Plant and soil biophysical properties for evaluating land reclamation in Jasper National Park, Canada

• Author / Creator

  STEINKE, LANCE AVERY

• Jasper National Park has numerous disturbances in the montane and subalpine ecoregions of varying ages and causes, such as pipelines, road ways, trade waste pits and recreational activities. These disturbances are in various degrees of effective reclamation, in some cases soil conditions have promoted invasion by non-native plant species that in turn have limited self sustaining native plant communities. Of 23 research sites 4 are effectively reclaimed and another 4 are not because of the over abundance of non-native plant species. Presently, there is no standard method for use in Jasper National Park to monitor and judge effectiveness of land reclamation. This research thesis developed a biophysical monitoring and evaluation process which is simple to employ, efficient and economic. Along with plant and litter cover, species composition, and individual densities there are 8 soil physical and chemical properties which can support science-based ecosystem management of human initiated land disturbances.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Canadian Rocky Mountains
  • Ecological monitoring
  • Land reclamation
  • Jasper National Park

• Graduation date

  Fall 2011

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Land Reclamation and Remediation

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3DS8J

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.