Improving early land reclamation performance evaluations within the Athabasca Oil Sands Region using Plant Root Simulator (PRS[TM]) to assess reclaimed upland forest soil function

日加油砂有限公司（JACOS）是一家油砂开采公司，也是Hangingstone油砂项目的运营商，该项目位于Fort McMurray西南约50公里处，Anzac原住民社区以西25公里处。JACOS是众多从事资源开采的公司之一，比如阿萨巴斯卡油砂；法律要求他们开垦土地，并在可能的情况下生态恢复土地**或作为许可证的一部分。一个主要的障碍是，一旦填海或恢复土地，连续轨迹的变化很大，即很难衡量是否达到了许可证的预期效果和结果。结合行业和政府在减轻环境影响方面的道德责任，迫切需要找到能够准确评估早期生态演替动态的指标，以及是否有可能达到规定的功能和生产力目标。这是一项巨大而基础的科学挑战；这一挑战的工业应用甚至更大，因为如果没有明确的能力来实现土地复垦、恢复和抵消目标，资源开采就无法进行。土壤养分循环过程的功能**是最有前途的研究方向。前期试验表明，该指标可作为**植被群落建立、生产力和演替轨迹的准确、经济有效的指标。植物根系模拟器（PRSTM）探针是一种特殊的技术，它可能代表下一代工具，可以帮助确定一家公司是否符合资源开采的道德和监管/许可要求，例如阿萨巴萨卡油砂。该技术并不复杂，因为它可以利用土壤离子交换树脂膜来指示生物有效土壤养分通量；它的创新之处在于便携性、准确性和成本效益。

The Japan Canada Oil Sands Limited (JACOS) is an oil sands extraction company and operator of the**Hangingstone oil sands project located approximately 50 km southwest of Fort McMurray and 25 km west of**the First Nations' community of Anzac. JACOS is one of many companies engaged in resource extraction, like**those in the Athabasca Oil Sands; they are legally required to reclaim and if possible ecologically restore lands**or offsets as part of their license. A major barrier is the large variation in successional trajectories once land is**reclaimed or restored, i.e. it is difficult to guage whether the intended effect and outcome are being met as a**requirement of the license. Combined with the ethical responsibility industry and governments have in terms**of mitigating environmental impacts, there is in important gap and pressing need to find indicators that**accurately assess the dynamic of early ecological succession and whether the prescribed functionality and**productivity goals are likely to be met. This is an enormous and fundamental scientific challenge as is; the**industrial application of this challenge is even greater because resource extraction cannot be carried out without**clear abilities to meet land reclamation, restoration and offset goals. Soil function of nutrient cycling processes**is the most promising line of research. Early tests show that it can be an accurate and cost effective indicator of**vegetation community establishment, productivity, and successional trajectory. A specific technology, Plant**Root Simulator (PRSTM) probes, may represent the next generation of tools that can help determine if a**company is meeting the ethical and regulatory/licensing requirements of resource extaction, e.g. the Athabasaca**Oil Sands. The technology is not complex as it indicates bioavailable soil nutrient flux rates using soil ion**exchange resin membranes; its innovation is in its portability, accuracy and cost effectiveness.