Abstract
Brunisolic soils developed on sandy deposits comprise a significant portion of the land disturbed by surface mining in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region. These soils support forest communities ranging from nutrient limited jack pine to more productive aspen stands. The objective of this study was to determine if and how the physical properties of these sandy soils influence the accumulation and distribution of soil nutrients. Sixteen sites, selected to capture the natural range in forest productivity of the area, were characterized to assess particle size distribution, total and available nutrient stocks in forest floors, total C and N, and extractable nutrients in B horizons. Under jack pine, relatively small decreases in sand content of the upper soil profiles, from 97% to 88%, were associated with greater total nutrient stocks and lower C/N ratios in the forest floors. In soils under aspen, forest floor nutrient stocks related most strongly with texture of the B horizons, with finer B horizons (from 94% t...
Highlights
ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to determine if and how the physical properties of these sandy soils influence the accumulation and distribution of soil nutrients
Surface mining in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR) of northeastern Alberta, Canada, leads to the disruption of entire ecosystems due to the complete removal of soil and vegetation during mineReceived 24 June 2017
General site and soil properties The soil great groups of this study consist of Eutric and Dystric Brunisols (SCWG 1998), with nine sites developed under jack pine dominant stands and seven sites developed under aspen dominant stands (Table 1)
Summary
The objective of this study was to determine if and how the physical properties of these sandy soils influence the accumulation and distribution of soil nutrients
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