Reclaiming Wetlands after Oil Sands Mining in Alberta, Canada: The Changing Vegetation Regime at an Experimental Wetland
Surface mining for oil sand results in the formation of large pits that must be reclaimed. Some of these pits are backfilled with a myriad of substrates, including tailings rich in cations and anions, to form a solid surface. Experimental reclamation of the East in-pit located on the Syncrude Canada...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Land |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/6/844 |
| _version_ | 1797485355499257856 |
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| author | Melissa House Dale H. Vitt Lilyan C. Glaeser Jeremy A. Hartsock |
| author_facet | Melissa House Dale H. Vitt Lilyan C. Glaeser Jeremy A. Hartsock |
| author_sort | Melissa House |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Surface mining for oil sand results in the formation of large pits that must be reclaimed. Some of these pits are backfilled with a myriad of substrates, including tailings rich in cations and anions, to form a solid surface. Experimental reclamation of the East in-pit located on the Syncrude Canada Ltd. mine lease was initiated in 2011 with Sandhill Wetland. Here, we report on monitoring (between 2015 and 2021) of Sandhill Wetland plant communities and significant environmental features, including base cations and water tables. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that the three dominant plant communities established in 2013 have continued to be dominated by the same species nine years after reclamation was initiated, but with reduced species richness. Plant communities have shifted across the wetland in response to water table changes and increases in sodium concentrations. The stoichiometry of base cations is unlike the natural wetlands of the region, and the surficial water chemistry of the wetland is unique. In response to variability in precipitation events coupled with wetland design, water tables have been highly variable, creating shifting water regimes across the wetland. Plant community responses to these shifting conditions, along with increases in base cation concentrations, especially sodium, provide background data for future in-pit reclamation designs. The plant responses underscore the need to develop reclamation designs for landscapes disturbed by mining that alleviate extreme water table fluctuation events and decrease cation concentrations to levels that approach natural wetlands. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:18:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-609b78a2ae6649519ab1c836fd886f02 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-445X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:18:32Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Land |
| spelling | doaj.art-609b78a2ae6649519ab1c836fd886f022023-11-23T17:31:38ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2022-06-0111684410.3390/land11060844Reclaiming Wetlands after Oil Sands Mining in Alberta, Canada: The Changing Vegetation Regime at an Experimental WetlandMelissa House0Dale H. Vitt1Lilyan C. Glaeser2Jeremy A. Hartsock3School of Biological Sciences, Plant Biology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901, USASchool of Biological Sciences, Plant Biology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901, USASchool of Biological Sciences, Plant Biology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901, USASchool of Biological Sciences, Plant Biology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901, USASurface mining for oil sand results in the formation of large pits that must be reclaimed. Some of these pits are backfilled with a myriad of substrates, including tailings rich in cations and anions, to form a solid surface. Experimental reclamation of the East in-pit located on the Syncrude Canada Ltd. mine lease was initiated in 2011 with Sandhill Wetland. Here, we report on monitoring (between 2015 and 2021) of Sandhill Wetland plant communities and significant environmental features, including base cations and water tables. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that the three dominant plant communities established in 2013 have continued to be dominated by the same species nine years after reclamation was initiated, but with reduced species richness. Plant communities have shifted across the wetland in response to water table changes and increases in sodium concentrations. The stoichiometry of base cations is unlike the natural wetlands of the region, and the surficial water chemistry of the wetland is unique. In response to variability in precipitation events coupled with wetland design, water tables have been highly variable, creating shifting water regimes across the wetland. Plant community responses to these shifting conditions, along with increases in base cation concentrations, especially sodium, provide background data for future in-pit reclamation designs. The plant responses underscore the need to develop reclamation designs for landscapes disturbed by mining that alleviate extreme water table fluctuation events and decrease cation concentrations to levels that approach natural wetlands.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/6/844Albertaboreal foresthydrologyoil sandsplant communityreclamation |
| spellingShingle | Melissa House Dale H. Vitt Lilyan C. Glaeser Jeremy A. Hartsock Reclaiming Wetlands after Oil Sands Mining in Alberta, Canada: The Changing Vegetation Regime at an Experimental Wetland Land Alberta boreal forest hydrology oil sands plant community reclamation |
| title | Reclaiming Wetlands after Oil Sands Mining in Alberta, Canada: The Changing Vegetation Regime at an Experimental Wetland |
| title_full | Reclaiming Wetlands after Oil Sands Mining in Alberta, Canada: The Changing Vegetation Regime at an Experimental Wetland |
| title_fullStr | Reclaiming Wetlands after Oil Sands Mining in Alberta, Canada: The Changing Vegetation Regime at an Experimental Wetland |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reclaiming Wetlands after Oil Sands Mining in Alberta, Canada: The Changing Vegetation Regime at an Experimental Wetland |
| title_short | Reclaiming Wetlands after Oil Sands Mining in Alberta, Canada: The Changing Vegetation Regime at an Experimental Wetland |
| title_sort | reclaiming wetlands after oil sands mining in alberta canada the changing vegetation regime at an experimental wetland |
| topic | Alberta boreal forest hydrology oil sands plant community reclamation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/6/844 |
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