Well-Site reclamation in the forest: restoring pine, boreal mixedwoods and peatlands

艾伯塔省、萨斯喀彻温省和不列颠哥伦比亚省的北方森林拥有大量石油和天然气勘探的钻探地点。在钻探后开垦这些井垫和返回森林的通道，是减少这些活动的环境足迹的关键一步。在这项提案中，我们研究了应用于四种不同森林生态系统的土壤干扰类型：山麓小松、北方马尾松、北方混交林和树木泥炭地(黑云杉沼泽和贫瘠的沼泽)。然后，我们测试各种可能的治疗方法，这些方法很有可能将这些地点重新定位到其原始森林类型的轨迹上。我们工作的新特点是为每种森林类型的关键物种的重建提供必要的环境条件。在艾伯塔省西部的山麓罗奇波尔松林中，我们将研究利用森林砍伐堆产生的碎屑作为土壤改良剂，为天然或人工更新松树准备场地。还将测试使用5-粘性球果(来自松树采伐坡度)将种子送到现场。在北方混交林基地，我们将致力于利用现有的杨树根系作为萌芽(根茎)的营养繁殖来源以及芽和种子库的自然再生，以招募其他物种。我们的研究将探讨在钻探过程中保护森林地面和杨树根系免受损害的方法--大多数钻探过程发生在冰冻的土地上。在风沙上的北方杰克松生态系统中，我们将研究几个可能的问题，这些问题可能会减缓干扰后树木的招募。首先，水在沙子上的渗透可能不均匀。其次，不稳定的沙地表面可能会破坏这些地点上的松树萌芽。第三，裸露的表面可能会太快干燥，无法成苗。在泥炭地遗址，隆起的中空微地形是

The boreal forests of Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia have a large number of drilling sites for oil and gas exploration. The reclamation of these well pads and access roads back to forests after drilling is a critical step in reducing the environmental footprint of these activities. In this proposal we examine the types of soil disturbance applied to four different forest ecosystems: foothills lodgepole pine, boreal jack pine, boreal mixedwoods and treed peatlands (black spruce bogs and poor fens). We then test a variety of possible treatments that have high probability of re-positioning these sites on a trajectory back to their original forest type. The novel feature of our work is to provide the required environmental conditions for the re-establishment of key species of each forest type. In the Foothills Lodgepole Pine forests of western Alberta we will examine the use of chipping debris from forestry slash piles as a soil amendment for preparing sites for natural or artificial regeneration of lodgepole pine. Use of serotinous cones (from pine logging slash) to deliver seed to the site will also be tested. In the Boreal Mixedwood sites, we will focus efforts on natural regeneration using existing root systems of aspen as a source of vegetative propagation from sprouts (root suckers) and the bud and seed bank to recruit other species. Our research will examine ways to protect the forest floor and the roots systems of aspen from damage during the drilling processes - most of which occurs on frozen ground. In the Boreal Jack Pine ecosystems on Aeolian sands, we will study several possible issues that might slow the recruitment of trees after disturbance. First, water infiltration may not be uniform on sands. Second, the unstable surface of the sands may damage pine germinants on these sites. Third, the exposed surface may dry out too quickly to allow establishment of seedlings. In the Peatland sites, hummock-hollow microtopography is