Use of woody debris as an amendment for reclamation after oil sands mining

• Author / Creator

  Brown, Robyn L.

• This research determined if woody debris amendments facilitate land reclamation after oil sands mining. Specifically, it assessed if woody debris affects vegetation cover and richness, woody species survival and abundance, soil nutrients, temperature and water, microbial biomass carbon and mycorrhizal biomass. A four year old site and a two year old site were used to compare treatments with and without woody debris. Woody debris did not affect initial vegetation emergence, but increased species richness and decreased introduced species cover. After winter assessments found woody debris cover positively associated with vegetation cover. More saplings planted on woody debris treatments survived and woody debris cover was positively associated with woody plant abundance. Woody debris treatments had lower soil nitrogen and higher phosphorus, suggesting nitrogen immobilization and leachate high in phosphorus. Soil under woody debris had a lower temperature range and higher soil volumetric water content. No differences were found in microbial parameters.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Woody debris
  • Reclamation

• Graduation date

  Spring 2010

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3DW29

• 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.