RECL2019 Revegetation

Revegetation and the reclamation process

Research initiatives address opportunities to revegetate native plant communities

Oil Sands Reclamation plot, August 2018, 18 years of growth.
Revegetation is the process of establishing vegetation as part of the land reclamation process. Significant changes in revegetation practices have occurred over the decades.

Up to the mid 1970s government, industry and the public were satisfied if a disturbed area was turned green again following cessation of disturbance activities. This was easiest to do with grasses, as most established easily and quickly and seed was readily available. The cheapest agricultural species, such as crested wheat grass, was usually used, as native grass seed was not available in commercial quantities at that time.  

Revegetation and the reclamation process

Research initiatives address opportunities to revegetate native plant communities

Revegetation is the process of establishing vegetation as part of the land reclamation process. Significant changes in revegetation practices have occurred over the decades.

Up to the mid 1970s government, industry and the public were satisfied if a disturbed area was turned green again following cessation of disturbance activities. This was easiest to do with grasses, as most established easily and quickly and seed was readily available. The cheapest agricultural species, such as crested wheat grass, was usually used, as native grass seed was not available in commercial quantities at that time.  
Oil Sands Reclamation plot, August 2018, 18 years of growth.
University of Alberta students planting vegetation on reclaimed soil.
These practices changed with implementation of the 1973 Land Conservation and Reclamation Act and the observation that some agricultural species could aggressively move off reclaimed areas where they were seeded into adjoining plant communities. Research into using native grass species was initiated by the University of Alberta, Ducks Unlimited Canada and the province of Alberta, with interest and support from the public and private sectors.
It resulted in development of a number of native grass varieties, which are still regularly used today in various revegetation scenarios. These species are regulated, requiring seed certificates identifying where seed was produced and its weed seed content. 

Another evolution in the use of native trees, shrubs and forbs was driven primarily by research initiated in the late 1970s in oil sands reclamation by the Alberta Forest Service and oil sands companies.
At that time it was unclear how to successfully and consistently propagate native trees such as trembling aspen. Oil sands development pushed research on native trees and shrubs as large scale mining was occurring in forested areas, a region that could not be revegetated to grasses. Propagation and establishment techniques were rapidly developed and implemented and continue to be refined. 

Today vegetation is expected to support the end land use of the reclaimed site, be it forest, agricultural cropland or native grasslands. 

Industrial developers and researchers continue to work with government to provide financing and other assistance for many native species seeds to be collected, cleaned, stored and used for research with the objective of using locally collected native species in land reclamation. 
Diverse vegetation cover established 18 years after initial seeding at surface mine near Grande Cache. 1994
Ongoing work is continuing to address difficult to revegetate plant communities such as wetlands, and to better understand plant community dynamics and genetic composition impacts on revegetation success.  Use of vegetation to remediate (phytoremediation) contaminated soil and
 water, better ways to propagate and to seed or transplant, methods to facilitate natural development of plant communities, and weed management, are being researched and moved into reclamation practice.  
Native seed collection for revegetation near Grande Cache, Alberta. 1985
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