Management practices for growing a forest in a post-mining industrial landscape

关于有益管理实践（BMPs）的有效性的信息缺乏，例如多物种覆盖作物混合，丛植和改良的本地树种遗传作为促进造林或再造林实践的新型生物材料。该研究将首次将上述bmp结合起来，并在此过程中为量化这些做法在促进煤矿复垦中土壤建设，侵蚀控制和杂草管理方面的价值提供了基础。首先，我们将测试多年生原生草、固氮一年生植物和多年生原生牧草对低投入杂草的控制效果。其次，我们将测试一种新的种植方法（即集群种植），该方法使树木的集群分布更接近于模仿历史分布，同时也加速了自然过程的发生，如树木之间的种内竞争，并为后来演替的林下植物物种提供栖息地。第三，我们将利用改良的原生白杨基因来加速林冠覆盖的发展，促进土壤建设和长期的碳封存。这项研究将在阿尔伯塔省帕克兰地区由TransAlta公司和Capital Power公司运营的两个矿区复垦点（SunHills和Genesee）实施这些bmp。本研究中提出的广泛采样性质将允许最广泛地计算这些bmp对促进土地复垦中植被重建的好处之一。我们期望提供急需的新知识，以制定最佳管理做法，以改善土壤营养和养分循环、减少侵蚀和管理受地雷影响的景观中的杂草。

Information on the effectiveness of beneficial management practices (BMPs) such as multispecies cover cropsmixtures, cluster planting, and improved genetics of native tree species as novel biomaterials for facilitatingafforestation or reforestation practices is lacking. This study will be the first to combine the above BMPs, andin the process provides a basis for quantifying the value of these practices for facilitating soil building, erosioncontrol, and weed management in coal mine reclamation. First, we will test the efficacy of perennial nativegrasses, a nitrogen-fixing annual species and perennial native forbs for low input weed control. Second, we willtest a novel planting approach (i.e., cluster planting) that leaves a clustered distribution of trees that moreclosely mimics historical distributions, while also accelerating the onset of natural processes such asintraspecific competition among trees and providing habitat for later successional understory plant species.Third, we will use improved genetics of native aspen to speed canopy cover development and facilitate soilbuilding and carbon sequestration over the long term. This study will implement those BMPs in two minedland reclamation sites (SunHills and Genesee) operated by TransAlta Corp. and Capital Power within theParkland region of Alberta. The extensive nature of sampling proposed in this study will allow for one of themost extensive accounting of the benefits of these BMPs for facilitating re-vegetation efforts in landreclamation. We expect to contribute critically needed new knowledge to developing best managementpractices for improving soil nutrition and nutrient cycling, erosion mitigation and weed management inmine-affected landscapes.