Mitigating recovery of mixedgrass prairie under high voltage powerline construction

自欧洲人定居以来，当地草原上的工业骚乱足迹一直在上升，而且 日益威胁到这些生态系统的保护。在加拿大西部，常见的工业活动 包括石油和天然气开采以及高压电力线建设，这两项都产生了重大影响 到原生草原植被和下层土壤。因为这些活动构成了经济的一个关键组成部分 在加拿大大草原省份，了解具体的管理做法可以减少 能源开发的不利影响，以及最大限度地实现草原恢复 完成，对私人和公共牧场的管理者以及那些工业企业来说都很重要 寻求最大限度地减少其环境足迹的用户。在这项研究中，我们正在进入一个合作的 与ATCO Energy Ltd.达成协议，以1)评估受干扰的天然草原的恢复 与高压电力线建设相关的工业活动，2)了解土壤的作用 生物物理特性，包括微生物学，促进这种恢复，以及3)发展最好 草原保护用通道索具使用管理办法。总而言之，信息 这项研究将减少未来天然草原工业干扰对环境的影响， 促进能源开发与其他土地利用相结合。

The footprint of industrial disturbance on native grasslands has been rising since European settlement, and increasingly threatens the conservation of these ecosystems. In western Canada, common industrial activities include oil and gas extraction and high voltage power-line construction, both of which are significant impacts to native grassland vegetation and underlying soils. As these activities form a key component of the economy in the Canadian Prairie Provinces, understanding the specific management practices that can mitigate detrimental impacts of energy development, as well as maximize grassland recovery following their completion, are important for the managers of private and public rangelands, together with those industrial users seeking to minimize their environmental footprint. In this study, we are entering into a collaborative agreement with ATCO Energy Ltd., in order to 1) evaluate the recovery of native grassland disturbed by industrial activities associated with high voltage power-line construction, 2) understand the role of soil biophysical characteristics, including microbiology, in facilitating this recovery, and 3) develop best management practices for the use of access rigmats for conserving grasslands. Collectively, the information provided by this study will reduce the future environmental impact of industrial disturbance in native grassland, and promote the integration of energy development with other land uses.