Early performance of native shrubs and trees planted on amended Athabasca oil sand tailings

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1980 · Reclam. Rev.; (United States)

OSTI ID:7100300

Fedkenheuer, A W; Heacock, H M; Lewis, D L

The present accepted end land uses for land disturbed by surface mining in the Athabasca oil sands deposit are forestry, wildlife and recreation, in that order of priority. Consistent with government requirements, the main objective of the reclamation program is the establishment of a system at least equal to the predisturbed state in terms of ecological productivity. This system should be consistent with the regional surface hydrology, the natural vegetation and the land use for forestry, wildlife and recreation. In addition, the plant communities in these systems will be permanent, self-supporting and maintenance free. The lack of available information regarding the procedures necessary to permanently reclaim the tailings sand left after extraction of the oil prompted Syncrude to initiate this study in 1977. Four replicated soil amendment treatments were established on a one meter deep experimental area of tailings sand located on the lease area. The plots were subsequently seeded with a grass-legume mix in July 1977. Trees and shrubs were planted in August 1977 and June 1978. Results to date indicate over-winter survival was very satisfactory with most plant species. A dry spell during the 1978 growing season had a pronounced effect on the survival of some of the tree and shrub seedlings. Those species which had the highest survival rates over the range of treatments were Amelanchier alnifolia, Pinus banksiana, Pinus contorta, Potentilla fruticosa, Shepherdia canadensis and Symphoricarpos albus. Performance of the other trees and shrubs was fair to poor, depending on the species and the treatment.

• Research Organization: Syncrude Canada Ltd., Edmonton, Alberta
• OSTI ID: 7100300
• Journal Information: Reclam. Rev.; (United States), Vol. 3:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
ATHABASCA DEPOSIT
LAND RECLAMATION
OIL SAND TAILINGS
REVEGETATION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
OIL SANDS
PLANT GROWTH
SHRUBS
TREES
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
DATA
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GROWTH
INFORMATION
LLOYDMINSTER DEPOSIT
MATERIALS
NUMERICAL DATA
OIL SAND DEPOSITS
PLANTS
SOLID WASTES
TAILINGS
WASTES
510500* - Environment
Terrestrial- Site Resource & Use Studies- (-1989)
040900 - Oil Shales & Tar Sands- Waste management