Applying natural analogues to constructing and assessing long-term hydrological response of oil sands reclaimed landscapes

应用自然类似物构建和评估油砂再生景观的长期水文响应

• 批准号: 477235-2014
• 负责人: Devito, Kevin
• 金额: $ 27.27万
• 依托单位: University of Alberta
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Collaborative Research and Development Grants
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2016-01-01 至 2017-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=599576
• 关键词: Applying; natural; analogues; constructing; assessing

The reclamation of the Athabasca Oil Sands (AOS) will occur at an unprecedented scale, requiring the construction of a mosaic of landscapes of lakes, wetlands and forestlands that characterize the undisturbed Boreal Plains. However, there is currently a critical trade-off in future reclamation plans. The limited water resources available within this sub-humid region must currently be used to support either healthy aquatic ecosystems or productive forests for timber harvest. To achieve the true potential of a reconstructed landscape and to meet AOS reclamation targets, hybrid landscapes that maximize the environmental and economic benefits from each component of these complex interconnected environments need to be developed. This requires an accurate understanding of the spatial and temporal variability in water storage and movement within the Boreal Plains. We will address this key knowledge gap by examining how the hydrology, ecology, geology and climate interact at a range of temporal and spatial scales. We will identify through field-based research and detailed numerical modeling how the different components of the mosaic landscape can be organized and interconnected to achieve the required reclamation goals. Research will be undertaken at the Utikuma Region Study Area, which represents the broad range of potential mature landscape designs. The research takes advantage of a 80,000 ha wildfire that burned a substantial proportion of the study region, providing a natural analogue for a range of future reclaimed AOS landscapes in the initial years post construction; when risk of ecosystem and landscape failure are most significant. A total of 15 BSc, 9 MSc and 8 PhD students, 8 postdoctoral fellows and 3 technicians will be trained during this project. The work will provide the knowledge to inform the design and construction of the next generation of reclaimed AOS landscapes that maximize landscape configuration to ensure engineering stability, the best environmental conditions and maximum economic benefit.

阿萨巴斯卡油砂(AOS)的开垦将以前所未有的规模进行，需要建造以未受干扰的北方平原为特征的湖泊、湿地和林地的马赛克景观。然而，目前在未来的填海计划中存在着一个关键的权衡。这一半湿润区域内有限的水资源目前必须用于支持健康的水生生态系统或用于木材收获的生产性森林。为了实现重建景观的真正潜力和满足区域海洋观测系统的填海目标，需要开发混合景观，使这些复杂的相互关联的环境的每个组成部分获得最大的环境和经济效益。这需要对北方平原内水储存和运动的时空变异性有一个准确的了解。我们将通过研究水文学、生态学、地质学和气候如何在一系列时间和空间尺度上相互作用来解决这一关键知识差距。我们将通过实地研究和详细的数值模拟，确定如何组织和连接马赛克景观的不同组成部分，以实现所需的填海目标。研究将在乌蒂库马地区研究区进行，该地区代表了潜在的成熟景观设计的广泛范围。这项研究利用了一场8万公顷的野火，烧毁了研究区域的大部分地区，为未来开垦的一系列AOS景观提供了一个天然的类比，在建设后的最初几年，那时生态系统和景观崩溃的风险最大。该项目将培训15名理科学士、9名硕士和8名博士生、8名博士后研究员和3名技术人员。这项工作将提供知识，为下一代填海AOS景观的设计和施工提供信息，使景观配置最大化，以确保工程稳定性、最佳环境条件和最大经济效益。