Approaches to Native Plant Establishment on Treated Mature Fine Tailings: From Manipulation of Plant Materials to Use of Robotic Systems

种植植被是一种潜在的方法，通过根床，作为一种天然的增强土工织物，以恢复饱和尾矿结构和增加土壤强度。由于对人员的安全风险，在非常软的沉积物上不能大规模地由专业人员进行常规种植和撒播。本研究的目的是确定可行的植物建立的方法所提出的独特条件软尾矿矿床。方法将包括不同形式的播种和种植苗木。在软尾矿上部署和施肥植物的机器人方法也将用于种植，冬季（春季和冬季）。还将评估水力播种和水力输送。感兴趣的物种包括：细冰草（Agropyron trachycaulum）、沙洲杨柳（Salix exigua）和水苔草（Carex aquatilis）。总之，这些物种代表了一系列的耐湿性和生长习性。通过所有试验，将收集详细的植物和岩土工程数据，以量化植物介导的脱水效果。将进行一项技术经济计量评估，以评估扩大规模的成本、种植和随后提升材料以确保有效脱水和加固的最适当时机，以及商业实施所需的自动化程度。一个由大学和理工学院学生和工作人员组成的高度跨学科小组将组成该小组。三名研究生，一名博士后研究员，四名大学本科生将在本项目中接受培训，两名大学文凭研究人员将在三名研究技术人员和研究助理的支持下接受培训，在一所理工学院的一个密切相关的项目中进行补充努力。预期的成果是一个协议，使用植被作为一种方法，脱水和加强挑战性的湿土壤之前，复垦的最终景观。

Planting vegetation is a potential method to dewater saturated tailings structures and increase soil strength through a root bed that acts as a natural reinforcing geotextile. Conventional planting and broadcast seeding by professional crews cannot be accomplished at large scale on very soft deposits because of the safety risk to personnel. This study aims to determine viable plant establishment approaches for the unique conditions presented by soft tailings deposits. Approaches will include different forms of seeding and planting of nursery stock seedlings. Robotic methods to deploy and fertilize plants on soft tailings will also be demonstrated for planting, fertilizing (Spring and Winter). Hydroseeding and hydraulic transport will also be assessed. The species of interest include: slender wheatgrass (Agropyron trachycaulum), sandbar willow (Salix exigua) and water sedge (Carex aquatilis). Together, these species represent a range of moisture tolerance and growth habits. Through all trials, detailed plant and geotechnical data will be collected in order to quantify the effect of plant-mediated dewatering. A techno-econometric evaluation will be done to assess the cost of scale-up, the most appropriate timing for planting and subsequent lifts of material to ensure effective dewatering and strengthening, and the degree of automation necessary for commercial implementation. A highly interdisciplinary group of university and polytechnic students and staff will comprise the team. Three graduate students, one post-doctoral fellow, four university undergraduates will be trained in the present project, with two college diploma researchers be trained with support from three research technicians and research associates in complementary efforts in a closely related project at a polytechnique. The expected outcome is a protocol for using vegetation as a method for dewatering and strengthening of challenging wet soils prior to reclamation for a final landscape.