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Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Long-term Recovery Of Native Prairie
From Industry Disturbance
• Jane Lancaster
• Marilyn Neville
• Laura Hickman
• Barry Adams
EXPRESS PIPELINE
CASE STUDY
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Acknowledgements
• Mike Droppo
• Varge Craig
• Ken Baker
• Kevin France
• Tenille Kupsch
• Laura Hickman
• Jennifer Richman
• Gerry Ehlert
• Matt Veikle
• Ross Adams
• Kinder Morgan
operators
Setting – Alberta Grassland
Natural Subregion
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Project Reclamation Objectives
• Establish a positive successional
trend towards plant communities
present before construction
• Erosion control
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Minimal Disturbance Construction
Techniques
• Blade width stripping
– Soils stored on unstripped grass
– Traffic drives on the grass
• Double blade width stripping
– Soils stored on unstripped grass
– Ditch and travel lane stripped
Topsoils Stripped
and Replaced
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Revegetation Strategies
for Stripped Native Prairie Grassland
Native Seed Mixes
–Mixedgrass
–Dry Mixedgrass – Solonetzic
–Dry Mixedgrass - Sandy
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Reclamation Trials
Rough Fescue Sod Salvage
– Northern Fescue
– Mixedgrass
Unseeded Natural Recovery
– Mixedgrass
– Dry Mixedgrass - Solonetzic
- Sandy
What is the process of plant community
succession following industrial disturbance?
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Key Questions - Long Term Monitoring
How are reclamation treatments
responding over the long-term?
What is the health of the reclaiming
grassland?
Is natural succession towards a native
plant community occurring?
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Use of Recognized Range Inventory Methods
• Microplot sampling for
cover and composition at
63 sites
• Paired comparisons of
controls and disturbance
communities
• Detailed photographs
• Time series data from
years 1, 2, 3, 5, and 14
after disturbance
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Data Collection Tools – GVI Mapping
• Provides
mapping of
ecological
range sites
• Data
grouped by
ecological
range site
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Data Collection Tool - Range
Plant Community Guides
• Plant community guides link
ecological range site type to
reference and successional
plant communities
• Analysis of our data identified
successional plant
communities on disturbed
topsoils linked to range site.
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Data Collection Tools – Range Health
Includes measures of:
• ecological status,
• plant community structure,
• litter,
• site stability,
• soil exposure
• presence of noxious weeds
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Results Summary after 14 Years
• Performance trends of seed mixes
• Range health of recovering grassland
• Recovery and succession of;
• Seeded topsoils
• Unseeded topsoils (Natural Recovery)
• Sod salvage trials
Mixedgrass Seed Mix - Express
Streambank wheatgrass 16.3%/wgt
Northern wheatgrass 6.5%/wgt
Western wheatgrass 9.3%/wgt
Slender wheatgrass Rev 5.9%/wgt
Slender wheatgrass Adan 7.9%/wgt
Green needle grass 10.4%/wgt
Indian rice grass 9.7%/wgt
June grass 2.2%/wgt wild harvest
Plains rough fescue 7.3%/wgt wild harvest
Rough fescue 24.6%/wgt wild harvest
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
.
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Trajectory of Mixedgrass Seed Mix over Time
- Desirable Cultivars
Mixedgrass Seed Mix - Successful use of
Wild Harvested Seed
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Trajectory of Mixedgrass Seed Mix over Time -
Undesirable Cultivars
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Seeded Cultivars Still Prominent
Dry Mixedgrass Solonetzic Seed Mix
Western wheatgrass 7.8 %/wgt
Slender wheatgrass Rev 5.4 %/wgt
Slender wheatgrass Adan 7.1 %/wgt
Streambank wheatgrass 16.7 %/wgt
Northern wheatgrass 6.5 %/wgt
Green needlegrass (MB) 9.9 %/wgt
Green needlegrass (AB) 10.7 %/wgt
Sheep fescue 13.1 %/wgt
June grass Prairie Seeds 6.5 %/wgt
Alkali bluegrass 16.1 %/wgt
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
.
Dry Mixedgrass Solonetzic Seed Mix
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Range Health after 14 Years Recovery
• Groundcover structural
layer missing
• Bare soils still more
prevalent on the
disturbed topsoils
• Health scores on
disturbed topsoils lower
than on controls
• Ecological function increasing over time on
disturbed topsoils
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Is Succession Occurring?
• Statistical analysis methods
–Cluster Analysis
–Non-metric Multi-dimensional Scaling
(NMS) Ordination
– Indicator species analysis
Definitions for Seral Stages on Disturbed Topsoils
Seral Stage Plant Community Description
Pioneer Site dominated by annual weeds, a cover crop or first year seeded colonizing grasses such as
slender wheatgrass.
Early seral Site dominated by disturbance forbs such as pasture sagewort and other species such as low
sedge. Seeded species and colonizing grasses such as spear grasses also establishing.
Mid-seral Cover of grasses greater than that of disturbance forbs such as the sageworts; decreaser
grasses present as a small component of the cover.
Late Seral -
native
Cover of long-lived grass species expanding; native species cover from the seed bank
established; slower establishing infill species present; decreaser grasses dominant; no more
than one structural layer missing.
Late Seral -
cultivars
Cover of long-lived grass species expanding; seeded cultivars clearly still dominant; slower
establishing species such as fescues present; decreaser grasses dominant; no more than one
structural layer missing.
Reference Community closely resembles the potential natural community for the ecological site described
in the Range Plant Community Guides under light disturbance.
Trending to
Modified *
A primarily native plant community where non-native species are increasing over time and
occupying > 5% of the total live cover.
Modified > 70% cover of non-native species.
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Succession on Reclaiming Communities
Mixedgrass Loamy Soils – Seeded
Seral StageReclaiming Plant Community
(6 seeded sites, 20 obs)
Years since
Topsoil
Disturbance
Early Seral Pasture Sagewort - June Grass - Wild Vetch1, 2, 2, 2, 3,
3, 5
Northern Wheatgrass - Western Wheatgrass
– Needle-and-Thread3, 5, 14, 14
Kentucky Bluegrass - Low Sedge - Pasture
Sagewort5
Late Mid-
seral
Western Porcupine Grass - Northern
Wheatgrass - Wild Vetch5
Late SeralPlains Rough Fescue - Northern Wheatgrass -
Pasture Sagewort
1, 2, 3, 14,
14, 14, 14
Mid-seral
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Mixedgrass Loamy Soils – Seeded – Year 14
Succession on Dry Mixedgrass Sandy
Soils – Natural Recovery
Seral
Stage
Reclaiming Plant Community
(6 natural recovery sites, 26 obs)
Years since
Topsoil
Disturbance
Pioneer Prairie Rose - Lamb’s Quarters - Prairie Sagewort 1, 1, 2
Early
Seral
Tansy Mustard - Western Porcupine Grass -
Pasture Sagewort3, 3
Mid-
seralBuckbrush / Sun-Loving Sedge - Pasture Sagewort 14
Western Porcupine Grass - Pasture Sagewort -
Sand Grass
2, 2, 3, 3, 5,
5, 5, 5, 5, 5
Needle-and-Thread - Pasture Sagewort - Kentucky
Bluegrass2, 14, 14, 14
Needle-and-Thread - Blunt Sedge - Sand Grass2, 2, 3, 3, 14,
14
Late
Seral
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Dry Mixedgrass Sandy Soil – Natural Recovery
Natural recovery unsuccessful on
loamy mixedgrass soils
• Few
colonizers
present
• Soils exposed
• Vulnerable to
invasion by
non-natives
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Succession on Dry Mixedgrass
Solonetzic Soils
Seeded (6 sites, 28 obs)
Unseeded (5 sites, 20 obs)
Slender Wheatgrass - Northern Wheatgrass - Pasture Sage 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 3
Common Knotweed - Pasture Sage - Slender Wheatgrass 1 5
Nuttall’s Atriplex / Knotweed sp. - Pasture Sage 1, 2
Summer Cypress - Lamb’s quarters - Slender Wheatgrass 2, 3
Pasture Sage - Needle-and-Thread Grass 2, 2, 2, 3, 142, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3,
3, 5, 5, 5, 5, 14
Pasture Sage - Needle-and-Thread Grass - June Grass 2, 14
Mid-seral Northern Wheatgrass - Pasture Sage-Western Wheatgrass 3, 5
Late Mid-
seralNeedle-and-Thread Grass - Pasture Sage - Northern Wheatgrass 1, 5
Western Porcupine Grass - Western Wheatgrass - Pasture Sage 3, 5, 14
Western Wheatgrass - Pasture Sage 5 14, 14, 14
Sheep Fescue - Northern Wheatgrass – Pasture Sage /Moss &
Lichens2, 5, 14
Sheep Fescue - Pasture Sage - Northern Wheatgrass 3, 5, 14
Pioneer
Early Seral
Late Seral
Trend to
Modified
Seral
StageReclaiming Plant Community
Yrs since Topsoil Disturbance
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Dry Mixedgrass – Seeded Solonetz– Yr 14
Rough Fescue Sod Salvage Trial
• Labour intensive
• Requires a site
free of invasive
non-native species
• Re-contouring
challenging
• Changes to
drainage can
occur
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Rough Fescue Sod Salvage Unsuccessful
• Bunch grasses like
rough fescue
decreased cover
• Rhizomatous
species expanded
cover over 14
years
• Kentucky bluegrass
established in sods
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Pe
rce
nt
Co
ver
Limy Soil - Control
Limy Soil - Sod
Loamy Soil - Control
Loamy Soil - Sod
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Learning from Long term Monitoring
Native Seed Mixes
• Seeded slender wheatgrass is
disappearing as planned
• Many sites still characterized
by late seral seeded cultivars
• Careful selection of locally
collected cultivars or wild
harvested seed may improve
potential for restoration
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Learning from Long term Monitoring
Natural Recovery
• Native plant
communities established
on all the natural
recovery sites in the
Dry Mixedgrass
• 78% of the natural
recovery sites support
late seral communities
in the Dry Mixedgrass,
Reclamation Risk
Assessment
• Is the ecological range site adapted to
disturbance?
• Are invasive species present that will affect
whether natural recovery or sod salvage is
possible?
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Project Outcomes • Increase understanding
of the process of plant
community succession
on disturbed topsoils
• Link range assessment
tools to the assessment
of reclamation response
• Provide guidance to
industry on appropriate
revegetation strategies
to promote restoration.
Kestrel Research Inc. & Gramineae Services Ltd. in association with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Project Sponsors ASRD Public Lands Division
Kinder Morgan Canada
Trans-Canada PipeLines
ConocoPhillips Canada
Report Location
http://www.foothillsrestorationforum.com/express
-pipeline-revegetation/