Plant Community Structure within a Reclamation Field Trial and Forested Reference Sites in a Post-Mine Environment

Early successional plant community assemblage within a reclamation field trial at the Detour Lake Mine in northeastern Ontario is assessed, and compared with reference forested historically reclaimed sites. The examines eight amendment treatment combinations that include treatments winter kill cover crop of oats, fertilizer, biosolids, peat, thereof. objectives this study are to: (1) Investigate how soil amendments influence functional group establishment growth mine overburden; (2) Explore properties best support resembles baseline Currently, presence non-native species dominant woody explains largest proportion variance between upland lowland sites all Similar to species, graminoids were absent from difference graminoid much cumulative additions fertilizer peat increased alpha diversity plants treatments, which had greater these groups than Within was initially nutrient but by 2019 there no significant or treatments. results indicate applications nutrients through biosolids may increase abundance units year 1. also confirm vascular composition present does not resemble described as early successional, herbaceous legumes dominating Despite this, biosolids-based have developed community, excluding more similar peat-based Further research long-term monitoring needed determine will In addition, future studies nature might consider including wildfire affected post-harvested forest stands additional sites, better capture possible trajectories severely disturbed environment.