Monitoring Land Reclamation and Ecosystem Sustainability in the Greater Sudbury Region

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Mining activities in the City of the Greater Sudbury (CGS) in Northern Ontario (Canada) have resulted over the last century in serious damage to its environment. Logging and ore smelting led to large scale sulphur dioxide emissions and metal contamination. These factors damaged soil quality and vegetation, reducing plant, animal and microbial diversity inhabiting the region. Remediation projects were initiated to restore the ecosystem and to decrease industrial emissions. The land reclamation activities consisted mainly in soil liming and tree planting in areas damaged by mining operations. Assessment of areas that have been recently limed will be useful in predicting their sustainability and in determining earlier, fragile sites that are less responsive to land reclamation. This information is of paramount importance in establishing the long term-sustainability of reclaimed lands within the targeted region. In addition, several tailing regions have been reclaimed by local industries in the CGS. No detailed studies have been conducted on mine tailing in the Boreal Regions with regards to soil development, metal content, and their long term ability to sustain both plant and associated microbiological populations. Hence, this project aims are to 1) determine if recent soil liming and management practices (< 15 years) affect soil physico-chemical properties and microbial diversity and function in the GSR; and identify sites that are not responding to liming; 2) ssess if aerial and manual liming lead to the same outcomes: 3) determine physico-chemical properties of soils developed in tailings in the GSR: and 4) assess if soil developed in mine tailings can be suitable for plant growth and associated microbiological population diversity and sustainability in the GSR after reclamation. The present project will be useful for the Region in addressing key issues of the Sudbury Biodiversity Action Plan (SBAP) and Sudbury regreening Committee. The results of this component will make it possible to track progress and constantly make improvements on long term sustainability of terrestrial ecosystems. The project will develop a detailed environmental health map for the region based on site ecological characterization. It will harness the country's scientific capacity to study and find solutions to emerging issues that affect forest biodiversity. It is through the sustainable development that the project will contribute to the environmental, social, and economic well-being of the people of Northern Ontario, especially in the Greater Sudbury Region..