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Effectiveness of soil N availability indices in predicting site productivity in the oil sands region of Alberta

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Abstract

Background and aims

Quantitative relationships between soil N availability indices and tree growth are lacking in the oil sands region of Alberta and this can hinder the development of guidelines for the reclamation of the disturbed landscape after oil sands extraction. The aim of this paper was to establish quantitative relationships between soil N availability indices and tree growth in the oil sands region of Alberta.

Methods

In situ N mineralization rates, in situ N availability measured in the field using Plant Root Simulators (PRS™ probes), laboratory aerobic and anaerobic soil N mineralization rates, and soil C/N and N content were determined for both the forest floor and the 0–20 cm mineral soil in eight jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) stands in the oil sands region in northern Alberta. Tree growth rates were determined based on changes in tree ring width in the last 6 years and as mean annual aboveground biomass increment.

Results

Soil N availability indices across those forest stands varied and for each stand it was several times higher in the forest floor than in the mineral soil. The in situ and laboratory aerobic and anaerobic soil N mineralization rates, soil mineralized N, in situ N availability measured using PRS probes, soil C/N ratio and N content in both the forest floor and mineral soil, as well as stand age were linearly correlated with tree ring width of jack pine trees across the selected forest stands, consistent with patterns seen in other published studies and suggesting that N availability could be a limiting factor in the range of jack pine stands studied.

Conclusions

In situ and laboratory aerobic and anaerobic N mineralization rates and soil C/N ratio and N content can be used for predicting tree growth in jack pine forests in the oil sand region. Laboratory based measurements such as aerobic and anaerobic N mineralization rates and soil C/N ratio and N content would be preferable as they are more cost effective and equally effective for predicting jack pine growth.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Raza Purvez, Yue Hu, Pak Chow, Zheng Shi, Kangho Jung, and others for their help in the field and laboratory. This study was financially supported by the Cumulative Environmental Management Association (CEMA) in Alberta, Shell Canada Energy, the Alberta Energy Environment Technology Fund, and Alberta Environment. This work was also supported by the ‘211’ Project for Ecology in ECNU. The Western Agriculture Innovations Inc. from Saskatoon, SK, Canada is also acknowledged for providing the PRS™ probes.

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Author notes

  1. Francis Salifu

    Present address: Sustainability Division, Total E&P Canada Ltd., 2900, 240-4th Avenue, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2P 4H4

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, People’s Republic of China

    En-Rong Yan

  2. Department of Renewable Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2E3

    En-Rong Yan & Ya-Lin Hu

  3. State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110164, People’s Republic of China

    Ya-Lin Hu

  4. Suncor Energy Inc., Drop 901, P.O. Box 4001, Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, T9H 3E3

    Francis Salifu

  5. Shell Canada Energy, P.O. Box 5670, Hwy 63 North, Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, T9H 4W1

    Xiao Tan

  6. Air, Land and Strategic Policy Branch, Alberta Environment, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T5K 2J6

    Z. Chi Chen

  7. Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2E3

    Scott X. Chang

Authors
  1. En-Rong Yan
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  4. Xiao Tan
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Correspondence to Scott X. Chang.

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Responsible Editor: Hans Lambers.

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Yan, ER., Hu, YL., Salifu, F. et al. Effectiveness of soil N availability indices in predicting site productivity in the oil sands region of Alberta. Plant Soil 359, 215–231 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-012-1202-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-012-1202-y

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