A field experiment from 2012 to 2013 at two locations in northeastern Alberta examined the short-term success of different fen revegetation strategies following the removal of infrastructure (road and well-pad) associated with oil extraction. Although all treatments resulted in limited overall success in achieving revegetation relative to the adjacent intact fens, transplanting with sedge and cotton grass was more effective than that of other treatments. While composted (dead) peat had little to no effect on revegetation, live peat modified the plant community slightly, as did a rough surface treatment. Transplants of woody species were more successful at the top and middle microtopographic positions on the well-pad, and generally enhanced species richness and diversity. Water availability was important in regulating species recovery at all locations. After two years all treatments remain highly dissimilar to that of the adjacent undisturbed fens.
Related Resources
Wildfires Offset the Increasing but Spatially Heterogeneous Arctic–boreal CO2 Uptake
Resource Date:
2025
Organization
Revisiting Reclaimed Well Pads in Boreal Forests: The Role of Time and Changing Criteria in the Recovery of Vegetation Composition, Forest Structure, and Plant Traits
Resource Date:
2024
Organization
Changing Climatic Controls on the Greenhouse Gas Balance of thermokarst Bogs During Succession After Permafrost Thaw
Resource Date:
2024
Identifying Restoration Priorities for Habitat Defragmentation: A Case Study in Alberta’s Oil Sands
Resource Date:
2024
Organization
Was this helpful?
|