Enhanced revegetation and reclamation of oil sand disturbed land using mycorrhizae

• Author / Creator

  Onwuchekwa, Nnenna E

• This study examined the potential of using conifer seedlings Picea glauca and Pinus banksiana inoculated with ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi to improve revegetation success and plant establishment in reclaimed oil sands mining sites. Mycorrhizal inoculum potential of the reclamation soils was low with the maximum inoculum potential of 23% and 29%for ECM and arbuscular mycorrhizae, respectively. The response of seedlings in the field to ECM inoculation varied between plant species and measured parameters. A significant effect of ECM inoculation on height was observed in P. banksiana but not in P. glauca. The average survival rate for P. glauca seedlings inoculated with different species of ECM varied between 36% and 56%, whereas the control (uninoculated) seedlings had minimum and maximum survival rates of 22 and 41% respectively. Generally, it was construed that the re-introduction of mycorrhizal fungi during reclamation process is an important approach that should be further exploited.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Mycorrhizae
  • Revegetation
  • ECM fungi
  • Reclamation
  • Oil sands

• Graduation date

  Spring 2012

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3SC8T

• 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.