Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants
University of Windsor
$289,114.00
Carbon dynamics, food web structure & reclamation strategies in Athabasca oil sands wetlands
FY 2009-10
Summary
Wetlands will make up 20-40% of the landscape restored after mining for oil sands in NE Alberta. Previous collaboration has helped us understand effects of mine tailings & process waters on composition of these communities but not on their function. Wetlands built with tailings become vegetated and productive in a few years, but predicted times needed for natural (reference-like) processes/conditions to develop and remain productive are unconfirmed. Natural wetlands slowly accumulate carbon (C) from algae & aquatic plants, and terrestrial inputs. Adding peat or topsoil is thought to accelerate and promote community development. Hydrocarbons in tailings (bitumen) and process water (naphthenic acids) are initially toxic, but may provide additional C after bacterial digestion We will document how building wetlands with tailings alters maturation
in a reclaimed landscape, explaining -how the types of biomass entering the food web change as wetlands age; -how this influences community development, food web structure & complexity, and the viability & production of top predators (fish, amphibians, tree swallows) -whether topsoil-amended wetlands will remain productive and sequester C (eventually becoming peat lands); or whether the C will be released as greenhouse gases. We will develop indicators (calibrated indices, risk assessments) that measure reclamation success, and recommend the materials and strategies most effective and economical at producing a self-sustaining landscape. We will model C pathways/budgets to assess how the allocation & flow among food web compartments changes with age. This will aid understanding of the processes controlling early succession. Our studies will also help to predict Canada's greenhouse gas contributions as oil sands mining expands to its full capacity over 80 y. This will be enormously important in determining Canada's capacity to meet its commitments and to moderate
expected effects of climate change in the face of increasing world oil demand.
Program
Collaborative Research and Development Grants
Recipient
Location
Ontario, Canada
Recipient Type
Academia
Type
Grant
Source
NSERC's Awards Data
As published
Application id
355402-2007
Name nom
Ciborowski, Jan
Department département
Biological Sciences
Organization id
37
Institution établissement
University of Windsor
Province en
Ontario
Province fr
Ontario
Country en
CANADA
Country fr
CANADA
Fiscal year exercice financier
2009
Competition year année de concours
2007
Award amount
289114
Program id
CRDPJ
Program nane en
Collaborative Research and Development Grants
Program name fr
Subventions de recherche et développement coopérative
Group en
Research partnerships programs
Group fr
Programmes de partenariat
Committee code
141
Committee name en
University/Industry
Committee name fr
Universités/industrie
Area of application code
400
Area of application group en
Environment
Area of application group fr
Environnement
Area of application en
Environment
Area of application fr
Environnement
Research subject code
4702
Research subject group en
Evolution and ecology
Research subject group fr
Évolution et écologie
Research subject en
Aquatic ecology and limnology
Research subject fr
Écologie aquatique et limnologie
Partie
2
Nb partie
3
Application title
Carbon dynamics, food web structure & reclamation strategies in Athabasca oil sands wetlands
Keyword
NA
Application summary
Wetlands will make up 20-40% of the landscape restored after mining for oil sands in NE Alberta. Previous collaboration has helped us understand effects of mine tailings & process waters on composition of these communities but not on their function. Wetlands built with tailings become vegetated and productive in a few years, but predicted times needed for natural (reference-like) processes/conditions to develop and remain productive are unconfirmed. Natural wetlands slowly accumulate carbon (C) from algae & aquatic plants, and terrestrial inputs. Adding peat or topsoil is thought to accelerate and promote community development. Hydrocarbons in tailings (bitumen) and process water (naphthenic acids) are initially toxic, but may provide additional C after bacterial digestion We will document how building wetlands with tailings alters maturation
in a reclaimed landscape, explaining -how the types of biomass entering the food web change as wetlands age; -how this influences community development, food web structure & complexity, and the viability & production of top predators (fish, amphibians, tree swallows) -whether topsoil-amended wetlands will remain productive and sequester C (eventually becoming peat lands); or whether the C will be released as greenhouse gases. We will develop indicators (calibrated indices, risk assessments) that measure reclamation success, and recommend the materials and strategies most effective and economical at producing a self-sustaining landscape. We will model C pathways/budgets to assess how the allocation & flow among food web compartments changes with age. This will aid understanding of the processes controlling early succession. Our studies will also help to predict Canada's greenhouse gas contributions as oil sands mining expands to its full capacity over 80 y. This will be enormously important in determining Canada's capacity to meet its commitments and to moderate
expected effects of climate change in the face of increasing world oil demand.
