scholarly journals Trembling aspen seedling establishment, growth and response to fertilization on contrasting soils used in oil sands reclamation

2012 ◽  
Vol 92 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley D. Pinno ◽  
Simon M. Landhäusser ◽  
M. Derek MacKenzie ◽  
Sylvie A. Quideau ◽  
Pak S. Chow
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Seedling Establishment ◽  
Oil Sands ◽  
Land Reclamation ◽  
N Fertilizer ◽  
Initial Growth ◽  
Trembling Aspen ◽  
Organic Mineral ◽  
Foliar Phosphorus ◽  
Oil Sands Reclamation

Pinno, B. D., Landhäusser, S. M., MacKenzie, M. D., Quideau, S. A. and Chow, P. S. 2012. Trembling aspen seedling establishment, growth and response to fertilization on contrasting soils used in oil sands reclamation. Can. J. Soil Sci. 92: 143–151. Trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) is an important tree species for land reclamation. This study determined trembling aspen germination, establishment, initial growth and response to fertilizer on contrasting oil sands reclamation soils. In a greenhouse, eight soils varying in total nitrogen and available phosphorus were treated with no fertilizer (control), phosphorus and potassium (PK), nitrogen (N) and all three (NPK). Soil had the greatest impact on aspen growth when no fertilizer was applied with the best growth occurring on organic-mineral material soils where growth was positively correlated with extractable and foliar potassium but not to nitrogen or phosphorus. With PK and N fertilizer, growth increases were positively correlated with foliar phosphorus concentrations of the corresponding controls. NPK fertilizer caused greater growth, bud set and root:leaf mass ratio compared with PK or N fertilizer. Soil type had little impact on germination and establishment, indicating natural aspen seedlings can potentially regenerate on all of these soils. In oil sands mining reclamation where these soils are used as surface materials, organic-mineral mixes had the greatest potential without fertilizer. With fertilizer, NPK provided maximum growth and developmental benefits.

Capping dewatered oil sands fluid fine tailings with salvaged reclamation soils at varying depths to grow woody plants

2020 ◽  
Vol 100 (4) ◽  
pp. 546-557
Author(s):  
Ryan S. Lalonde ◽  
Bradley D. Pinno ◽  
M. Derek MacKenzie ◽  
Nicholas Utting
Keyword(s):  
Plant Growth ◽  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Oil Sands ◽  
Land Reclamation ◽  
Surface Mining ◽  
High Water ◽  
High Water Content ◽  
Trembling Aspen ◽  
Fine Tailings ◽  
Fluid Fine Tailings

Managing fluid fine tailings (FFT) present a major cause of industrial and environmental concerns in oil sands surface mining production. A potential management solution is to dewater and cap the FFT solids for use in land reclamation. A 16 wk greenhouse study was conducted to assess whether FFT centrifuge cake with caps of various reclamation soil mixes (forest floor mineral mix, peat mineral mix, and a mixture of both) and depths (0, 5, 10, and 20 cm) would support growth of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides — native broadleaf tree) and beaked willow (Salix bebbiana — native broadleaf shrub). Beaked willow had a much greater survival rate (100%) when grown directly in FFT cake compared with trembling aspen (16.7%). Plants grown directly in FFT cake were negatively impacted by high water content, low nitrate supply rates, and high metal concentrations with beaked willow seedlings having 10 times higher foliar concentrations of Al, Cr, and Ti compared with any other treatments. Adding soil caps substantially increased aboveground biomass for both species, but differences among soil cap types and depths did not have as significant of an effect on plant growth. Results from this study show that capping FFT substantially improves woody plant growth, and S. bebbiana and P. tremuloides are potentially suitable species for tailings reclamation.

Climate-sensitive height–age models for top height trees in natural and reclaimed oil sands stands in Alberta, Canada

2019 ◽  
pp. 297-307
Author(s):  
Yuqing Yang ◽  
Shongming Huang ◽  
Robert Vassov ◽  
Brad Pinno ◽  
Sophan Chhin
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Picea Glauca ◽  
Oil Sands ◽  
Pinus Banksiana ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Analysis Data ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
Trembling Aspen ◽  
Climate Data ◽  
Positive Effects

Climate-sensitive height–age models were developed for top height trees of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.), jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.), and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) in natural and reclaimed oil sands stands. We used stem analysis data collected from the Athabasca oil sands region in northern Alberta, Canada, and climate data generated by the ClimateWNA model. Height–age trajectories differed between top height trees in natural and reclaimed stands for jack pine and white spruce, but not for trembling aspen. At a given age, white spruce top height trees were taller and jack pine top height trees were shorter in reclaimed stands than those in natural stands, suggesting that it is easier to achieve similar forest productivity for oil sands sites reclaimed with white spruce stands than for sites reclaimed with jack pine stands. The principal climate variables were growing season (May to September) precipitation averaged over the previous 10 years for trembling aspen and jack pine and summer (June to August) precipitation averaged over the previous 10 years for white spruce. These variables had positive effects on the height–age trajectories.

scholarly journals Hydraulic Redistribution in Slender Wheatgrass (Elymus trachycaulus Link Malte) and Yellow Sweet Clover (Melilotus officinalis L.): Potential Benefits for Land Reclamation

Agronomy ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 308
Author(s):  
Wen-Qing Zhang ◽  
Janusz Zwiazek
Keyword(s):  
Oil Sands ◽  
Land Reclamation ◽  
Hydraulic Redistribution ◽  
Sweet Clover ◽  
Melilotus Officinalis ◽  
Balsam Poplar ◽  
Elymus Trachycaulus ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Slender Wheatgrass ◽  
Oil Sands Reclamation

Hydraulic redistribution (HR) by plant roots can increase moisture content in the dry, mostly upper, parts of the soil. HR helps maintain the viability of fine roots, root hydraulic conductivity, microbial activity and facilitate nutrient uptake. Plants can supply water to other surrounding plants by HR under drought conditions. In oil sands reclamation areas in Northeastern Alberta, Canada, reconstructed soils commonly suffer from the problems of drought, high pH, salinity, and compaction, which often impact revegetation success. In this study, we investigated the HR potential of two herbaceous plants that are frequently present in oil sands reclamation sites: slender wheatgrass (Elymus trachycaulus Link Malte) and yellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis L.), using a vertically split-root growth setup and treatments with deuterium-enriched water. Our objective was to test the potential benefits of HR on drought responses of seedlings of the commonly used plant species for oil sand reclamation, balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera L.), when these plants were grown together under controlled environment conditions. We found that both wheatgrass and yellow sweet clover could redistribute water in the upward and downward directions. However, the amount of water released by the roots was not sufficient to alleviate the effects of drought stress on the associated balsam poplar seedlings. Longer-term field studies should be carried out in order to examine, under different environmental conditions, the potential benefits of HR in these herbaceous plants to the establishment and growth of other plant species that are used for land reclamation.

scholarly journals Ethylene enhances root water transport and aquaporin expression in trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) exposed to root hypoxia

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiangfeng Tan ◽  
Mengmeng Liu ◽  
Ning Du ◽  
Janusz J. Zwiazek
Keyword(s):  
Gas Exchange ◽  
Water Transport ◽  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Leaf Gas Exchange ◽  
Hydraulic Conductance ◽  
Root Hydraulic Conductance ◽  
Trembling Aspen ◽  
Expression Levels ◽  
Root Hypoxia ◽  
Exogenous Ethylene

Abstract Background Root hypoxia has detrimental effects on physiological processes and growth in most plants. The effects of hypoxia can be partly alleviated by ethylene. However, the tolerance mechanisms contributing to the ethylene-mediated hypoxia tolerance in plants remain poorly understood. Results In this study, we examined the effects of root hypoxia and exogenous ethylene treatments on leaf gas exchange, root hydraulic conductance, and the expression levels of several aquaporins of the plasma membrane intrinsic protein group (PIP) in trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) seedlings. Ethylene enhanced net photosynthetic rates, transpiration rates, and root hydraulic conductance in hypoxic plants. Of the two subgroups of PIPs (PIP1 and PIP2), the protein abundance of PIP2s and the transcript abundance of PIP2;4 and PIP2;5 were higher in ethylene-treated trembling aspen roots compared with non-treated roots under hypoxia. The increases in the expression levels of these aquaporins could potentially facilitate root water transport. The enhanced root water transport by ethylene was likely responsible for the increase in leaf gas exchange of the hypoxic plants. Conclusions Exogenous ethylene enhanced root water transport and the expression levels of PIP2;4 and PIP2;5 in hypoxic roots of trembling aspen. The results suggest that ethylene facilitates the aquaporin-mediated water transport in plants exposed to root hypoxia.

The bacteria in sapwood, wetwood, and heartwood of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides)

1973 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 498-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald M. Knutson
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Trembling Aspen ◽  
Indigenous Bacteria ◽  
Large Populations ◽  
Xylem Tissue

Bacteria (Erwinia, Bacillus) were consistently isolated from all samples of aspen sapwood and heartwood. In wetwood zones (water-soaked xylem tissue) or discolored heartwood, large populations often occur. No organisms unique to wetwood were isolated. Wetwood probably is formed by nonmicrobial means and, once formed, merely supports large populations of indigenous bacteria.

Wounding of aspen roots promotes suckering

2004 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 310-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin C Fraser ◽  
Victor J Lieffers ◽  
Simon M Landhäusser
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Organic Layer ◽  
Trembling Aspen ◽  
Layer Depth ◽  
Injury Type ◽  
Organic Layers ◽  
Root Injury ◽  
Root Sucker

In early May, 1-m sections of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) roots in a forest cutblock were carefully exposed and examined for damage. Undamaged roots were subjected to one of three wounding treatments (scrape, sever, or uninjured control) and were then reburied to either the full normal organic layer depth or to one third of the normal depth. Following one growing season, the roots were reexposed and assessed for aspen sucker numbers and growth rates. Results indicate that injured roots produced suckers nearly twice as often as uninjured roots. Further, injured roots produced more suckers per root, and these suckers were taller and had greater leaf area. Roots buried under shallow organic layers also generated more suckers, regardless of injury type. The side of injury (distal or proximal) did not affect any of the measured variables. The present study suggests that moderate wounding of aspen roots increases initial sucker numbers and growth rates.Key words: trembling aspen, root sucker, root injury, regeneration.

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