Salinization of soil over saline-sodic overburden from the oil sands in Alberta

KesslerS.,; ReesK.C.J., van

doi:10.4141/cjss10019

Cited by 45 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Rooting habits are adaptable to different soil conditions, but resource allocation to root responses represents additional stress on the tree (Gale and Grigal 1987). Since aspen had greater root length at intermediate soil depths, drought stress and any accompanying growth reductions are likely to be greater for aspen than for white spruce in soils in which salinity increases with depth, as they did at our study sites (Lilles et al 2010), and as they most likely will after oil sands reclamation (Kessler et al 2010).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 53%

“…During reclamation of saline soils, nonsaline peat and peat mineral mixes are placed on top of saline-sodic overburden materials creating an environment where the highest salinity is encountered at depth and salinity may fluctuate over time (Kessler et al 2010). In both situations, assessing tree root response to variation in salinity with depth and assessing tree growth response over many decades are critical for understanding how forests develop on soils with salinity at depth.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Growth of aspen and white spruce on naturally saline sites in northern Alberta: Implications for development of boreal forest vegetation on reclaimed saline soils

et al. 2012

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. 2012. Growth of aspen and white spruce on naturally saline sites in northern Alberta: Implications for development of boreal forest vegetation on reclaimed saline soils. Can. J. Soil Sci. 92: 213Á227. We examined height and basal area growth over time for trembling aspen and white spruce in plots along a salinity gradient at six naturally saline sites in northern Alberta, as a benchmark for forest productivity on reclaimed saline sites. We measured root distributions and analyzed foliage for ions, nutrients and carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios. Both species grew on soil conditions previously considered unsuitable for forest vegetation [pH !8.5; electrical conductivity !10 dS m (1 , sodium adsorption ratio!13 at depth (50Á100 cm)] yet there was little evidence of nutritional toxicities or deficiencies. Aspen basal area growth decreased 50% as salinity increased, but aspen was commercially productive (site index022) on soils with electrical conductivity of 7.8 dS m(1 at 50Á100 cm depth. Growth of white spruce seemed to be unaffected by salinity level differences, but 78% of white spruce site indexes were less than 13 and would be considered non-productive. Both species showed growth declines over time, compared with non-saline reference growth curves, and rooted primarily in the forest floor and top 20 cm of soil. This suggests that rooting limitations may constrain longer-term productivity of forests established on sites with salinity at depth.Key words: Salinity gradient, salt tolerance, forest growth, stem analysis, boreal forest, reclamation Lilles, E. B., Purdy, B. G., Macdonald, S. E. et Chang, S. X. 2012. Croissance du tremble et de l'e´pinette blanche sur des sites salins naturels dans le nord de l'Alberta : implications pour la croissance de la foreˆt bore´ale sur des sols salins restaure´s. Can. J. Soil Sci. 92: 213Á227. Les auteurs ont examine´la hauteur et la croissance de la surface terrie`re de trembles et d'e´pinettes blanches poussant sur des parcelles situe´es le long d'un gradient de salinite´, a`six sites naturellement salinise´s du nord de l'Alberta, en vue d'e´tablir des points de comparaison pour la productivite´forestie`re sur les sites salins restaure´s. Ils ont pour cela mesure´la distribution des racines et analyse´le feuillage afin d'e´tablir la concentration d'ions et d'e´le´ments nutritifs ainsi que le ratio des isotopes stables de carbone et d'azote. Les deux essences croissaient sur des sols qu'on pensait jusque la`impropres a`la ve´ge´tation forestie`re (pH !8,5; conductivite´e´lectrique !10 dS par me`tre, ratio d'adsorption du sodium !13 a`une profondeur de 50 a`100 cm). Pourtant, les arbres pre´sentaient peu d'indices de toxicite´ou de carence nutritives. La croissance de la surface terrie`re du tremble diminue de 50 % avec la hausse de la salinite´, mais l'espe`ce demeure commercialement productive (indice du site 022) sur les sols dont la conductivite´e´lectrique est de 7,8 dS par me`tre, a`une profondeur de 50 a`100 cm. La croissance de l'e´pinette blanche ne semble ...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 53%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Growth of aspen and white spruce on naturally saline sites in northern Alberta: Implications for development of boreal forest vegetation on reclaimed saline soils

et al. 2012

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“…Kelly et al, 2009Kelly et al, , 2010, the concentration of ions measured within the snowpack in the Nikanotee Fen watershed were much lower than those measured in the water discharging through the slope run-off flumes. Salts can migrate into, and accumulate within, reclamation soil covers by diffusion from the underlying overburden material (Kessler et al, 2010). Kessler et al (2010) found that sulfate and sodium were the dominant anion and cation, respectively, within a reclamation soil cover layer.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Salts can migrate into, and accumulate within, reclamation soil covers by diffusion from the underlying overburden material (Kessler et al, 2010). Kessler et al (2010) found that sulfate and sodium were the dominant anion and cation, respectively, within a reclamation soil cover layer. Similarly, sulfate and sodium represented the highest two ion concentrations measured in the snowmelt run-off through the flumes in the current study, with average concentrations of 604.3 and 61.9 mg l À1 , respectively.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Snow hydrology of a constructed watershed in the Athabasca oil sands region, Alberta, Canada

Ketcheson

Price

2016

Hydrological Processes

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Abstract:Wetlands are now being integrated into oil sands mining landscape closure design plans. These wetland ecosystems will be constructed within a regional sub-humid climate where snowfall represents~25% of annual precipitation. However, few studies focus on the distribution of snow and, hence, the storage of winter precipitation in reclaimed oil sands landscapes. In this study, the distribution, ablation and fate of snowmelt waters are quantified within a constructed watershed in a post-mining oil sands environment. Basin-averaged peak SWE was 106 mm, with no significant difference between reclaimed slopes with vegetation and those that were sparsely vegetated or bare. Snow depth was greatest and more variable near the toe of slopes and became progressively shallower towards the crest. Snow ablation started first on the vegetated slope, which also exhibited the maximum observed ablation rates. This enhanced melt was attributed to increased absorption of short-wave radiation by vegetation stems and branches. Recharge to reclaimed slopes and a constructed aquifer during the snowmelt period was minimal, as the presence of ground frost minimized infiltration. Accordingly, substantial surface run-off was observed from all reclaimed slopes, despite being designed to reduce run-off and increase water storage. This could result in increased flashiness of downstream watercourses during the spring freshet that receive run-off from post-mining landscapes where large reclaimed slopes are prolific. Run-off ratios for the reclaimed slopes were between 0.7 and 0.9. Thus, it is essential to consider snow dynamics when designing landscape-scale constructed ecosystems. This research demonstrates that the snowmelt period hydrology within reclaimed landscapes is fundamentally different from that reported for natural settings and represents one of the first studies on snow dynamics in constructed watershed systems in the post-mined oil sands landscape.

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“…Surface strip mining for bitumen exposes marine sediments and shallow saline aquifers, resulting in salinization due to dumping of saline mine overburden, increased discharge of deep saline groundwater at the surface, and the disposal of saline waters used in the extraction of oil from the sands (Kessler et al 2010, Gibson et al 2013). These processes have been predicted to modify salinity regimes in boreal wetland ecosystems (Trites and Bayley 2009).…”

Section: Salinization Of Inland Wetlandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A global perspective on wetland salinization: ecological consequences of a growing threat to freshwater wetlands

et al. 2015

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Abstract. Salinization, a widespread threat to the structure and ecological functioning of inland and coastal wetlands, is currently occurring at an unprecedented rate and geographic scale. The causes of salinization are diverse and include alterations to freshwater flows, land-clearance, irrigation, disposal of wastewater effluent, sea level rise, storm surges, and applications of de-icing salts. Climate change and anthropogenic modifications to the hydrologic cycle are expected to further increase the extent and severity of wetland salinization. Salinization alters the fundamental physicochemical nature of the soil-water environment, increasing ionic concentrations and altering chemical equilibria and mineral solubility. Increased concentrations of solutes, especially sulfate, alter the biogeochemical cycling of major elements including carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, iron, and silica. The effects of salinization on wetland biogeochemistry typically include decreased inorganic nitrogen removal (with implications for water quality and climate regulation), decreased carbon storage (with implications for climate regulation and wetland accretion), and increased generation of toxic sulfides (with implications for nutrient cycling and the health/functioning of wetland biota). Indeed, increased salt and sulfide concentrations induce physiological stress in wetland biota and ultimately can result in large shifts in wetland communities and their associated ecosystem functions. The productivity and composition of freshwater species assemblages will be highly altered, and there is a high potential for the disruption of existing interspecific interactions. Although there is a wealth of information on how salinization impacts individual ecosystem components, relatively few studies have addressed the complex and often non-linear feedbacks that determine ecosystem-scale responses or considered how wetland salinization will affect landscape-level processes. Although the salinization of wetlands may be unavoidable in many cases, these systems may also prove to be a fertile testing ground for broader ecological theories including (but not limited to): investigations into alternative stable states and tipping points, trophic cascades, disturbance-recovery processes, and the role of historical events and landscape context in driving community response to disturbance.

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Salinization of soil over saline-sodic overburden from the oil sands in Alberta

Cited by 45 publications

References 28 publications

Growth of aspen and white spruce on naturally saline sites in northern Alberta: Implications for development of boreal forest vegetation on reclaimed saline soils

Growth of aspen and white spruce on naturally saline sites in northern Alberta: Implications for development of boreal forest vegetation on reclaimed saline soils

Snow hydrology of a constructed watershed in the Athabasca oil sands region, Alberta, Canada

A global perspective on wetland salinization: ecological consequences of a growing threat to freshwater wetlands

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