in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region written by Jillian M. Martin and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For reclamation to be considered successful, an ecosystem must be self-sustaining and have a recovery trajectory that falls within the range of variability of ecosystem function in natural ecosystems. This study compared the soil nitrogen availability, soil microbial community, and understory vegetation following natural (wildfire) disturbance and anthropogenic (reclamation) disturbance, in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region. Eleven natural (aged 2-131 years) and five reclaimed sites (aged 4-27 years) from upland aspen/ spruce stands were compared. Soil available nitrogen was assessed in-situ with ionic resin capsules and potentially mineralizable nitrogen was determined by anaerobic incubation. Microbial respiration was measured as an indicator of activity, and microbial community fingerprints and biomass were determined using phospholipid fatty acid analysis. The vegetation was characterized by canopy cover, plant functional group, and composition survey at the genus level. No significant difference for nitrate or ammonium availability was observed at the site level; however, there were trends with time and canopy cover. The potentially mineralizable nitrogen trend with time was much higher on the natural sites than the reclaimed sites. Non-metric multi-dimensional scaling ordinations of the soil microbial community and understory vegetation composition revealed that reclaimed and unburned sites had significantly different communities with a low degree of similarity. The burned sites (aged 2-39 years) were more variable and bridged the difference between the reclaimed and mature sites. The microbial community of the oldest reclaimed sites were most similar to naturally disturbed sites. This work shows that young naturally disturbed sites may be a more relevant comparison when evaluating reclamation trajectory than mature stands.

Download or read book Acceptable Salinity Sodicity and PH Values for Boreal Forest Reclamation written by Darlene Howat and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book A Summary of Land Resource and Groundwater Resource Issues Related to Plains Coal Mine Reclamation in Alberta written by D. B. Cheel and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 99 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Geologic Economic and Environmental Factors Associated with Mined Land Reclamation in Routt County Colorado written by Gary Michael Kaszynski and published by . This book was released on 1984 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Recreating a Functioning Forest Soil in Reclaimed Oil Sands in Northern Alberta written by and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During oil-sands mining all vegetation cover, soil, overburden and oil-sand is removed, leaving pits several kilometres wide and hundreds of metres deep. These pits are reclaimed by a variety of treatments using mineral soil or a mixed peat and mineral soil as the capping layer and planted with trees with natural colonisation from adjacent sites. A number of reclamation treatments covering different age classes were compared with a range of natural forest ecotypes to identify the age at which the treatments become similar to a natural site with respect to vegetation composition and key soil attributes relevant to nutrient cycling. Ecosystem function was estimated from plant community composition, litter decomposition, development of an organic layer and bio-available nutrients. Key response variables including moisture, pH, C:N ratios, bio-available nutrients and ground-cover were analysed by non-metric multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis to discover which reclamation treatments were moving towards or merging with natural forest ecotypes and at what age this occurs. On reclaimed sites, bio-available nutrients including nitrate generally were above the natural range of variability but ammonium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and manganese were generally very low and limiting to ecosystem development. Plant diversity was similar to natural sites from 5 years to 30 years after reclamation, but declined as reclaimed sites approached canopy closure. Grass and forb leaf litters decomposed faster than aspen or pine in the first year, but decomposition on one reclamation treatment fell below the natural range of variability. Development of an organic layer appeared to be facilitated by the presence of shrubs, while forbs correlated negatively with first-year decomposition of aspen litter. The better restoration amendments for tailings sands involved repeated fertilisation of peat: mineral mixtures in the early years of plant establishment, these became similar to a.

Download or read book Acceptable Salinity Sodicity and PH Values for Boreal Forest Reclamation written by Darlene Rose Howat and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Guidelines for Reclamation to Forest Vegetation in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region 2nd Edition 2009 Facts at Your Fingertips 2009 written by Alberta. Department of Environment. Northern Region and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Soil and Vegetation Change on a Coal Mine 15 Years After Reclamation in the Aspen Parkland of Alberta written by and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To evaluate the outcomes of reclamation design, soil and plant community changes on an unmanaged, 15-year-old certified-reclaimed site were analysed and compared with an undisturbed reference location. Patterns were analysed using MRPP while change was measured with rmANOVA. Plant species were poor predictors of selected soil properties. Percent soil organic carbon increased (p = 0.032), while soil pH did not change. Overall plant community composition did not change in proportion of cover between a priori groups of seeded/unseeded species or between native/introduced species. Individual species did vary in amount of cover change between 1993 and 2007. A linear regression of richness versus area covered by native species determined that the Shannon index is not a suitable measurement for monitoring plant community change towards the reference ecosystem. These findings highlight the importance of initial design, and the potential additive role of landscape architects as part of reclamation planning.

Download or read book Soil and Vegetation Change on a Coal Mine 15 Years After Reclamation in the Aspen Parkland of Alberta written by Tremayne Stanton-Kennedy and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Implementation of Program Policies for Federal State and Indian Abandoned Mine and Land Reclamation Under Title IV of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 written by United States. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement and published by . This book was released on 1980 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Plains Hydrology and Reclamation Project written by D. R. Pauls and published by Reclamation Research Technical Advisory Committee. This book was released on 1988 with total page 135 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: