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Ecosystem Recovery of the Sudbury Technogenic Barrens 30 Years Post-Restoration

  • REMEDIATION OF POLLUTED SOILS
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Abstract

Sudbury, Ontario, Canada experienced severe environmental degradation from intensive logging, mining, and smelting activities. Acidification and erosion of soils, as well as heavy metal deposition led to widespread vegetation mortality and the creation of 20 000 ha of barren and 80 000 ha of semi-barren land within the Sudbury region. Restoration processes, consisting of limestone application, fertilization, seeding, and tree planting, was initiated in 1978 and continues to present day. Although initial assessments made immediately following restoration predicted a stable, self-sustaining vegetation community would develop, no formal monitoring protocol was initiated. In this study, we describe the state of four restored sites (3 barren, 1 semi-barren), and their naturally recovering (untreated) analogues, within the Sudbury technogenic barrens 25 to 30 years post-restoration. At each site, two belt transects were established in the restored and untreated areas within which soil pH, tree height and diameter, and ground cover of vegetation identified to species were assessed. Soil pits were excavated to examine pedological development. Soils were Dystric Brunisols in all sites. In restored areas, soil pH and humus layer thickness were generally greater than in areas left to recover naturally. Elevated pH through the soil profile at treated sites indicate limestone application effectively reduced acidity and was sustained up to 30 years post-application. In untreated areas, moss and lichen were abundant, and although vascular plant cover was greater in restored areas, vegetation communities are still significantly different from the reference site. Adequate cover of native understory species was not obtained in any of the treated areas. Results indicate that aerial application of limestone, fertilizer, and seed is less effective than ground application, especially in areas with a high proportion of exposed bedrock. Active restoration has been beneficial to the recovery of the Sudbury technogenic barrens. Continued monitoring will be essential to facilitate the development of a self-sustaining vegetation community.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This project was conducted as part of an Ontario Universities Program in Field Biology course, Restoration Ecology of a Damaged Watershed, hosted by Laurentian University. The authors thank J. Gunn, E. Bamberger and K. Oman for organization of the course, and E. Szkokan-Emilson, C. Emilson and B. Kielstra for their teaching assistance. We thank Laurentian University and Vale Living with Lakes Center for providing research space, and the Hannah Lake Bible Camp for their kind hospitality.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Laurentian University, P3E 2C6, Sudbury ON, Canada

    Autumn Watkinson & Peter Beckett

  2. Environmental and Resource Science Department, Trent University, K9J 0G2, Peterborough ON, Canada

    Myra Juckers

  3. Department of Biology, McMaster University, L8S 4L8, Hamilton ON, Canada

    Liana D’Andrea

  4. School of the Environment, Laurentian University, P3E 2C6, Sudbury ON, Canada

    Graeme Spiers

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  1. Autumn Watkinson
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  2. Myra Juckers
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  3. Liana D’Andrea
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  4. Peter Beckett
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  5. Graeme Spiers
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Contributions

AL, MJ, LD, PB and GS conceived and designed the research; AW, MJ and LD performed the study; PB and GS contributed materials/analysis/tools and supervised the study; AW, MJ and LD assessed the data; AW prepared the first manuscript draft; AW, MJ, PB, and GS edited the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Autumn Watkinson.

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Autumn Watkinson, Juckers, M., D’Andrea, L. et al. Ecosystem Recovery of the Sudbury Technogenic Barrens 30 Years Post-Restoration. Eurasian Soil Sc. 55, 663–672 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1134/S106422932205012X

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S106422932205012X

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