Defining best management practices for conservation of reclamation materials in the mineable oil sands region of Alberta

MacKenzie, Dean; Amponsah, Isaac Kingsley; Bergström, David; Anderson, H. Michael

doi:10.36487/acg_rep/1152_14_amponsah

Cited by 10 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…Within this paper LFH refers to organic material from an upland forest and describes the mix of LFH layer and upper mineral soil, which can include the Ahe, Ae, upper B horizon or combinations of these horizons, over stripped during salvage and placed for reclamation in the oil sands region. Salvaging, storing and replacing LFH is now considered a best practice in Alberta [3]. Research has assessed effects of salvage and placement depth of forest topsoil on plant community establishment, with little work on effects of storage, particularly in the boreal forest.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Native seed, soil and atmosphere respond to boreal forest topsoil (LFH) storage

MacKenzie¹,

Naeth

2019

PLoS ONE

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During mining topsoil is salvaged and stockpiled until ready for reclamation, stockpiling can have detrimental effects on seed viability and soil quality. Research has assessed effects of salvage and placement depth of forest topsoil on plant community establishment, with little work on effects of storage, particularly in the boreal forest. Our research assessed boreal forest topsoil storage methods to determine effects on soil chemical and physical properties, native seed viability and germination and rhizome viability and emergence. Factors were topsoil stockpiling length, stockpile size, season of construction and soil texture. Four replicates of large and small stockpiles were constructed in the mineable oil sands, in northeastern Alberta. During construction seeds and rhizomes from a variety of native boreal plant species were buried within large (0.05, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 6.0 m) and small (0.05, 1.0, 3.0 m) stockpiles. Soil gas probes were installed at similar depths as seed and rhizomes were placed. Seeds and rhizomes were extracted eight months and sixteen months after construction; during that time soil samples were collected for various chemical analyses. Irrespective of stockpile size, the majority of species seeds and rhizomes buried below 1 m lost viability and did not germinate after eight months. Anaerobic soil conditions developed soon after construction and persisted at depths below 1.0 m in large stockpiles, and over time anaerobic conditions developed in smaller stockpiles. Only seeds of Geranium bicknellii and Dracocephalum parviflorum had a high survival rate in stockpiles; both species have hard seed coats and are physically dormant. Various soil nutrients increased in concentrations in their soluble forms after stockpiling. Direct placement of topsoil is a preferred soil handling technique; however, if topsoil has to be stockpiled increasing the surface area of stockpiles will help preserve some seed and rhizome viability.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Native seed, soil and atmosphere respond to boreal forest topsoil (LFH) storage

MacKenzie¹,

Naeth

2019

PLoS ONE

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“…The reclamation process involves the recreation of soil profiles using surface soil materials salvaged within the development footprint (Rowland et al 2009). Peat from organic soils is the dominant coversoil (topsoil) used in reclamation due to its beneficial physical and chemical properties as a topsoil horizon and the widespread presence of organic soils in the Athabasca oil sands region (AOSR) (Macyk and Drozdowski 2008;Mackenzie 2011). The placement of peat coversoil provides an organic surface layer intended to replicate the leaf litter horizon of upland surface soils of the region and promote vegetation growth.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Research investigating the influence of selectively salvaged upland surface soils and peat-containing coversoils in reclamation has been done (Mackenzie 2011;Hahn and Quideau 2013;Macdonald et al 2015;Masse 2016). However, the influence of peat type or composition on upland forest reclamation outcomes has not been investigated.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Strong legacy effect of peat composition on physicochemical properties of reclamation coversoil

et al. 2019

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Incorporation of salvaged peat in soil cover designs for oil sands mine reclamation is a common practice. However, current peat salvage practices do not differentiate between peatland types or the botanical composition of peat. In this study, we characterized the botanical composition of natural peat and coversoil on reclaimed sites and examined the influence of botanical composition on the physicochemical characteristics of reclaimed coversoil. Peat samples were collected from 15 natural peatlands (bog, poor fen, and rich fen) and peat coversoils were sampled from six reclaimed sites in the Athabasca oils sands region. The botanical compositions (Sphagnum, wood Sphagnum, woody, and woody/moss herbaceous) of all samples were determined. We found that natural peatland types had different physicochemical properties, primarily driven by Sphagnum-dominated samples with a high carbon:nitrogen (C:N) ratio and low total exchange capacity (TEC) when compared with samples dominated by more woody/moss herbaceous material. Similarly, we found that coversoil with Sphagnum-dominated peat compared with woody/moss herbaceous peat had lower TEC, pH, and total nitrogen values and higher C:N ratios (∼40 vs. 20 for Sphagnum and woody/moss herbaceous, respectively). Our results indicate that physicochemical properties driven by botanical composition remain in coversoil 5 yr after placement.

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“…Regardless of amendment type, the mixing and degradation of the salvaged material during placement disturbs soil structure, presenting greater heterogeneity within the reclaimed system (S. J. Ketcheson & Price, 2016b;Macdonald, Snively, Fair, & Landhäusser, 2015;D. Mackenzie, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For instance, comparison between forested uplands reclaimed with FFM and PMM has shown that sites reclaimed with FFM are structurally similar to pristine Boreal forest soils, whereas PMM supported greater moisture absorption capabilities, which is imperative to sapling survival within the first few years (M. D. Mackenzie, Hofstetter, Hatam, & Lanoil, ; B. D. Pinno & Errington, ; Schott, Snively, Landhäusser, & Pinno, ). Regardless of amendment type, the mixing and degradation of the salvaged material during placement disturbs soil structure, presenting greater heterogeneity within the reclaimed system (S. J. Ketcheson & Price, ; Macdonald, Snively, Fair, & Landhäusser, ; D. Mackenzie, ). In addition, newly reclaimed soils may possess hydrophobic properties and limited water storage capacities, leading to run‐off and the erosion of unconsolidated particles downslope (Keshta, Elshorbagy, & Barbour, ; S. J. Ketcheson & Price, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecohydrological functioning of an upland undergoing reclamation on post‐mining landscape of the Athabasca oil sands region, Canada

et al. 2018

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Ecohydrological functioning of natural Boreal forest in Canada's Boreal Plains is a product of interactions between soil hydrophysical characteristics and hydrogeochemical processes. These interactions create a moisture–nutrient gradient within the surface soils, increasing along low‐relief transitions from upland to riparian zone, and in turn influence the distribution of vegetation communities. It is not yet known if/when analogous ecohydrological functions can be achieved in constructed uplands following industrial disturbance, such as that following oil sands development. Hence, to assess this, we studied interactions between hydrogeochemical processes and vegetation colonization in a constructed upland relative to hydrophysical properties of 2 reclamation cover substrates during a typical continental climate's growing season. Our results indicated that in 3 years of postconstruction, the establishment of a moisture–nutrient gradient that supports vegetation colonization along slope positions was still limited by heterogeneity of cover substrates. Portions of the upland under peat–mineral mix were characterized by lower nutrient availability, high moisture content, and establishment of planted shrubs and trees. In contrast, forest floor materials plots were characterized by poor soil quality, but higher nutrient availability and greater colonization of invasive grasses and native shrubs. We suggest that the colonization of underdeveloped soils by invasive grasses may facilitate pedogenic processes and thus should be accepted by reclamation managers as a successional milestone in the recovery of ecohydrological functioning of constructed uplands. Poor soil structure under forest floor materials could not support edaphic conditions required by plants to efficiently utilize fertilizer, making this practise futile at the early stage of soil development.

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Defining best management practices for conservation of reclamation materials in the mineable oil sands region of Alberta

Cited by 10 publications

References 0 publications

Native seed, soil and atmosphere respond to boreal forest topsoil (LFH) storage

Native seed, soil and atmosphere respond to boreal forest topsoil (LFH) storage

Strong legacy effect of peat composition on physicochemical properties of reclamation coversoil

Ecohydrological functioning of an upland undergoing reclamation on post‐mining landscape of the Athabasca oil sands region, Canada

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