Industrial Research Chair in Forest Land Reclamation

The first Industrial Research Chair (IRC) examined the use of trembling aspen to develop a forest canopy quickly and critical growth constraints such as limited soil nutrients and high competition during stand initiation and development. In addition, this project explores the use of different topographical features to promote more spatially diverse site conditions resulting in more diverse plant communities.

The specific deliverables from the project include; 1) New techniques to manage the establishment and growth of trees on reclamation sites 2) The development of indicators for site conditions suitable for the natural establishment of understory species 3) An assessment of risks associated with forest development, in particular ones related to water use and availability in reclaimed forest landscapes 4) The development and testing of planning tools.