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Skip to Search Results- 1Amoako, Kwaku Akrofi
- 1Archibald, Heather Anne
- 1Baydack, Micki
- 1Bony, Laura
- 1Brown, Nicholas
- 1Brown, Robyn L.
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Oil Sands Reclamation With Woody Debris Using LFH Mineral Soil Mix And Peat Mineral Soil Mix Cover Soils: Impacts On Select Soil And Vegetation Properties
DownloadFall 2014
Prior to mining oil sands, soil is salvaged for reclamation and forest stands are harvested for their merchantable timber. Harvest operations leave large amounts of residual woody debris, which has been historically burned or mulched. Woody debris has significant ecological effects and can be...
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Marsh reclamation in the oil sands of Alberta: providing benchmarks and models of vegetation development
DownloadFall 2014
A key objective of the Alberta oil sands industry is to reclaim the post-mined landscape to “equivalent land capability” (Harris 2007). Vitt and Bhatti (2012) proposed a restoration framework for boreal disturbances. They suggested that to increase chances of achieving ecosystem equivalency and...
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Aggregate Resource Extraction: Examining Environmental Impacts on Optimal Extraction and Reclamation Strategies
DownloadFall 2014
Aggregate resources are naturally occurring deposits of sand, gravel and crushed stone that are integral components to the construction of everything from roads and sidewalks, to hospitals and schools. Mining these resources can release deleterious sediments, salt and chemicals into watercourses,...
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Fall 2015
Assessment of microbial community development is required to determine the success of reclamation process on disturbed land after mining. Peat (PMM) or LFH mineral soil mix (LFH) is used as capping material in reclamation. Application of coarse woody debris (CWD) also facilitates reclamation by...
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Water availability and understory influence on tree growth in reclaimed forest ecosystems, Athabasca oil sands region, Alberta, Canada
DownloadFall 2015
Reclaimed forest ecosystems in the Athabasca oil sands region (AOSR) have limiting factors to growth that can result in poor tree performance, as indicated by stunted growth, foliar discolouration and needle dropping, and ultimately threaten reclamation success. Indicators of reclamation success...
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Influence of Amendments and Soil Depth on Available Nutrients and Microbial Dynamics in Contrasting Topsoil Materials Used for Oil Sands Reclamation
DownloadFall 2015
As of December 2013, the cumulative area disturbed by oil sands mining in NE Alberta was 896 km2 out of an estimated final footprint of 4,800 km2 – all of which will require reclamation. Expensive handling costs and scarce soil resources necessitate judicious management and application of...
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Fall 2016
Re-establishment of appropriate vegetation communities is an important aspect of successful forest reclamation as they contribute to various ecosystem functions. In my research I explore how different coversoil materials (salvaged forest floor (FFM) and peat material), their placement depths, and...
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Spring 2016
Reclamation of northern disturbances is of increasing importance as industrial activities and associated infrastructure expands to accommodate growing human reliance on world ecosystems. Bryophytes are recognized as ecologically essential to northern ecosystems and effectively promoting their...
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Effects of Biochar, Fertilizer and Shelter Treatments on the Vegetation Development following Coal Mine Reclamation
DownloadFall 2016
Poor quality cover soil, a lack of propagules, and availability of suitable microsites can be serious challenges in the re-vegetation success of surface mines. In my thesis research, I examined the response of total cover, species richness and community composition of colonizing vegetation on a...
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Persistence of subsoiling effects on the soil physical and hydraulic properties in a reconstructed soil
DownloadSpring 2016
Surface mining is one of the most significant forms of anthropogenic disturbance to natural and managed ecosystems. In Alberta, mining disturbs large areas in the Mixedwood Boreal natural region and recovery is often slow because of poor soil quality, specifically the high degree of compaction....