Reclaimed oil sands landscapes are perceived to be low in plant diversity compared with
naturally occurring plant communities. Approximately 66 Carex species inhabit the oil
sand region. This thesis is unique and represents the first large scale study of Carex
establishment on reclaimed oil sands landscapes. Research compared diversity and habitat
variables between natural ecosystems and reclaimed landscapes, and examined the
colonization mechanism for Carex establishment on reclaimed landscapes (i.e., ingress
from adjacent natural ecosystems or emergence from the soil seed bank). Low positive
associations between the presence of Carex in natural and reclaimed landscapes, and the
presence of species on reclaimed landscapes not accounted for in either the forest or edge
plots, suggests Carex established from the soil seed bank and less so from natural ingress.
Carex share the same seed dispersal mechanisms as many plants, so the implications may
apply to a broader range of plant species.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BRC.10170/407 |
| Date | 14 March 2011 |
| Creators | Marlowe, Patricia Ann |
| Contributors | Lane, Cynthia |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Detected Language | English |
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