Pilot study to assess the use of early successional stands (i.e. those ranging in age from 4 to 17 years) by wildlife (songbirds, small mammals, and ungulates), using a wildlife monitoring protocol
A long-term plot network would allow the monitoring data to describe the ecological condition of the reclaimed lands and define appropriate management strategies for achieving revegetation goals
1665 ha has been reclaimed, including one end pit lake, numerous wetland features, woodland/wildlife areas revegetated through assisted natural recovery and perennially cropped agricultural lands
Degree of similarity suggests that comparable ecological functionality is possible, increasing probability that oil sands operators will fulfill their regulatory requirement reclaim wildlife habitat