Improving seed longevity of shrubs for oilsands reclamation

阿尔伯塔的油砂含有1.7至2.5万亿桶石油，萨斯喀彻温省也有相当大的储量。 石油开采后必须开垦土地。 为了负责任地获得油砂开采的经济效益，必须开发技术，迅速重新造林。本地灌木物种是油砂开采后北方森林开垦的重要组成部分，成功开垦需要稳定和可预测的种子供应。然而，这些物种的种子集是不可预测的，这是进一步复杂的短期种子活力，从而限制了开垦所需的种子的体积。该项目的主要目标是制定协议，以确保为回收油砂提供充足的可行灌木种子。 另一个目标是了解在选定的本地灌木种子老化的生化和分子基础。 七种原生灌木的种子将储存在不同的温度和湿度条件下。 将对收获时的种子、各种预储存和储存条件以及人工老化进行生存力、活力和发芽能力以及生化成分、植物生长调节剂谱和关键基因转录物的评估。 本项目的成功完成将确定种子储存的最佳方案，并提高对原生灌木种子老化的生理和遗传基础的基本理解。所获得的知识可以扩展到其他本地物种，这些物种可以用于加拿大与石油和天然气开发或其他自然资源开采有关的土地开垦。 在这个项目中开发的种子储存协议可以立即转让给工业合作伙伴使用。 在加拿大，开垦中对原生种子的需求和受采矿影响的土地规模是巨大的，并且随着更多的开发和更严格的政府开垦认证法规的结果，这些需求将增加。 因此，由于延长种子储存寿命而节省的费用估计为数百万美元。最重要的好处将是加拿大经济，帮助油砂工业实现自我维持的北方生态系统，这对维持其经营许可至关重要。

Alberta's oil sands contain between 1.7 and 2.5 trillion barrels of oil and considerable deposits are also present in Saskatchewan. Lands must be reclaimed after oil extraction. To responsibly reap the economic benefits of oil sands for oil extraction, it is imperative that technologies be developed to rapidly reforest the disturbed lands. Native shrub species are an important component of boreal forest reclamation following oil sands mining and a steady and predictable seed supply is needed for successful reclamation. However, seed set of these species is unpredictable, which is further complicated with a short period of seed viability, thus limiting the volumes of seeds required for reclamation. The main objective of this project is to develop protocols to ensure an adequate supply of viable shrub seeds for reclaiming oil sands. Another objective is to understand the biochemical and molecular basis of seed aging in selected native shrubs. Seeds of seven native shrubs will be stored in different temperatures and moisture conditions. Seeds at harvest, various pre-storage and storage conditions, and artificial aging will be assessed for viability, vigor and germination ability and for biochemical components, plant growth regulator profiles, and key gene transcripts. Successful completion of this project will identify optimal protocols for seed storage and improve basic understanding of physiological and genetic basis of seed aging of native shrubs. The knowledge gained can be expanded to other native species that can be used in reclamation of lands related to oil and gas development or other natural resource extraction in Canada. Seed storage protocols developed in this project can be immediately transferred for use by the industrial partners. The demands for native seeds in reclamation and the scale of lands affected by mining in Canada are huge and will increase as the results of more development and stricter government regulations for reclamation certification. Therefore, savings due to increased seed storage longevity is estimated to be several millions of dollars. The most significant benefit will be to the Canadian economy by helping oil sands industry in achieving a self-sustaining boreal ecosystem, which is critical in maintaining its license to operate.