Thesis (M.P.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

In this thesis, a list of aspects or characteristics of sustainable development awareness in a society was made from a literature review of the history of sustainable development, theories and practices on sustainable development, and sustainable development in anthropology. An historical review of tideland reclamation in Korea and key informant interviews about the Saemangeum Tideland Reclamation Project were conducted. It was an effort to show that the Saemangeum Project became the first national controversy over sustainable development in South Korea by applying the list of aspects or characteristics of sustainable development awareness. This study was carried out in an attempt to seek a way of studying sustainable development from an anthropological point of view. The results of this study indicated that the majority of aspects or characteristics of sustainable development awareness had emerged in the early and middle 1990s when the Saemangeum Project became a national controversy over the environment versus development. Broadening the research area of sustainable development by focusing on a human behavior, awareness, is the main contribution of this study to the anthropological study of development. The thesis concludes with the possibility of a comparative study between countries where mud-flats are a significant natural resource to deepen understanding sustainable development.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Queensland, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Cornell University, 1979. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 280-296).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 167-178).

Successful establishment of boreal tree seedlings like trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx) and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss.) in reclaimed oil sands mining sites is often limited by low nutrient availability and competition from the ground cover vegetation like planted cover crops and weeds. Competing vegetation can adversely affect seedling establishment by augmenting the impacts of moisture and nutrient stress. Despite high potential of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and oats (Avena sativa) as cover crops in oil sands reclamation, it was not well known how these crops interact with fertilization to influence early survival and growth of tree seedlings. This study evaluated the potential of fertilization and other silvicultural practices to improve revegetation success in oil sands sites reclaimed with peat-mineral mixture. Fertilizer application significantly increased height and root collar diameter (RCD) of tree seedlings in controlled environment greenhouse conditions, but not at a field research site near Fort McMurray, Alberta. In a greenhouse study, alleviating soil moisture stress significantly increased height, RCD, and biomass of tree seedlings. Vigorous growth of ground cover vegetation stimulated by fertilizer addition in both the greenhouse and field, largely controlled survival and growth responses of tree seedlings. Survival rates of tree seedlings were significantly decreased with increased fertilizer application rates, and no positive growth responses were observed in the field. Maximum seedlings survival (92%) was recorded without fertilization. Trembling aspen was sensitive to ground cover competition, whereas white spruce was unaffected. The inherent fertility of the peat-mineral mixture appeared sufficient for establishment and early growth of planted tree seedlings in recently reclaimed oil sands sites. Fertilization appeared to increase competition between tree seedlings and cover vegetation by promoting increased growth and competition for other resources like water. Effects on growth over the longer term (several years) should be evaluated in future studies.

No description available.

No description available.

Oil sand mining operations in Alberta, Canada produce large quantities of process water and mature fine tailing (MFT) during the bitumen extraction process. Wet landscape reclamation is one of the reclamation strategies proposed to utilize process water and MFT in the creation of aquatic reclamation environments that are economically and environmentally acceptable. In the interest of utilizing nutrient enrichment and peat amendment to improve aquatic flora and fauna colonization in new oil sands aquatic reclamation, this microcosm study was designed to assess the phytoplankton and periphyton growth (summer 2008), as well as benthic invertebrate colonization (summer 2009). Peat amendment significantly increased the growth of phytoplankton and periphyton by providing sufficient nutrients (total nitrogen, total phosphorus and dissolved organic carbon) to the system. In reference wetland, benthic invertebrate colonization was significantly increased by utilizing sand as bottom substrate and decreased by MFT/Sand mixture as bottom substrate. In OSPM-affected wetland, benthic invertebrate colonization was not affected by utilizing MFT/Sand as bottom substrate. In comparison to OSPM-affected wetlands, reference wetland had larger number of benthic invertebrate families and higher total abundance. In this research, experimental microcosms were constructed in three reclamation wetlands with different types of reclamation materials as the bottom substrates (sand, MFT + sand) and amendments (nutrient and/or peat) added to optimize growing conditions for phytoplankton and periphyton, thus creating a biological detrital layer over unfavourable substrates to enhance benthic invertebrate colonization. The growth estimates of phytoplankton and periphyton on MFT + sand without amendment were low in comparison to the control (water only, no substrate). In comparison to sand, MFT + sand had higher growth estimates at OSPM-affected sites, but lower growth estimates at reference site. The growth estimates of phytoplankton and periphyton on MFT + sand were significantly increased with peat amendment. Nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) enrichment insignificantly improved the phytoplankton and periphyton growth. Peat amendments elevated the concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus and dissolved organic carbon in the system and maintained these high concentrations throughout the experiment period. Nutrient enrichment only temporarily (less than 3 weeks) elevated nitrogen and phosphorus levels as the nutrients added were quickly utilized by the system. Benthic invertebrate colonization was assessed in the following year. Sand treatments had increased total abundance and numbers of families of benthic invertebrate compared to the mature sediments of the reference wetland. In oil sand process material (OSPM)-affected wetlands, sand treatments had slightly lower abundance and fewer numbers of families in comparison to the mature sediments. In comparison to sand treatments, MFT + sand treatments had decreased total abundance in the reference wetland but not in OSPM-affected wetlands that received MFT input during its construction. Peat amendment and nutrient enrichment had no impact on benthic invertebrate total abundance or composition.

This research determined if woody debris amendments facilitate land reclamation after oil sands mining. Specifically, it assessed if woody debris affects vegetation cover and richness, woody species survival and abundance, soil nutrients, temperature and water, microbial biomass carbon and mycorrhizal biomass. A four year old site and a two year old site were used to compare treatments with and without woody debris. Woody debris did not affect initial vegetation emergence, but increased species richness and decreased introduced species cover. After winter assessments found woody debris cover positively associated with vegetation cover. More saplings planted on woody debris treatments survived and woody debris cover was positively associated with woody plant abundance. Woody debris treatments had lower soil nitrogen and higher phosphorus, suggesting nitrogen immobilization and leachate high in phosphorus. Soil under woody debris had a lower temperature range and higher soil volumetric water content. No differences were found in microbial parameters. / Land Reclamation and Remediation