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

关于有益管理做法(BMP)的有效性的信息缺乏，例如多物种涵盖作物混合种植、丛种种植和当地树种的改良遗传，作为促进植树造林或重新造林做法的新生物材料。这项研究将首次将上述BMP结合起来，并在此过程中为量化这些实践在促进煤矿复垦中的土壤建设、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植物的效果，多年生原生植物是一种固氮的一年生物种，也是多年生原生杂草，用于控制低投入的杂草。第二，我们将测试一种新的种植方法(即集群种植)，这种方法使树木聚集分布，更接近历史分布，同时也加快了自然过程的开始，例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，我们将利用本地杨树的改良遗传学来加快树冠覆盖的发展，促进土壤建设和长期固碳。这项研究将在由TransAlta Corp.和Capital Power在艾伯塔省帕克兰地区运营的两个地雷复垦场地(SunHills和Genesee)实施这些BMP。这项研究中提出的广泛抽样性质将允许最广泛地计算这些BMP在促进土地开垦中的植被重建工作方面的好处。我们期望为制定最佳管理做法提供急需的新知识，以改善土壤营养和养分循环、减缓侵蚀和在受地雷影响的景观中进行杂草管理。

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.