Role of ericoid mycorrhizas in establishment of ericaceous plants in oil sands reclamation areas

由于恶劣的气候条件和严重的土地扰动，油砂开采后的土地复垦工作具有挑战性。在许多开垦地区，土壤含盐量高，pH值高。植物遭受干旱条件下，由于土壤含水量低，高大气蒸汽压赤字和种植后的压力。由于缺乏对影响开垦地植物生长和存活的一些基本过程的了解，特别是对森林林下植物的了解，这一问题更加严重。杜鹃花科植物在北方森林中发挥着重要的生态作用，对第一民族人民具有特殊的文化意义。土壤因素严重影响了它们在围垦地的生长。该科植物需要一种特殊类型的杜鹃花科菌根联合体，以增强其对开垦地不利土壤因素的抵抗力。因此，在本项目中，我们将研究的作用，杜鹃花菌根协会赋予高pH值，盐度和抗旱性的杜鹃花植物和这些植物的反应所涉及的过程。该研究的主要长期目标是为研究杜鹃花科植物被杜鹃花科菌根真菌侵染后的生理过程提供新的知识。具体目标是i）鉴定天然森林地点和油砂开垦区中的高地和低地蓝莓、拉布拉多茶和越橘植物的根际中的杜鹃花科菌根，ii）检查杜鹃花科菌根联合是否增强这三种杜鹃花科植物物种的高pH、干旱和盐耐受性，iii）确定杜鹃花科植物菌根联合体和pH对高地和低地蓝莓水分关系的影响，以及植物和真菌水通道蛋白在这些响应中的作用，以及iv）检查菌根植物在油砂复垦区种植后的生长响应。该项目包括几项研究，将在受控条件下的生长室和田间进行。这项研究的结果将用于改善油砂地区的杜鹃花科植物重新植被。

Land reclamation efforts following oil sands mining are challenging due to the harsh climatic conditions and the severity of land disturbance. In many reclamation areas, soil contains elevated salinity and high pH. Plants suffer from drought conditions due to low soil moisture content, high atmospheric vapor pressure deficit and post-planting stress. The problem is aggravated by the lack of knowledge concerning some of the fundamental processes that affect plant growth and survival in reclamation sites, especially for the forest understory plants. Plants of the Ericaceae family play important ecological roles in the boreal forests and are of special cultural importance to the First Nations people. Their growth in reclamation sites is severely impacted by the soil factors. Plants of this family require a specific type of ericoid mycorrhizal associations to enhance their resistance to unfavorable soil factors in reclamation sites. Therefore, in the present project, we will examine the role of ericoid mycorrhizal associations in conferring high pH, salinity, and drought resistance to ericaceous plants and the processes involved in these plant responses. The main long-term objective of the proposed study is to contribute new knowledge concerning the physiological processes in ericaceous plants colonized by the ericoid mycorrhizal fungi. Specific objectives are to i) identify the ericoid mycorrhizas in the rhizosphere of upland and lowland blueberry, Labrador tea and lingonberry plants in natural forest sites and in oil sands reclamation areas, ii) examine whether ericoid mycorrhizal associations enhance high pH, drought and salinity tolerance in these three ericaceous plant species, iii) determine the effects of ericoid mycorrhizal associations and pH on water relations of upland and lowland blueberries and the role of plant and fungal aquaporins in these responses, and iv) examine the growth responses of mycorrhizal plants following planting in oil sands reclamation areas. The project consists of several studies which will be carried out in growth rooms under controlled conditions and in the field. The results of the study will be used to improve revegetation of oil sands areas with ericaceous plants.**