©Danilo Lima, Agripalm Ambiental
The RRC database contains a wide variety of resources and publications related to ecological restoration, and we are actively working to expand this collection. It is our aim to serve as the principal clearinghouse for information and tools to support the work of researchers, practitioners, land managers, educators, students, and anyone else interested in restoration. Use the filter tool below to search the database by title, author, resource type, keyword, or any combination of these factors.
Although SER does review all entries in the database for relevance and quality, these resources have not been rigorously reviewed or extensively vetted in every case, and SER therefore makes no claim as to their accuracy or accordance with generally accepted principles in the field. The database is provided as a resource for visitors to the SER website, and it is ultimately left to the individual user to make their own determinations about the quality and veracity of a given publication or resource.
If there is a resource we missed, please let us know! We are interested in current books, articles, technical documents, videos, and other resources that are directly relevant to ecological restoration science, practice or policy, as well as resources treating the social, cultural and economic dimensions of restoration.
Notes of Struggle: Legal and Ethical Strategies to Recognize Nature as a Living Being
Abstract:Patricia Gualinga is an Historic Leader of the Sarayaku, a Kichwa speaking people of the Ecuadorian Amazon. She has been one of Sarayaku’s most clear and prominent voices at the UN, the Vatican, the Paris Climate Accord meetings and many other international fora. In this presentation Patricia will discuss the Sarayaku’s struggle to achieve the recognition of the Amazon as a Living Forest. From grassroots organizing in the Amazon, to lobbying of legislators and meetings in the Vatican, this presentation will discuss the range of strategies the Sarayaku people have deployed to bring about the awareness of the Amazon as a Living Forest and support the creation of legislation that recognizes the right of key ecosystems to exist insulated from human presence and interference. Patricia will discuss ways in which the Sarayaku have used modern communication technology to create international networks and educate and communicate with local and global publics, while staying connected to their ancestral knowledge, culture, and daily practices in the heart of the Amazon. The presentation will analyze the key lessons from successful and less successful efforts and reflect on possible new avenues for effective local to global collaboration and action. This talk will also provide fertile ground for out of the box brainstorming for effective international collaborations to make the Living Forest and the Rights of Nature integral to the strategies for restoring and preserving global ecosystems.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
The Living Forest Worldview
Abstract:Patricia Gualinga is an Historic Leader of the Sarayaku, a Kichwa speaking people of the Ecuadorian Amazon. She has been one of Sarayaku’s most clear and prominent voices at the UN, the Vatican, the Paris Climate Accord meetings and many other international fora. Her presentation will focus on Sarayaku’s Declaration of the Living Forest and highlight its relevance to the protection and restoration of wetlands. During the presentation, Patricia will discuss the Sarayaku People’s ancestral knowledge of the Forest as a multidimensional ecosystem constituted by both physical and non-physical intelligences and address subtle aspects of deeper ecological damage that are not yet clearly understood. She will also discuss the moral and epistemological reasons why key ecosystems have the right to exist in perpetuity, free of human presence and interference. This novel call to consciousness and action grounded on ancestral knowledge of Nature’s beingness, presents a fresh paradigm for a balanced and respectful relationship between humans and Nature and the pursuit of ecological and wetland restoration and conservation.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
The Rights of Wetlands in support of a safe climate and effective wetland restoration – The charter model
Abstract:Wetlands are an integral component of the global ecosystem connecting through gas exchange with the atmosphere. They remove and keep large quantities of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, and respire both carbon dioxide and methane. Wetlands support major biological diversity including migratory birds linking local wetlands to global biodiversity. As has been demonstrated by practices of indigenous peoples, providing rights to wetlands is a successful path for maintaining their important climate and biodiversity functions. The accelerating rate of climate change from feedback loops and the loss of biodiversity requires new approaches to wetland protection. The Universal Declaration that wetlands have a fundamental right to exist and be restored builds upon previous declarations based upon the charter model. We will examine two examples, the World Charter for Nature (WCN) 1982 and the World Charter (WC) 1999, and demonstrate how they contribute to developing a declaration of the rights of wetlands.
WCN contains strong statements on the value of Nature, and defines five principles for conserving it. The Earth Charter is a civil society initiative proposed by Maurice Strong and Michael Gorbachev in 1987, and endorsed by UNESCO and many societal groups including indigenous peoples and some representatives from government including mayors and other officials. It provides a template for recent proposals like the Green New Deal in the United States and the Green Deal in Europe. Like those efforts, at creates a global order that links environmental conservation with socio-economic issues. Neither charter explicitly grants rights to Nature. This analysis seeks to determine how these two charters can contribute to a useful structure for a Universal Declaration of the Rights of Wetlands.
Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
The rights of wetlands in the context of the Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services: biodiversity loss and threats to human well-being
Abstract:Wetland biodiversity is declining in every region of the world, significantly reducing the provision of benefits that contribute to human well-being. The Americas Regional Assessment of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) details the critical relationship between biodiversity, ecosystems, and the ability of nature to provide benefits, while recognizing a diversity of world views and multiple values of nature. The Americas are diverse, hosting 40% of the world’s most biodiverse countries with three times more “biocapacity” per capita than the global average. However, the increasing demand for food, water, and other material goods has increased consumption and intensified land use, continuing a pattern of widespread degradation and destruction of wetlands with regional wetland losses ranging from 20-60% of total wetland area since 1970. The result is the loss of the benefits wetlands provide to food and water supplies, climate regulation, and adaptation to hazardous and extreme events, with a 50% decline in the freshwater supply per person. Overall, there has been a substantial decline in nature’s contribution to people (NCP, a broader term than ecosystem services). Of the 18 NCP evaluated across different wetland types, 66% are in decline, with 30% declining strongly. The intrinsic value of nature is at the heart of the IPBES framework, recognizing the links between biodiversity, nature’s contributions to people, and quality of life, with efforts to incorporate local and indigenous knowledge. The declaration of wetlands rights reflects this, acknowledging the importance of wetlands as a universal heritage.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Why could a Declaration of Rights of Wetlands support wetland wise use?
Abstract:We face a recognised global biodiversity crisis. Wetlands are not exempt. In 1971, 50 years ago, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands was established by governments because of then increasing concerns over wetland loss and degradation – and its impacts on wetland-dependent species. But since 1970 the area of wetlands has progressively continued to decline, through deliberate drainage and conversion, in all parts of the world. Deterioration in the state of our remaining wetlands is becoming progressively more widespread, including for designated Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites). Populations of freshwater species have declined since 1970 far more than species depending on other biomes. For wetlands, the world’s governments have not met their 2020 Aichi Targets for biodiversity. Nor are they on track to deliver the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for wetlands. Yet governments are just continuing “business as usual”: in 2021 they are preparing to adopt yet another set of goals and targets, for 2030 – and the draft targets are very similar to previous targets. Sectoral nature conservation actions and protected area approaches for wetlands have failed to deliver, and will likely continue to fail: the drive for economic growth, rather than truly sustainable development, continues to over-ride achieving wetland wise use. So, we all need to change our mindsets and approaches and develop new paradigms to achieve such wise use. That’s what we are here to explore and discuss in this symposium.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Biodiversity and Environmental Conditions along Seismic Lines in the Peatlands of Northern Alberta, Canada
Abstract:Linear features such as seismic lines built for oil and gas exploration in northern Alberta, Canada, can have direct impacts on environmental conditions (e.g., soil moisture and thermal dynamics, and permafrost), ecosystem functions (e.g. climate regulation), and biodiversity (vegetation recovery and composition, and invertebrate diversity). Removal of vegetation to construct seismic lines in peatlands contributes to higher soil moisture compared to the adjacent ecosystem. High moisture makes soils more prone to compaction and subsidence, which further affects moisture and thermal regimes. Within permafrost regions, these impacts may contribute to permafrost thaw and damage. These factors lead to changes in species composition and hinder natural regeneration and vegetation recovery. As such, seismic lines prevail many years after construction, particularly in peatlands, and evidence suggests that they will not recover through natural regeneration and ingression alone. Additionally, edge influence extending from the seismic line into the adjacent peatland may magnify the overall linear footprint and potentially further reduce the capacity for natural regeneration. However, there is ongoing research on the potential of wildfire to “erase” seismic lines and effectively reset the system to early successional stages. We will discuss various research projects across northern Alberta, where we assess the impact of seismic lines, including edge influence, on biodiversity of plants and invertebrates, and on environmental variables. As well, we will discuss our findings on the effects of wildfire on seismic line regeneration in wetland ecosystems.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Building boreal wetland crossings to maintain wetland function
Abstract:Wetlands are prominent throughout Canada’s boreal, and are important ecosystem features because of the numerous ecosystem services (e.g., carbon sequestration, groundwater recharge, recreation value) and the habitat they provide. Because of their prominence, wetlands in many cases overlap with areas of interest for forestry, oil and gas, utilities, and other industries. Resource roads associated with these activities are often built through wetlands and these wetland crossings may have environmental impacts. Appropriate design, construction, operations, and monitoring is important not only to avoid and minimize these impacts, but also to maintain the performance and safety of the crossing. While resource road wetland crossings have been a longstanding focus, the growing body of research documenting the types and extent of impacts has been important for raising awareness of the issue with industry, government, and other decision-makers. In recent years, increasing legal (e.g., wetland policies), certification (e.g., sustainable forest management certification) and social license requirements have served, alongside the growing body of research, as motivators for incorporating wetlands into resource road planning, construction, maintenance, and decommissioning. In this talk we will highlight the importance of research to document and improve understanding of the environmental impacts of boreal wetland crossings, provide examples of projects we have collaborated on to develop and share best management practices for better wetland crossings, and highlight ongoing knowledge gaps. Incorporating wetland knowledge into road developments is key for achieving common goals of maintaining wetland function, improving road performance, reducing maintenance and reclamation costs and improving road safety.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Contrasting restoration methods for peatland impacted by roads: Burial Under Peat Method vs. peatland initiation on mineral substrate
Abstract:A restoration project has been conducted on two sites where access roads to power lines were constructed over a peatland. Mineral roads in peatlands change the nature of the substrate and influences the water table level and the physicochemical characteristics of the water and peat. These changes can impact the composition of the plant communities. We examined whether the Burial Under Peat Method is effective to restore peatland conditions. The method should meet restoration goals by: 1) confining the nutrients potentially released by the mineral material; 2) conserving an elevation similar to the adjacent peatland; and 3) re-establishing typical peatland vegetation. At both sites, water sampled at various depths and distances to the buried road presented similar nutrient concentrations to the means measured in the undisturbed reference ecosystems. The surface elevations observed in the restored areas show that the compaction and levelling is an effective way to re-establish and keep elevations similar to the surrounding peatland. The return of peatland plant communities varied depending on the site, mainly due to local factors. Ultimately, the results of this project show that the Burial Under Peat Method complies with restoration objectives. Furthermore, it is cost-effective in comparison to completely remove the mineral material. Recent research projects study alternative restoration techniques to the Burial Under Peat Method on a Sphagnum-dominated peatland impacted by a clay road in Northern Alberta. Among the techniques tested, the Moss Layer Transfer Technique is initiated on mineral substrate and on different peat thickness.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Impact of seismic lines on peatland microbial community and carbon cycling
Abstract:Global focus on greenhouse gas emissions is currently at its peak due to overwhelming concerns over climate change. Peatlands, one of nature’s efficient and functional systems for carbon storage, are threatened by both natural and anthropogenic disturbances. The extensive network of linear disturbances in the Canadian boreal region; such as seismic lines (created for geologic exploration) and roads could alter the carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane exchange in peatlands, as well as long-term carbon storage. We investigated microbial interactions driving carbon flow in peatlands by assessing changes in microbial communities and functional diversity and determining soil respiration rates. Peat samples from seismic lines and surrounding undisturbed areas were transported from four different wooded peatlands in Peace River, Alberta, including bog and fen and wide and narrow seismic lines. The MicroRESP technique was implemented using 15 carbon sources and Milli-Q Water as a control with samples run in triplicate. There were differences in CO2 production rates from substrates between bogs and fens. Shifts in substrate use on lines relative to undisturbed areas indicate that key microbial players are dependent on the type of disturbance introduced to peatlands. Future work will link these results to field greenhouse gas flux measurements and changes in local microclimatic conditions to better understand the drivers of peatland carbon cycling on seismic lines.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
The effect of resource access roads on hydrology and carbon exchange in two boreal forested peatlands
Abstract:Dense peatland coverage makes Canada’s boreal region a significant carbon reservoir and a key component of global greenhouse gas cycling. However, many of these peatlands have been fragmented by > 215,000 km long road network, and the fragmented peatlands may experience various changes leading to impact on carbon storage potential. To investigate the impacts of roads on hydrological variations and carbon dynamics, we performed a multi-year study (2015 – 2017) in a forested bog and a shrubby fen in northern Alberta. In general, we observed ponding conditions on the upstream and drying of the downstream areas closer to the road when culverts were not placed within ~ 15 m of the plots at bog site. Consequently, in 2016, the ground layer of the bog was a source (1.9 g CO2 m-2 d-1 ) and the fen was a sink (-19.1 g CO2 m-2 d-1 ) of CO2. In 2017, the ground layers of both the bog and fen were sinks of CO2 (-1.4 g CO2 m-2 d-1 and -10.6 g CO2 m-2 d-1 , respectively). Due to
the orientation of the road relative to the local slope of the peatland, the hydrologic effects of the road were lower at the fen.
Variation in carbon fluxes relative the road was also small at fen site, but there was an overall reduction in carbon sink function due to plant community disturbance, likely related to road construction. In our presentation, we will also discuss how we can minimize the road associated impacts in peatlands.
Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Beyond window dressing – native plants in the floodplain
Abstract:The number and scope of stream restoration projects has increased substantially over the past decade. Although early efforts attempted to treat the stream corridor as a whole ecosystem; practice and crediting protocols have focused on channel-centric approaches. The predominant approach now appears to arrest rates of erosion through designs that stabilize the streambanks, such as natural channel design (NCD); based on the conceptual framework for understanding stream processes, called the Stream Functions Pyramid (Harmon et al. 2012). However, Castro and others (2019) suggest that biological (e.g. plant) aspects of the floodplain, are key to establishing and maintaining higher level stream functions. Floodplain residence time, bacterial and fungal community, and plant nativity all contribute to aspects of stream corridor ecosystem function. The presentation will detail different approaches, and the ecological significance of each, Fairfax County, Virginia is applying to projects restoring floodplain complexity and function in an Urban Piedmont setting. Approaches follow traditional best practices including preservation, conservation, enhancement and restoration providing a toolbox of options. These new approaches led to the development of a county-specific restoration wheel to track restoration success.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Floodplain restoration requires dual intervention in biophysical and governance systems
Abstract:Floodplain restoration is increasingly used as a tool to achieve multiple benefits for human communities in addition to restoring ecological functions in stream and riparian ecosystems. To ensure long-term outcomes, restoration of the biophysical environment must be accompanied by a critical evaluation of the regulatory and development processes that have led to degradation of the stream environment in the first place. This presentation reports on the preliminary outcomes of mixed methods research examining the social and governance factors key to the success of river-floodplain restoration in several communities of the Northwest and Northeastern United States. Floodplain restoration is often constrained by availability of open-space and local concerns for flood and erosion hazards, as well as larger regulatory and permitting barriers. While these social and governance factors are challenging to work within, some communities have found creative ways to utilize national policy programs alongside local regulatory practices to advance restoration projects that achieve hazard risk reductions and restore degraded ecosystems. I will present examples from communities with a focus on the use of voluntary property buyouts following flood events as a mechanism for large-scale floodplain restoration. These examples prompt a conceptual discussion of watershed restoration as a process that requires intervention in both biophysical and governance processes to achieve
meaningful and long-term outcomes.
Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Improving riparian restoration by getting water out-of-the-channel and into the floodplain: science to improve technique
Abstract:Many riparian ecosystems are degraded from a long history of reductions in hydrologic connectivity, both unintentional (e.g., deposition of legacy sediment) and intentional (e.g., channelization and artificial levees). Research on how hydrologic connectivity impacts nutrient and sediment inputs and retention could aid practitioners to better design riparian ecosystem restorations, particularly for the goal of improving water quality functions. In order to assist in guiding the design of stream restoration, we report rates of inputs and internal cycling of sediment and nutrients made across multiple studies of floodplains in the eastern, southeastern, and south-central United States, representing variability in natural and restored hydrologic connectivity to surface water inundation. We measured large spatial
variation in sediment and nutrient trapping among natural floodplains, explained by the rate of trapping
increasing with longer duration of surface water inundation as well as by the characteristics of the
upstream drainage area. Restoring hydrologic connectivity, either through building floodplain surfaces
during urban stream restoration or creating notches in artificial levees, also increased sediment and
nutrient trapping (but without large phosphate losses). Furthermore, greater rates of sediment and
nutrient inputs to floodplains stimulated greater rates of soil nutrient cycling and denitrification. In
conclusion, our measurements made among a diversity of floodplains suggest that stream restoration
approaches that increase hydrologic connectivity and riparian flooding (getting water out of the
channel) will generate greater water quality benefits.
Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Renewing Our Rivers: Lessons learned, principles, and strategies for stream restoration
Abstract:How can we bring back the world’s damaged rivers and streams for benefit of native species and people? Part of the answer is to make sure we take stock of lessons learned from past restoration efforts. The other part of the answer is to incorporate into restoration planning hard-earned restoration principles as well as the most current science and thinking on how to protect and restore damaged riverine ecosystems in the context of a rapidly changing climate. Based on a decade of research and written by stream restoration experts from Australia, Mexico and U.S., Renewing Our Rivers: A Guidebook to Stream Corridor Restoration combines these key elements and brings seasoned restoration practitioners to readers, providing start-to-finish guidance, resources, lessons, and tools required to effectively bring back a degraded stream or river. In this presentation, we will review central findings of this decade-long research effort. Lessons learned from stream restoration efforts in Australia, Mexico, and the U.S. will be highlighted. In addition, we will review strategies for adapting stream restoration efforts to the consequences of rapid climate change as well as strategies for managing and protecting streamflow for the benefit of native species and riverside human communities. Finally, it is essential that stream restoration responses have long-term temporal windows. We will conclude by presenting examples of stream restoration efforts that formed the sociopolitical and economic partnerships needed to take their initial stream restoration gains into the long-term for greater impact.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
The Vermont Functioning Floodplain Initiative: Identifying Reconnection Opportunities in the Vermont Sector of the Lake Champlain Basin to Improve Water Quality, Flood Resiliency, and Habitat
Abstract:Connected and naturally functioning floodplains reduce flood risk, protect water quality, enhance fish and wildlife habitat, and store carbon. The Vermont Functioning Floodplain Initiative (FFI) is a new framework to highlight the roles floodplains play and create a way to understand floodplain conditions. Tools are now being developed under the FFI to reconnect rivers to their floodplains in the Vermont sector of the Lake Champlain basin to realize the benefits of connected floodplains. Our interdisciplinary team of consulting engineers and scientists, researchers from the University of Vermont, and scientists from the State of Vermont have created mapping and decision-support methods to (1) identify the current level of floodplain connection; (2) select reconnection projects; (3) prioritize project type and location; and (4) quantify the potential effectiveness of floodplain connectivity projects. These tools will lead to improved river-floodplain connection in the future, and will engage stakeholders to illustrate the importance of connected floodplains and to allow project planning. This collaborative work leverages Vermont Stream Geomorphic Assessment data for over 2,300 miles of river collected over the last 15 years and ongoing floodplain research projects at University of Vermont. The level of connectivity, project selection, and tracking of implemented reconnection projects will eventually be housed in a web-application. The app will allow users to plan, implement, and track floodplain restoration projects, river corridor protection easements, riparian buffer plantings, water quality improvement projects, and habitat enhancement projects – all to improve the connection between rivers and their floodplains.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Agroforestry on Post-Mining Restoration: Finding the Most Important Ecological Factors
Abstract:Agroforestry has a great potential as an environmentally sustainable practice in ecological restoration. The challenges with restoration on degraded post-mining land are the low productivity of soil and high potential contaminants. Herein we evaluated the potential of phytobial remediation by testing a mixture of woody and herbaceous species, microsymbiont and biochar amendments, and growth spacing conditions. The aim was to find the most significant ecological factors for improving the plant performance and accelerate the restoration processes. The experiments with agroforestry multispecies and multifunctional approaches were conducted using greenhouse and field trials, including the Nelder plot design. The field trails were established on gold post-mining sites in the AbitibiTémiscamingue region, Northwest Quebec, Canada, on two types of waste materials: fine tailing and waste rock. We used a mixture of tree species (Alnus crispa, Picea glauca, Populus tremuloides, Salix arbusculoides) and herbaceous species (Avena sativa, Festuca rubra, and Trifolium repens). The biochar amendment and microbial inoculation were applied on both greenhouse and field trials. We found the positive effect of plant density which is potentially affected by an improvement of microclimate conditions. The differences of microbial inoculation between the greenhouse and field trials on the plant’s growth performance was also suspected as the result of differences in macro and microclimate conditions. Biochar’s effect on soil albedo and temperature can be more important in the studied climate and may hinder its impact on other soil properties. We suggest that microclimate improvement is an important factor for facilitating and accelerating the phytoremediation processes.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Characterizing the Microbiomes of Native Plants Growing on Disturbed Mine Sites: In Search of Beneficial Microbes to Enhance Rehabilitation
Abstract:The remediation and rehabilitation of mine sites presents a number of challenges, one of which is revegetating waste rock and tailings materials, often contaminated with heavy metals and organic contaminants, and depleted of beneficial soil microbes. Revegetation of mine wastes reduces the mobility of inorganic contaminants and enhances the biodegradation of organic contaminants, leading to ecosystem recovery. Although mine wastes are typically poor substrates for plant growth, certain plants often encroach these areas. In this study, an inventory of native plants growing on a northern mine site was conducted to characterize (using environmental DNA sequencing) plant microbiomes (microbes inhabiting the surface and interior of the plants) towards determining whether certain microbes possess beneficial traits, facilitating plant survival and growth on these disturbed sites. Once potential microbes have been identified from the sequence data, a high-throughput method for isolating specific microbes (iChip) is used to obtain individual isolates as potential inoculants for native plants. Individual bacterial isolates (92) with previously described beneficial effects were obtained, comprising the genera Massilia (30.4%), Pseudarthrobacter (20.7%), Ralstonia (14.1%), Pseudomonas (17.4%), Arthrobacter (8.7%), Polaromonas (2.17%), Rugamonas (4.35%), Sphaerotilus (1.09%), and Mucilaginibacter (1.09%). The current focus is on Polaromonas jejuensis which grows at low temperatures and produces ACC deaminase, an enzyme involved in reducing biotic and abiotic stress caused by ethylene in plants, and Ralstonia eutropha which has been found to reduce metal accumulation in plants. Selected isolates are being developed into inocula for native plants, and their plant growth promoting effects will be explored in more detail.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Could stem cuttings of Salix planifolia be used for reclamation of mine waste rock from northern regions? A greenhouse study with iron waste rock from Schefferville
Abstract:The iron ore mining operation in Schefferville (Québec, Canada) produces a large volume of mine waste rock requiring active reclamation. As willow species are often used for the reclamation of such mine tailings, our objective was to develop an approach using stem cuttings of Salix planifolia for the reclamation of these waste rocks. Firstly, in a greenhouse experiment, we assessed the survival and performance of S. planifolia cuttings planted horizontally and vertically in overburden and waste rock from Schefferville. Peat moss was used as a control substrate. After 7 weeks, we observed that cuttings planted in overburden and peat moss had greater survival, higher shoot production and biomass than the ones in waste rock. Also, horizontal cuttings had a greater survival than the vertical ones. Based on the results of this first experiment, we conducted a second experiment with stem cuttings inoculated with Heliotiales sp, Meliniomyces sp, and Phialocephala fortinii isolated from the roots of S. planifolia and planted horizontally in sterilized and not sterilized waste rock. After 15 weeks, root length and biomass as well as aboveground biomass were significantly higher for the cuttings inoculated with the three fungal isolates compared to the control ones. These promising results are important for the reclamation of the mine waste rock from Schefferville region. Horizontal planting of stem cuttings of S. planifolia with native endophytic fungi could initiate plant colonization on these substrates. However, additional studies are needed to better understand how endophytic fungi promote the performance of S. planifolia cuttings.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Ecological restoration of northern iron mine sandy tailings by Irrigation NORCO: sciences, challenges and solutions
Abstract:Since more than 23 years, Irrigation NORCO restores sandy iron mine tailings in the northern regions of Fermont in Québec, and Labrador City and Wabush in the province of Newfoundland & Labrador. Amongst the various agronomic technologies developed by Irrigation NORCO over the years, the leading one is based on the initial spreading of a mulch of hay and broadcast spreading of organic fertilizers, followed by the direct sowing of a mixture of seeds from adapted herbaceous annual, biennial and perennial plant species. This technology guarantees the sustainable initiation of the soil genesis process, of utmost importance, and re-greening of these immense areas, despite hostile climatic conditions, where strong winds combined with the sandy mineral substrate impede any spontaneous revegetation. Success is visible as soon as the first sowing is lifted, transforming the almost lunar landscape of this artificial desert into an oasis of greenery and life. Since 2014, we have recorded emergence and cover rates of successive plant species on the revegetated parcels. We have observed the first sowed grasses followed by spontaneous grasses then by the first woody species, naturally evolving towards the climax of the region, the boreal forest, according to the ecological successions described in the literature under the same latitudes in Canada. In parallel, we have observed the underground root symbioses, particularly the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) symbiosis of grasses, to follow the installation of AMF networks. High levels of mycorrhization of perennial species were observed from the 3rd year post-revegetation, associated with a very low diversity of AMF species, even after 23 years. The presence of underground mycorrhizal networks, associated with roots of the most resilient perennial species, assures the sustainability of this restored ecosystem.
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Depuis plus de 23 ans, l’entreprise Irrigation NORCO végétalise les résidus sableux des mines de fer de la région de Fermont et de Labrador City, dans le nord du Québec et à la frontière du Labrador. Parmi les diverses technologies agronomiques mises au point par Irrigation NORCO au fil des années, la plus significative est basée sur la mise en place d’un paillis de foin suivi par l’épandage d’amendements organiques puis par le semis direct de précision d’un mélange de semences d’herbacées adaptées. Cette technique permet d’amorcer durablement le processus de pédogenèse, qui est d’une importance cruciale, et de reverdissement de ces immenses étendues, malgré des conditions climatiques hostiles, où les vents violents et l’aridité du substrat minéral empêchent toute végétalisation spontanée. Le succès est visible dès la levée des premiers semis, transformant le paysage quasi lunaire de ce désert artificiel en oasis de verdure et de vie. Depuis 2014, nous avons enregistré les taux d’émergence et de recouvrement des espèces végétales successives au sein des parcelles végétalisées. Nous avons observé les premières herbacées semées suivies des herbacées spontanées puis des premiers ligneux, le tout évoluant vers le climax de la région, la forêt boréale, selon les successions végétales décrites dans la littérature pour les mêmes latitudes au Canada1. En parallèle, nous avons observé les symbioses racinaires souterraines, en particulier la symbiose de champignons mycorhiziens arbusculaires (CMA) des herbacées, afin de déterminer la progression du développement des réseaux souterrains des CMA. Des taux élevés de mycorhization des espèces pérennes ont été observés dès la 3ème année de végétalisation associés à une très faible diversité des espèces de CMA, même après 23 ans de végétalisation. Ces réseaux mycorhiziens souterrains, associés aux racines des vivaces les plus résilientes, assurent la durabilité de l’écosystème recréé.
Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Improve efficiency of morphological rehabilitation of gold mined streams: An adaptive approach in French Guiana.
Abstract:Alluvial gold mining began on the Guiana shield in the middle of the 19th century. During the three last decades, a particular socio-economic context led to ongoing gold-rush in French Guiana, as well as in all of its border countries (Brazil, Surinam) and more widely in the Amazon region. By deforesting, destroying bed channels, washing soils and polluting rivers and alluvial floodplains (mercury and high suspended load), gold mining is one of the main anthropogenic pressures and causes major environmental disturbances on physical habitat and associated biota. In French Guiana, the National Forestry Office (ONF) has recently estimated that 30,000 ha of rainforest as well as 3,300 km of watercourses were directly affected by gold mining. If illegal small-scale mines are massively involved in those impacts, authorized mining exploitations (width stream < 7.5 m) also contribute to a significant environmental degradation. Within this context, our study aims to help legal operators to achieve a morphological rehabilitation of mining sites after exploitation in order to reduce anthropogenic impacts of gold mining. For that, we first develop a step-by-step method – from bed channel reconstruction to revegetalisation of sites – to recover functional efficiency of fluvial patterns. Then, this method is implemented directly on mining sites and a scientific monitoring partnership is currently carried out to finely describe morphological adjustments of the streams after rehabilitation works. This adaptive management approach will allow to measure the effectiveness of rehabilitation, and the possibility and ways to adjust actions in this tropical environment.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Improving land restoration strategies through the study of soil and plant-associated microbiomes
Abstract:Soil and plant-associated microbial communities harbour extended and diverse metabolic capacities. They can degrade contaminants and promote plant growth and tolerance, leading to successful establishment of vegetation under harsh conditions such as those prevailing in some mine waste environments. In return, plant root exudates can promote the growth of microorganisms that could enhance mine waste remediation. The success of this integrative approach is highly dependent on the characterization of microorganisms and plants involved in bioremediation processes and the optimal conditions for their growth and function. In this presentation, the importance of characterizing soil and plant-associated microbiomes in bioremediation processes will be highlighted through examples from phytoremediation experiments conducted on various types of mining waste, including soft tailings generated by various oil sands operators in Alberta and acid generating waste rock from gold mine extraction in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region. Microbial communities from plant roots/shoots and from the mining residues have been characterized using a metabarcoding approach, and links between plant growth parameters, microbial communities and chemical properties of the tailings have been assessed using multivariate analyses. Results indicated that plant growth can lead to significant shifts in bacterial and fungal community structure and composition, going from lithotrophic communities that dominate mine waste environments to heterotrophic communities involved in nutrient cycling. We conclude that close monitoring of microbial communities during the restoration process can be useful ] to track ecosystem recovery trajectory and develop sustainable restoration strategies.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Innovate to Sustainably Restore a Mining Site: Drawing Inspiration from Nature
Abstract:The restoration of mines in northern Canada presents numerous challenges. Site remoteness, high transportation costs and harsh weather limiting plant growth reduce the number of restoration methods that can be used efficiently. Since 2016, T² Environnement and ViridisTerra have established several experimental trials aimed at developing an innovative low-cost and -input ecological restoration strategy adapted to arctic harsh environment conditions for TSMC iron ore mine sites in Northern Quebec/Labrador. The trials are located on the waste dumps generated by the mining activities. Numerous treatments of different methods, technologies, and techniques were set up in order to select those best suited to the edapho-climatic characteristics of the mine sites: low-input site preparation methods, different types of amendment and various planting methods combined with the use of different indigenous tree, shrub, and grass species. In parallel, a fungal inoculant was developed in collaboration with Université Laval. A total of 456 culturable fungi were isolated from healthy native plant roots and 376 of them were successfully identified and associated to 106 taxa based on rDNA internal transcribed spacer analysis (ITSF-1 and ITS-4). Nine out these potential fungal isolates were tested in vitro and in vivo, respectively, for their morphophysiological performance under abiotic stress conditions of high iron concentrations. The results of 2018 and 2019 field trials will be presented at the conference along with the main outcomes of the inoculant development. These scientific and technical advances allow us to envision their immediate application in the field for the regreening of arctic mine sites.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Mulching with Rameal Chipped Wood to facilitate plant spontaneous colonisation on mine waste rocks, in a boreal forest context
Abstract:In Canada, mines contribute to the fragmentation of the boreal forest ecosystem. After mine closure, waste rock (WR) areas must be revegetated to facilitate the return of ecological services in order to quickly meet legal and social expectations. Restoring forest ecosystems on WR areas using spontaneous colonisation through primary succession can take decades. Addition of a mulch of rameal chipped wood (RWC) could improve physico-chemical properties of WR, facilitating plant colonisation. A randomly complete blocks design was installed in 2017 on a WR area of a closed gold mine in AbitibiTémiscamingue (QC, Canada), including four treatments: scarified WR (control), 2 cm RCW mulch layer over WR, 10 cm sand layer over WR with or without 2 cm RCW mulch layer. For 4 years, we monitored the natural plant colonisation and several soil physico-chemical properties determining the plant colonisation success.
Six boreal tree species colonised the area (Pinus banksiana, Betula papyrifera, Abies balsamea, Picea spp., Acer spp., Salix spp.). Herbaceous species were mostly early primary successional species and there was no alien species. The number of tree individuals/m2 and the herbaceous total cover were not significantly different between WR treatment and the RCW treatments. At this stage of our experiment, the use of RCW mulch did not significantly increase early successional plant colonisation of WR.
Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Oil Sands Vegetation Cooperative (OSVC): A Collaborative Initiative for Sustainable Plant Community Establishment
Abstract:The OSVC is an Alberta oil sands industry enterprise under the auspices of the Canadian Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA). It addresses the numerous revegetation challenges faced by industry in attaining the goal of reestablishing diverse functioning native plant communities on altered sites. Prior to the OSVC, plant material availability and knowledge were limited and pursued in an ad hoc manner by individual oil sands operators. Through cooperation among members, the OSVC aims to increase capacity of plant materials and expand and share knowledge required to optimize the use of these valuable resources. Since 2009, the OSVC has commissioned expansive annual seed harvests and, to date, has harvested over 231 million seeds representing 50 individual species. Development of seed orchards and stooling beds are planned to reduce reliance on wild harvests and increase sustainability of natural refugia. Seeds are registered by, banked and deployed according to strict Government of Alberta standards that ensure genetic fitness and adaptability. Members guide the direction of pertinent, cutting edge research in the areas of seed science, seed storage and longevity, propagation and establishment of boreal native species. Information is openly shared to further reach reclamation objectives. In cooperation with harvesters, Indigenous groups, ecologists, seed scientists and nursery professionals, the OSVC has improved the supply chain from harvest to plant production. Establishment of plants on reclaimed sites is being enhanced by building on joint successes.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Plant diversity on reclaimed mine sites using combinations of reforestation and organic amendment approaches, in Quebec (Canada)
Abstract:Mining activities generate residues during the ore concentration process which results in large tailings storage facilities in Quebec, Canada. According to the guidelines of Quebec’s Mining act, a minimal revegetation by using grasses or shrubs is required to reclaim tailings. It is hypothesized that the reclamation of mine tailings using planted woody species and soil organic amendments will increase vegetation diversity, compared to the minimal requirements with sown grasses. Experimental designs were established on tailings impoundments at Mont-Wright (iron ore, 52°46’N, 67°20’W) in 2015, and at St-Honoré (niobium ore, 48°32’N, 71°08’W) in 2012. The objective was to determine among the different reclamation methods – combinations of planted woody species with soil organic amendments (papermill sludge biosolids (PMS), chicken manure, or topsoil) – which one increased the most plant community diversity on both sites, considering their respective climate contexts. Results show that at St-Honoré, PMS mixed with topsoil enhanced the total percent plant cover, and reduced evenness (J’) and diversity (1- D). Plantations of woody species had no significant effect on diversity indexes (total percent cover, S, J’, and 1-D). At MontWright, PMS mixed with chicken manure brought in the highest total plant cover, while the combination of chicken manure with topsoil, and the single application of topsoil and PMS, resulted in the highest values of evenness (J’) and diversity (1-D). Overall, PMS and topsoil were generally comparable as soil amendments in both mine sites studied, in their capacity to promote plant community diversity.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Prescribed burning as a tool to shift a reclaimed tailings storage facility dominated by agronomic grass to a native plant community
Abstract:Mine reclamation and closure plans have historically focused on returning disturbed lands to a vegetative community, often without consideration of the pre-existing natural vegetation, resulting in sites dominated by non-native agronomic species. Regulatory standards and community stakeholders now place more value on ecosystem function and native biodiversity. Once established, agronomic grass communities often dominate, restricting native species, and enter a stable state with little successional advancement. Large scale disturbances, notably fire, have historically structured grasslands and can alter successional trajectory. We tested the effects of prescribed burning in a 24-year old mine-reclaimed, agronomic-dominated closed tailings storage facility as a means of shifting an agronomic community to a native grassland. A variety of factors including fuel loads and moisture levels affect fire severity and the biotic recovery following disturbance. Our objectives were to test the effects of prescribed burning in the field and in a controlled greenhouse experiment to assess: a) plant biodiversity; b) soil nutrients; and c) native plant ecosystem reclamation. Fire severity was modified within the greenhouse trial at three levels (high, moderate, low) and held constant (moderate) in the field. Fire severity adjustments were made via modifying the fuel load and time of burning per treatment. Plant community composition shifted as a result of the burning treatment. Greater effects were found in the greenhouse trial, likely due to better control of the burn, such that native species colonization was observed. Our experiment provides a novel approach in mine reclamation.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Revegetation of mine sites with native flowering plants attracting pollinators
Abstract:The mining sector is searching ways to contribute to biodiversity conservation. A regional initiative was developed in Northwestern Quebec by local operating mines and other partners aiming at favoring the reestablishment of insect pollinators. Pollinator populations are indeed declining due to exposure to pesticides and habitat losses, among other factors. A research project was developed to revegetate mine sites with native and pioneer flowering plants known to attract bees and butterflies. First, a database of native flowering plants able to establish on mine sites of the Canadian boreal region and attracting pollinators was set. This work relied on a literature review regarding flowering pioneer plants found on mine sites, roadsides, and urban brownfields, as well as on field surveys of colonizing vegetation on regional mine sites. Second, the database results were used to construct nine experimental settings on several mine sites. These experiments were designed in a complete block design with four repetitions to test several treatments: standard revegetation seeding with agronomic herbaceous species and mineral fertilizer, seeding mixture of native selected plants improved or not with an organic amendment or a nurse legume species, and a mixture of seedlings of native selected plants. Short-term results (first growing season in 2019) of the plant establishment success (plant cover and seedling survival) will be presented. This project opens new avenues to add ecological value to rehabilitated mine sites.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Senegalia senegal (L.) Britton. response to microbial and manure amendments for rehabilitation of waste rock dumps in the mining site of Essakane in Burkina Fas
Abstract:Senegalia senegal (L.) Britton. is a multipurpose and widespread mycorhizobial legume of the SubSaharan likely to colonize disturbed mining sites due to its adaptive capacity to dry lands. Multiyear experimental trials using this species were conducted in a nursery and seedlings were outplanted on waste rock dumps in Essakane in northeastern Burkina Faso. The inoculation of two arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi (the native Glomus aggregatum DAOM2277128 strain and the commercial Rhizophagus irregularis DAOM197198 strain) and one Mesorhizobium plurifarium ORS3588 strain were studied on waste rock dumps with two doses (25 and 50%) of manure amendment to determine whether the microbial inoculation improves the growth and survival rates of seedlings. Inoculation under manureen-rich substrates did not consistently increase plant height and dry mass between treatments. The overall trend was that plants inoculated with G. aggregatum alone or concurrently with G. intraradices and/or Mesorhizobium plurifarium ORS3588 showed the best increase in these variables. Nevertheless, under unamended substrates, inoculation with G. aggregatum and its combination with M. plurifarium and/or R. irregularis significantly enhanced the root colonization rates, plant growth and survival. However, inoculation with R. irregularis or with M. plurifarium alone did not show any increase in these parameters, even though nodulation was significantly improved by the later treatment. Data also showed that manure-enrich soils harbored less nodulation and root AM colonization but increased significantly the plant growth and dry mass in both the nursery and mine field conditions. Plant survival, however, was reduced in manure-enrich soils. Our results support the general conclusion that microbial inoculation and manure-enrich substrates could be an option for mining site rehabilitation using S. senegal. However, data suggested that the addition of manure amendments should be approached with caution as high rates may induce further stress in plant symbioses and inhibit their performance in waste rock dumps.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
SYLVEN® and MICROLIGNUM®: innovative biotechnologies for sustainable ecosystem restoration of industrially disturbed areas
Abstract:The mining industry is an economic engine, which contributes considerable portion in Canadian GDP and in goods exported abroad. However, exists a serious drawback of mining industry all over the world: big scale environment destruction by physical perturbation or contamination. Therefore, sustainable restoration is crucial for public acceptability and successful development of the mining sector in the country. During long time seeding with gramineae species was a common and low-cost way of mine reclamation. This method results in creation of boreal prairie, non-native for the boreal zone. Moreover, post-operational monitoring of seeded sites demonstrated that this method is not sustainable on the long term because the grass cover deteriorates with time. New concept of disturbed land restoration highlights the importance of preserving the continuity and biodiversity of natural boreal ecosystems with all their functions and resilience. From this point, it is important to find the technologies, which will optimise and accelerate the natural ecosystem regeneration processes on disturbed areas. The last 4 years, Viridis Terra has been invested in R&D for the development of new patent-pending technologies called SYLVEN® and MICROLIGNUM® accelerating ecological restoration by emulation of natural succession. These biotechnologies allow the establishment of natural ecosystems with highdensity indigenous tree and shrub communities on industrially disturbed lands. The technology consists of direct sewing of arborescent species and introduction of living woody material on disturbed sites such as: waste rock impoundment, fine tailings, overburden and sand with or without heavy metal contamination and acid mine drainage. During this presentation, we will present the results of some projects in Canada, where SYLVEN® and MICROLIGNUM® technologies were applied.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Thinking about the future: why setting closure objectives early is important. Agnico Eagle’s approach to closure and rehabilitation.
Abstract:Agnico Eagle celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2017. Long lasting companies in the mining business can be proud of their achievement. But having been active for a long time also enhances the probabilities of having to manage legacy sites, which is the case for Agnico Eagle. The company began its activities in Cobalt, Ontario, mining silver from 1957 to 1989; then operated the Eagle-Telbel gold mine in Joutel, Québec, from 1974 to 1993. Based on the experience of its legacy sites, and on the different trends in mine closure and rehabilitation developed since the 1990’s, Agnico Eagle developed a vision and corporate standards for thinking, planning, developing and realizing successful mine closure and rehabilitation. The presentation will put the emphasis on the importance of closure objectives and integrated early planning and design for closure. Examples of how these principles are applied to past and current projects will be discussed.
Resource Type:Conference Presentation, SER2021Publication Date: 2021
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program