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Skip to Search Results- 1Archibald, Heather Anne
- 1Collins, Catherine
- 1Donner, Mark
- 1Forsch, Katryna B C
- 1Frederick, Kurt R.
- 1Greenacre, Daniel
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An Alternate Indicator System for Nutrient Supply as Part of Ecosystem Function, a Component of Reclamation Success in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region
DownloadFall 2017
Northeastern Alberta faces the challenges of reclaiming a vast area that has been disturbed my oil sands mining, cumulatively 896 km2 and increasing as of December 2013. The limited resources available for reclamation and expensive costs of undertaking the process necessitates that reclamation be...
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An Investigation of Potential Weed Management Practices and Multivariate Assessment Parameters for Alberta's Oil Sands Reclamation Efforts
DownloadSpring 2018
Reclamation efforts that promote the re-establishment of native tree and plant communities subsequent of large-scale oil sands mining land disturbances are crucial in restoring natural ecosystems. It is important that reclamation procedures capable of facilitating the establishment of native...
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Assessing the long-term impact of acid deposition and the risk of soil acidification in boreal forests in the Athabasca oil sands region in Alberta, Canada
DownloadFall 2012
Significant amounts of SO2 and NOx have been emitted from the Athabasca oil sands region (AOSR) in Alberta, Canada, in the past several decades. The impact of acid deposition on forest ecosystems and the risk of soil acidification were assessed in jack pine (Pinus banksiana) and trembling aspen...
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Spring 2014
Peat mineral soil mix has been the predominant cover soil used in Athabasca oil sands reclamation. Use of LFH mineral soil mix (forest litter layers and underlying mineral soil) has recently been mandated by regulatory approvals. Effectiveness of these cover soil types to provide diverse, native...
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Effects of Alternative Forest Harvesting Strategies on Snowpack Dynamics and Seasonal Soil Moisture Storage in Alberta's Mountain Headwaters
DownloadFall 2019
Snowpack accumulation and melt dynamics, and soil moisture storage (SMS) play a critical role in regulating stressed regional water supplies in the southern Alberta Rockies. However, these processes are sensitive to impacts from forest cover losses by timber harvesting and associated land...
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Spring 2012
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...
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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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Influence of Soil Cap Depth and Vegetation on Reclamation of Phosphogypsum Stacks in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta
DownloadSpring 2013
This study quantified environmental parameters to develop reclamation strategies for phosphogypsum stacks. Research was conducted on phosphogypsum stack experimental plots established in 2006 (6 soil cap depths, 5 vegetation treatments), and soil capped slopes seeded in 1998. Significant root...
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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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Methane Production and Emission Mitigation in Oil Sands Tailings Concurrent with Hydrocarbon Degradation under Nitrogen Limited Conditions
DownloadFall 2020
Alberta’s oil sands generate large volumes of tailings from bitumen ore processing. These tailings ponds produce biogenic methane, which can be measured across 60-80% of the tailings surface. Based on current surface area data and emissions studies, tailings ponds could account for 8% of Canada’s...