*** DISCLAIMER: DATA INCLUDED IN THIS WEBSITE MADE FOR REN R 690 ARE A SUBSET OF AN MSC DATASET ***
Research Overview
Forest understories are comprised of vegetation growing above the forest floor, but beneath the forest canopy without significantly penetrating it. Understories are important features that contribute greatly to overall forest health and function. Many critical processes occur at this level, such as energy flow, nutrient cycling, and the provision of suitable regeneration environments (Gilliam, 2007). Many desired shrub and herbaceous species can be found here, often making up the largest proportion of the forest's biodiversity.
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This research project is predicated on the lack of understory redevelopment in the reclaimed forests of the Athabasca Oil Sands Region of Alberta. Presently, this study aims to determine which reclamation site environmental variables have an effect on the survival of four nursery-grown native shrub seedlings. To achieve this objective, shrub seedlings were outplanted into several reclamation sites varying in age, soil conditions, presence of a canopy, and percent cover of competing vegetation. Through descriptive multivariate analysis, I was able to determine that shrubs have the highest percent survival when planted soon after soil is placed on reclamation sites. A high level of competing vegetation seems to be a main cause of high mortality of outplanted shrub seedlings.
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Author: Brittany Hynes
I am a Forest Biology and Management Master's student in the Landhäusser Research Group (https://landhausser.ualberta.ca) at the University of Alberta. I am originally from Newfoundland and moved to Alberta in 2001. I graduated from NAIT in 2016 with a Biological Sciences Technology diploma in Renewable Resources, and from the University of Alberta in December 2019 with a Bachelor of Environmental and Conservation Sciences degree majoring in Land Reclamation. Throughout my MSc program I hope to further broaden my natural science knowledge and deepen my understanding of land reclamation and forest management practices.
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