Environmental Constraints to Growth of Acorus Sp. in Oil Sands Reclamation Areas

Rat root (Acorus americanus) is a dominant plant found in boreal wetlands but natural colonization and successful establishment has not occurred in constructed oil sands wetlands. This research investigated the effects of pH, salinity, and different forms and concentrations of. nitrogen on the growth and physiology of rat root plants under controlled‐environment conditions with the goal of understanding the environmental factors that are required for successful re‐establishment of Acorus americanus.

Although there was variation in growth rates for the three different populations of the species studied, the optimum pH for plant growth was 7.0 and growth reduced at higher and lower pH levels. NaCl concentrations over 25 mM drastically reduced growth and High pH aggravated salinity problems. Rat root plants showed extreme sensitivity to NH4 and prefer NO3‐ as a nitrogen source.