Measuring variability in natural processes requires rigorous data collection and could increase the cost of environmental monitoring for oil and gas operators. Recent advances in remote-sensing and sampling design provide an opportunity to develop cost-effective monitoring strategies that integrate natural variation. We are conducting a phased research program that aims to develop a defensible and cost efficient technique to monitor wetlands, wildlife habitat use, and reclamation success that is broadly applicable to gas, oil, and bitumen producers. Our approach integrates a combination of remote-sensing and survey data to measure natural variation across both time and space at different scales. Further, this approach serves as a cornerstone to linking monitoring approaches to broad-scale measures of reclamation completion.
Broadly, the research program consists of three objectives focusing on evaluating the ability of the framework to provide reliable monitoring data across various scales and regulatory conditions for wetland monitoring, wildlife, and reclamation:
- Evaluate remote sensing approaches (helicopter visual, photograph interpretation, and satellite imagery data) to assess vegetation responses relative to oilsands exploration (OSE) reclamation requirements.
- Monitor wildlife use responses to vegetation conditions, disturbance effects, reclamation, and time.
- Monitor vegetation responses relative to natural variation, project effects, and reclamation for one growing season.
The monitoring program included a task to evaluate (with field data) the use of satellite imagery to
measure seasonal vegetation trends across the lease (as they relate to the Project, reclamation, and natural processes in wetland ecosystems) as a complement to field monitoring.