| This research determined if woody debris amendments facilitate land reclamation after oil sands mining. Specifically, it assessed if woody debris affects vegetation cover and richness, woody species survival and abundance, soil nutrients, temperature and water, microbial biomass carbon and mycorrhizal biomass. A four year old site and a two year old site were used to compare treatments with and without woody debris. Woody debris did not affect initial vegetation emergence, but increased species richness and decreased introduced species cover. After winter assessments found woody debris cover positively associated with vegetation cover. More saplings planted on woody debris treatments survived and woody debris cover was positively associated with woody plant abundance. Woody debris treatments had lower soil nitrogen and higher phosphorus, suggesting nitrogen immobilization and leachate high in phosphorus. Soil under woody debris had a lower temperature range and higher soil volumetric water content. No differences were found in microbial parameters. |
