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Oil sands mining in northeastern Alberta, Canada, generates tailings containing sand, silt, clay, water, and residual bitumen with hydrocarbons. The impact of tailings on revegetation is a major environmental concern and poses a significant land reclamation challenge. Oil sands companies have recently developed technologies that use thickeners in combination with carbon dioxide to produce non‐segregating tailings (NST), to accelerate the consolidation of tailings while sequestering greenhouse gases. Effects of these tailings on plant re‐establishment have yet to be determined. We investigated the impact of NST on biomass and physiology of 20 boreal woody plant species grown in environmentally controlled growth rooms. The seedlings were grown for 8 weeks in NST capped with boreal forest topsoil or peat‐mineral soil mix or petroleum coke in 50‐cm‐long polyvinyl chloride pipes. We found that the biomass of balsam fir, beaked hazelnut, blueberry, green alder, Labrador tea, lowbush cranberry, paper birch, and raspberry was severely reduced by NST, while the effects on balsam poplar, Bebb's willow, chokecherry, dogwood, saskatoon, and white spruce were relatively weak. This was also the case for jack pine, which showed poor survival in NST. The negative impact of NST on plants can be largely explained by elevated sodium and decreased foliar nutrient concentrations. The impact of NST capping with petroleum coke on plant growth was non‐significant. Differences among species in their survival and biomass responses to NST appeared to be partly a reflection of their natural habitats. Findings from this study can help guide revegetation oil sands reclamation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Given a seed source, the quality of available substrates is a key factor in determining the success of white spruce ( Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) natural regeneration. We examined the influence of substrate and competing vegetation on survival and growth of natural regeneration of white spruce up to 4 years following harvesting in deciduous-dominated upland boreal mixedwood sites. Feather moss, thick soil surface organic layers, litter, and solid wood were poor substrates for establishment. Early successional mosses establishing on mineral soil, thin organics, and rotten wood were generally favourable microsites but were not highly available on postharvest sites. Mineral soil substrates were not as suitable as expected, likely because on a postlogged site, they are associated with unfavourable environmental characteristics (e.g., low nutrient availability, exposure). There was some evidence that survival and growth of seedlings were improved by surrounding vegetation in the first years, but heavy competing vegetation had a negative impact on older seedlings. Burial by aspen litter greatly increased seedling mortality, especially when combined with a brief period of submergence due to heavy spring snowmelt. The results provide insight into conditions under which natural regeneration could be an option for establishing white spruce following harvesting of deciduous-dominated boreal mixedwood forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental Reviews is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Forest Research is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We characterized the ectomycorrhizae (ECM) of planted white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) seedlings as affected by mechanical site preparation (MSP) of clear-cut conifer-dominated boreal mixedwood forest. Relative abundance, richness, and composition of the ECM community were compared among untreated control, mixed, mounded, and scalped site preparation treatments. On >11 000 root tips, we observed 16 ECM morphotypes. Those common to the nursery in which the seedlings were raised were most abundant (Thelephora americana, Wilcoxina-like (E-strain), Amphinema byssoides, Phialocephala-like (MRA)). Seedlings in the untreated controls had lower abundances of these, but higher abundances of other ECM, which were not present in the nursery of origin but were indigenous to these forest stands. In terms of ECM composition, the “mixed” treatment was most similar to the untreated control, while the “scalped” and “mound” treatments showed significantly different ECM communities than the controls. Our results suggest that MSP may facilitate continued dominance by ECM that establish on seedlings in the nursery while slowing the natural succession towards the natural forest ECM. MSP treatments that leave some surface organic matter relatively intact may impact ECM less than those that remove or bury the organic layer. Nous avons caractérisé les ectomycorhizes (ECM) de plants d’épinette blanche (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) affectés par la préparation mécanisée de terrain (PMT) à la suite d’une coupe à blanc dans une forêt mixte dominée par des résineux. L’abondance relative, la richesse et la composition de la communauté d’ECM a été comparée entre un témoin non traité et des traitements de préparation de terrain mixtes, d’aménagement de buttes et de scalpage. Nous avons observé 16 morphotypes d’ECM sur plus de 11 000 apex racinaires. Ceux qui étaient communs dans la pépinière où les semis avaient été produits étaient les plus abondants (Thelephora americana, le type Wilcoxina (souche E), Amphinema byssoides, le type Phialocephala (MRA)). L’abondance de ces ECM était plus faible chez les semis des témoins non traités qui comportaient, cependant, une plus forte abondance d’autres ECM qui n’étaient pas présentes dans la pépinière d’origine, mais qui étaient indigènes à ces peuplements forestiers. En termes de composition en ECM, le traitement mixte était le plus semblable au témoin non traité alors que le scalpage et l’aménagement de buttes étaient associés à des communautés d’ECM significativement différentes de celle du témoin. Nos résultats indiquent que la PMT peut faciliter le maintien de la dominance des ECM établies sur les plants en pépinière tout en ralentissant la succession naturelle vers les ECM de la forêt naturelle. Les traitements de PMT qui laissent des superficies relativement intactes de matière organique peuvent avoir moins d’impact sur les ECM que ceux qui enlèvent ou enfouissent la couche de matière organique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Forest Research is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Analyzes the effect of aging discrepancies of white spruce on the interpretation of static age structure (SAS) in boreal mixedwoods. Use of qualitative ring features and ring width chronologies in visual cross-dating; Occurrence of height variation among trees establishing at the same time; Difficulty of using SAS to infer regeneration dynamics.

Focuses on the use of generalized logistic model of individual tree mortality for trembling aspen, white spruce and lodgepole pine. Determination on the survival probability of an individual tree; Stand characteristics of trees; Estimation of species-specific site productivity index.

Examines the impacts of different methods of mechanical site preparation (MSP) on performance and foliar nutrition of planted white spruce seedlings at two mixed-wood boreal forest sites in Alberta. Three types of MSP; Relative foliar nutrient content; Foliar biomass; Ion toxicity.