Mitigating recovery of mixedgrass prairie under high voltage powerline construction

自欧洲人定居以来，工业干扰对原生草原的影响一直在上升，并日益威胁到这些生态系统的保护。在加拿大西部，常见的工业活动包括石油和天然气开采以及高压输电线建设，这两项活动都对原生草地植被和下层土壤产生重大影响。由于这些活动构成了加拿大草原省份经济的关键组成部分，了解具体的管理实践可以减轻能源开发的有害影响，并在完成后最大限度地恢复草原，这对私人和公共牧场的管理者以及那些寻求最大限度地减少环境足迹的工业用户来说非常重要。在这项研究中，我们与ATCO能源有限公司达成了一项合作协议，目的是1)评估受高压输电线建设相关工业活动干扰的原生草地的恢复情况，2)了解土壤生物物理特性（包括微生物学）在促进这种恢复中的作用，以及3)制定保护草原使用准入权的最佳管理实践。综上所述，本研究提供的信息将减少未来天然草地工业干扰对环境的影响，并促进能源开发与其他土地利用的整合。

The footprint of industrial disturbance on native grasslands has been rising since European settlement, andincreasingly threatens the conservation of these ecosystems. In western Canada, common industrial activitiesinclude oil and gas extraction and high voltage power-line construction, both of which are significant impactsto native grassland vegetation and underlying soils. As these activities form a key component of the economyin the Canadian Prairie Provinces, understanding the specific management practices that can mitigatedetrimental impacts of energy development, as well as maximize grassland recovery following theircompletion, are important for the managers of private and public rangelands, together with those industrialusers seeking to minimize their environmental footprint. In this study, we are entering into a collaborativeagreement with ATCO Energy Ltd., in order to 1) evaluate the recovery of native grassland disturbed byindustrial activities associated with high voltage power-line construction, 2) understand the role of soilbiophysical characteristics, including microbiology, in facilitating this recovery, and 3) develop bestmanagement practices for the use of access rigmats for conserving grasslands. Collectively, the informationprovided by this study will reduce the future environmental impact of industrial disturbance in native grassland,and promote the integration of energy development with other land uses.