Evaluating the success of fen creation in the post oil sands landscape

在Fort McMultaypeatlands附近的油砂开发区占景观的65%。超过250平方公里的油砂开采扰乱了这些泥炭地的大片土地，需要开垦成一个正常运作的自然生态系统。从本质上讲，沼泽泥炭地必须从新的租赁区域中挖掘出来，沿着设计一个分水岭，以提供必要的水和溶解的矿物质，从而形成一个自我维持的生态系统，这种生态系统是碳积累的，能够支持有代表性的物种组合，并能适应正常的周期性压力。这是以前从未尝试过的。除了协助森科尔能源遵守其法律的义务，收回沼泽在开采后的景观，这项研究是必不可少的，以了解设计的影响，从而发展ofmore最佳的设计和具有成本效益的协议。沼泽地建设的根本问题是设计一个地下水系统，该系统能够支持维持水文、地球化学和生态过程所需的流入量， 功能，并尽量减少不良水质的不利影响，来自尾矿砂在其建设中使用。该提案概述了评估设计成功的方法，包括1）材料类型和放置; 2）其向建成系统提供足够质量的水的能力; 3）重新植被的方法; 4）适当的沼泽植物和微生物物种;以及5）这些如何有助于系统中碳的积累。该项目将提高我们更有效地设计围垦的能力，并提供高素质人才（3名博士后研究员，5名博士，11名硕士和约25名本科生）的培训，他们将是未来管理资源开采景观的关键。

In the oil sands development areas near Fort McMulTaypeatlands comprise up to 65% of the landscape. Oil sands mining of over 250 km2 disturbs large tracts of these peatlands, which require reclamation to a functioning natural ecosystem. Essentially, a fen peatland must be created from fen peat bOlTowed from new lease areas, along with a watershed designed to supply the requisite water and dissolved minerals that result in a self-sustaining ecosystem that is carbon-accumulating, capable of supporting a representative assemblage of species and resilient to nonnal periodic stresses. This has never before been attempted. In addition to assisting Suncor Energy comply with its legal obligation to reclaim fens in the post-mined landscape, this research is essential to understanding design implications and thus to the development ofmore optimal designs and cost-effective protocols. The fundamental problem for fen construction is to design a groundwater system that can support the inflows required to sustain the hydrological, biogeochemical and ecological processes and functions, and minimize the adverse effect ofpoor water quality derived from tailings sand used in its construction. This proposal outlines the approach to evaluating the success ofthe design, including 1) materials type and placement; 2) its ability to deliver water of adequate quality to a built-system; 3) the method of revegetation; 4) the appropriate fen plant and microbial species; and 5) how these contribute to the accumulation of carbon in the system. The project will increase our ability to design fen reclamation more effectively, and provide training ofhighly qualified individuals (3 postdoctoral fellows, 5 PhD, 11 MSc and ~25 undergraduate students), who will be essential for the future management resource-extracted landscapes.