Wetland Restoration of an Exploratory Well on Alaska's North Slope: A Learning Experience

Kidd, Janet G.; Streever, Bill; Joyce, Michael R.; Fanter, L. H.

doi:10.3368/er.22.1.30

Cited by 3 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…The relatively poor long-term growth of vascular plants in the native-grass cultivar treatment was unexpected, although a recent study conducted at an abandoned exploratory well site in the Prudhoe Bay Oilfield produced a similar result (Kidd et al, 2004). At both sites, the level of grass cover was low enough (,20%) to minimize competition with natural colonizers, a factor that has reduced natural colonization at sites with denser grass cover (Younkin and Martens, 1987;Densmore, 1992).…”

Section: Chemicalmentioning

confidence: 82%

“…As the oilfields age, some exploratory well sites, gravel roads, and other gravel-fill areas are no longer needed and are being decommissioned. Over the past 30 years, research has been conducted to develop ways to rehabilitate these decommissioned sites to support vegetation or serve other ecosystem functions (e.g., Mitchell, 1979;Moore and Wright, 1991;Jorgenson, 1997;Jorgenson and Joyce, 1994;Jorgenson et al, 1995;McKendrick, 1997McKendrick, , 2000Streever et al, 2003;Kidd et al, 2004). Techniques assessed include planting on top of thick gravel, total gravel removal followed by planting, partial gravel removal followed by planting, and contouring of gravel to form snow berms and wind breaks followed by planting (e.g., McKendrick, 1991;McKendrick et al, 1992;Jorgenson et al, 1993Jorgenson et al, , 2003.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As a result, removal of gravel that exposes tundra where vegetation has been killed often leads to thermokarst. Also, because the weight of gravel fill often compresses underlying tundra soil (Kidd et al, 2004), when the gravel is removed a depression remains that promotes the impoundment of water, which accelerates thermokarst by conducting and convecting heat away from the ground (Hopkins, 1949).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Site Characteristics and Plant Community Development Following Partial Gravel Removal in an Arctic Oilfield

Kidd

Streever

Jorgenson

2006

Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research

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This paper describes the results of a revegetation experiment involving partial removal of gravel fill followed by various revegetation treatments on five sites in the Prudhoe Bay Oilfield on Alaska's Arctic Coastal Plain. Gravel fill was removed to a residual thickness of approximately 25 cm. Revegetation treatments were transplanted tundra plugs and fertilizer; seeding with indigenous graminoids and fertilizer; seeding with native-grass cultivars and fertilizer; fertilizer only; and no treatment. We monitored surface stability, soil characteristics, and vegetation response from 1990 to 2003. Thaw settlement of 17-40 cm occurred over most areas (with .1 m over areas with ice wedges) between 1990 and 1997; sites had mostly stabilized by 2003. Soil properties important for plant growth generally were poor. The establishment of vegetation dominated by indigenous species was similar when adding only fertilizer as compared to also adding plant materials. Although total live vascular cover was similar among fertilized, tundra-plug transplant, and indigenous graminoid seed treatments (26.1-38.3%), species richness was highest for the indigenous graminoid seed and tundra-plug transplant treatments. The results from this study will drive decisions about planting and fertilization schemes for future North Slope rehabilitation projects.

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Section: Chemicalmentioning

confidence: 82%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Site Characteristics and Plant Community Development Following Partial Gravel Removal in an Arctic Oilfield

Kidd

Streever

Jorgenson

2006

Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research

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“…A variety of site preparation and plant cultivation techniques, including various seeding and plugging methods that work well in temperate regions, are available to revegetate disturbed sites in the North Slope oil fields (Jorgenson and Joyce, 1994;Forbes, 1999;Forbes and McKendrick, 2002;Jorgenson et al, 2003;Streever et al, 2003;Kidd et al, 2004). However, none of these methods act quickly enough to prevent at least partial thermokarst.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Use of the Iñupiaq Technique of Tundra Sodding to Rehabilitate Wetlands in Northern Alaska + Supplementary Appendix Tables (See Article Tools)

Cater¹,

Hopson²,

Streever³

2015

ARCTIC

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ABSTRACT. Tundra sodding, a new technique available to rehabilitate disturbed wetlands in the Arctic, is based on Iñupiaq traditional knowledge. C. Hopson, an Iñupiaq elder from Barrow and author of this paper, guided the development and field application of this new technique by providing traditional knowledge he learned as a youth from his elders. Tundra sodding has several advantages over other land rehabilitation techniques, the most important being that it can establish a mature plant community of indigenous species in a single growing season. In all sampling years, the plant communities at sodded sites were dominated by two rhizomatous graminoids, Eriophorum angustifolium and Carex aquatilis. These sedges also were dominant in all years in reference tundra. Also common to the plant communities in both reference tundra and sodded sites were 18 other vascular species (grasses, evergreen and deciduous shrubs, and forbs). Results from two to five growing seasons indicate that tundra sod can reduce the overall subsidence due to thawing of shallow permafrost. We harvested sod on three occasions from an area slated for gravel mining. In the summers of 2007 and 2008, we transplanted 334 m 2 of tundra sod to portions of three sites to test the feasibility of the method. In summer 2010, we used the experience gained from that work to rehabilitate an entire site (1114 m 2 ). This tundra sodding technique is labor intensive and costly compared to other rehabilitation techniques, but it offers advantages that justify its use when rapid rehabilitation of a disturbed site is needed.

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“…To prevent thawing and subsidence of subsurface, ice-rich soils, gravel pads, 2m (6 ft) or more thickness have been built to support drilling sites as well as roads, airstrips and building pads (Kidd et al 2006). As well sites are decommissioned, the gravel is wholly or partially removed resulting in the need for site rehabilitation and/or restoration to support wetland plants and, in some instances, enhance wildlife habitat (McKendrick 1991, Jorgenson and Joyce 1994, Kidd et al 2004.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Germination of Water Sedge, Carex Aquatilis, and Cotton Sedge, Eriophorum Angustifolium, From Arctic Coastal Wetlands, Prudhoe Bay, Alaska©

Holloway¹,

Sparrow²,

Willison³

2013

Acta Hortic.

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Wetland Restoration of an Exploratory Well on Alaska's North Slope: A Learning Experience

Cited by 3 publications

References 4 publications

Site Characteristics and Plant Community Development Following Partial Gravel Removal in an Arctic Oilfield

Site Characteristics and Plant Community Development Following Partial Gravel Removal in an Arctic Oilfield

The Use of the Iñupiaq Technique of Tundra Sodding to Rehabilitate Wetlands in Northern Alaska + Supplementary Appendix Tables (See Article Tools)

Germination of Water Sedge, Carex Aquatilis, and Cotton Sedge, Eriophorum Angustifolium, From Arctic Coastal Wetlands, Prudhoe Bay, Alaska©

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