Browse ... Technical Notes
Technical notes communicate:
- improvements of existing methods or procedures
- the development and application of new methods and procedures
Forest Reclamation and Boreal Reforestation
- Technical Note #1. Making Sites Rough and Loose (PDF, 2013)
- Technical Note #2. Soil Bio-engineering for Site Restoration (PDF, 2013)
- Technical Note #3. Tilling Compacted Soils with RipPlows (PDF, 2012)
- Technical Note #4. Tilling Frozen Soils with RipPlows & Environmental Risk Assessment (PDF, 2012)
- Technical Note #5. Site Clearing & Soil Handling for Reclamation of Conventional Wellsites (PDF, 2012)
- Technical Note #6. Woody Vegetation (Trees) Establishment on Upland Sites (PDF, 2012)
- Technical Note #7. Principles of Vegetation Management (PDF, 2011)
- Technical Note #8. Vegetation Management Treatments (PDF, 2011)
- Technical Note #9. Operational Vegetation Management (PDF, 2011)
- Technical Note #10. Special Considerations in Herbicide Use (PDF, 2011)
- Technical Note #11. Reclamation and Restoration Plan Development (PDF, 2011)
- Technical Note #25. Handling of Poplar and Willow Cuttings Part 1 (PDF, 2019)
- Technical Note #26. Handling of Poplar and Willow Cuttings Part 2 (PDF, 2019)
- Technical Note #28. Hitchhiker Planting in Reclamation: Protocols for Developing Nursery Stock of Woody and Herbaceous Species (PDF, 2019)
- Technical Note #31. Competition Considerations When Using Soil Strippings for Reclamation of Industrial Disturbances (PDF, 2019)
- Technical Note #33. Site Preparation: Application of Rough and Loose Mounding and Furrowing (RipPlow) on a Wood Mulched Site PDF, 2019)
- Technical Note #38. Soil Site Preparation Options for Enhancing Woody Seedling Establishment Part 1: Mechanical Tools (PDF, 2020)
- Technical Note #39. Soil Site Preparation Options for Enhancing Woody Seedling Establishment Part 2: Soil Amendments (PDF, 2020)
- Technical Note #40. Timing of Planting: What Are Our Options? (PDF, 2021)
- Technical Note #41. Effectively Introducing Native Herbaceous Species Into Newly Reclaimed Upland Sites (PDF, 2021)
Peatland Restoration
Plant and Seed Technologies
- Technical Note #14. Harvesting and Cleaning Fleshy Shrub Seed for Reclamation (PDF, 2014)
- Technical Note #15. Seed Collection, Processing and Storage (PDF, 2012)
- Technical Note #22. Seed Collection and Extraction of Fireweed, Showy Aster and Canada Goldenrod (PDF, 2016)
- Technical Note #27. Native Boreal Seed Enhancement: Seed Pelleting (PDF, 2019)
- Technical Note #29. Greenhouse Propagation of Endemic North American Reed Grass (Phragmites australis americanus) (PDF, 2019)
- Technical Note #34. Populus tremuloides: Species Identification & Seed Collection and Processing (PDF, 2020)
- Technical Note #35. Populus balsamifera: Species Identification & Seed Collection and Processing (PDF, 2020)
- Technical Note #36. Shepherdia canadensis: Species Identification & Seed Collection and Processing (PDF, 2020)
- Technical Note #46 The Use of Nanomaterials to Improve Propagation of Native Boreal Species (PDF, 2022)
Archived Notes
Peatland Restoration
Regulatory Context
Ecological Framework
Technical Videos
The Centre for Boreal Research develops scientifically based best practices and applied technologies to address present and emerging knowledge gaps in the management and reclamation of disturbed landscapes. Our mission is to promote the informed use of boreal resources through applied science, education, and partnerships with industry, government agencies, practitioners and academic partners.
Peatland Restoration
Open Peatland Restoration Playlist
Upland Reforestation
Open Upland Reforestation Playlist
Plant and Seed Technologies
Open Plant and Seed Technologies Playlist
Other Videos
360 Videos
Virtual Walk in the Forest for Schools
This 3-part virtual series is an adaptation of the annual Walk in the Forest Program for schools in the Peace River Region. Explore interactive hotspots to discover what common boreal wetland and forest types look like, as well as learn about how wildfire and prescribed burn events affect these systems.
Other Tours
EDF Site 360
Peatland Restoration - February 2021.
Explore the in-progress restoration of a fen community near Slave Lake, Alberta, through this brief
360° tour.
Webinars and Presentations
February 24, 2023
Coal mine reclamation and the challenges of establishing forest vegetation in the face significant ruderal competition: a 5-year assessment of the good, the bad and the downright ridiculous
Amanda Schoonmaker, Dr. Mark Baah-Acheamfour, Stefan Schreiber, Eckehart Marenholtz
Hosted by NAIT Centre for Boreal Research, Boreal Nature Series
June 23, 2021
Vegetation Management Practices for Accelerating Dominance of Native Plant Communities on Industry Reclaimed Sites
Dr. Mark Baah-Acheamfour, NAIT Centre for Boreal Research
Hosted by NAIT Centre for Boreal Research, Boreal Nature Series
April 20-21, 2021
Five Year Synthesis of Boreal Reclamation Research in the Peace River Region: Key findings, best practices and future opportunities
Hosted by NAIT Centre for Boreal Research
Session 1
Overview and Regional Context of the Research Program 2014 – 2019
Dr. Kevin Kemball, NAIT Centre for Boreal Research
Restoration of Peatland Ecosystem by Removing/Burying Overburden (clay and wood chip) Under Peat Layer (BUPL)
Dr. Bin Xu, NAIT Centre for Boreal Research
From Dirt to Peat: Fen Initiation on Residual Mineral Substrate
Dr. Bin Xu, NAIT Centre for Boreal Research
Donor Moss Sites Harvested from Existing Linear Footprints: Do they naturally recover?
Melanie Bird, NAIT Centre for Boreal Research
Session 2
Use of Organic Amendments to Improve Soil Quality of Recently Placed, 40-Year-Old Topsoil
Dr. Chibuike Chigbo, NAIT Centre for Boreal Research
Understanding the Impact of Linear Features on Peatland Hydrology and Greenhouse Fluxes
Dr. Bin Xu, NAIT Centre for Boreal Research
Seed Pelleting for Land Reclamation
Dr. Jean-Marie Sobze, NAIT Centre for Boreal Research
Hitchhiking Native Forbs with Conifers
Dr. Amanda Schoonmaker, NAIT Centre for Boreal Research
Osmotic Priming of Paper Birch and Green Alder Seeds
Dr. Natalia Startsev, Canadian Forest Service
March 31, 2021
Clustered deciduous tree planting as a method to speed forest development in post-industrial disturbed landscapes
Amanda Schoonmaker, NAIT Centre for Boreal Research
Hosted by NAIT Centre for Boreal Research, Boreal Nature Series
December 2, 2020
Boreal Peatland Restoration: 10 Years of Learning
Bin Xu, NAIT Centre for Boreal Research
For presentation at the Society of Wetland Scientists Conference
October 28, 2020
Forest Health Perspectives: Indicators of Unhealthy Forests at Various Scales
Ryan Hermanutz, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry (NW Alberta Regional Forest Health Team)
Hosted by NAIT Centre for Boreal Research, Boreal Nature Series
Watch the 360 companion video
April 22, 2020
Air Quality in the Peace River-Three Creeks Region: Monitoring a success story
Michael Bisaga, Peace River Area Monitoring Program
Hosted by NAIT Centre for Boreal Research, Boreal Nature Series
April 4, 2020
Open Access: Interim Reforestation of Soil Stockpiles
Dr. Amanda Schoonmaker, Centre for Boreal Research, NAIT
Hosted by the Society for Ecological Restoration
October 2, 2018
NAIT Centre for Boreal Research – Applied Research and Knowledge Exchange
Dr. Kevin Kemball & Catherine Brown, Centre for Boreal Research, NAIT
Hosted by the Wetland BMP Knowledge Exchange
November 14, 2017
Site Preparation and Vegetation Management in Reclamation – Part 1
Dr. Amanda Schoonmaker, Centre for Boreal Research, NAIT
Hosted by NAIT Centre for Boreal Research
November 14, 2017
Site Preparation and Vegetation Management in Reclamation - Part 2
Dr. Amanda Schoonmaker, Centre for Boreal Research, NAIT
Hosted by NAIT Centre for Boreal Research
February 2016
Spatial Analysis and Visualization of Soil Resistance Before and After Soil Adjustment on a Reclaimed Site
Dr. Amanda Schoonmaker & Trevor Floreani, Centre for Boreal Research, NAIT
Hosted by the Alberta Land-use Knowledge Network
Publications
Research Papers
Reclamation Field Tour of Upland and Peatland Industrially-Disturbed Sites. Field Notes. (pdf)
Centre for Boreal Research. 2018.
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.
NAIT advances plant and see technologies to accelerate native plant establishment on boreal reclamation sites (pdf).
Jeannine Goehing, Jean-Marie Sobze, Catherine Brown. 2017.
Canadian Reclamation, Fall/Winter: 36-37.
Silviculture knowledge for reclamation of oil and gas disturbances: soil decompaction (pdf).
Katalijn MacAfee, F. Cortini, and Amanada Schoonmaker. 2016.
Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Ottawa. 10 p.
Alternative native boreal seed and plant delivery systems for oil sands reclamation (pdf).
Amanda Schoonmaker, Jean-Marie Sobze, Erin Fraser, Eckehart Marenholtz, Ann Smreciu, Chris Powter. and Marshall Mckenzie. 2014.
Oil Sands Research and Information Network, University of Alberta, School of Energy and the Environment, Edmonton, Alberta. OSRIN Report No. TR-55. 61 p.
A life cycle approach to vegetation management on reclaimed industrial sites (pdf).
M Mihajlovich, Jean-Marie Sobze, and Amanada Schoonmaker. 2014.
Canadian Reclamation, 1 (14): 52-56.
Practices to effectively till industrial forest soils (pdf).
David H. McNabb, Jean-Marie Sobze, and Amanda Schoonmaker. 2013.
Canadian Reclamation, 1 (13): 40-42.
Wellsite clay pad removal and inversion – a peatland restoration pilot project (pdf).
Jean-Marie Sobze, Amanada Schoonmaker, and Line Rochefort. 2012.
Canadian Reclamation, 1 (12): 10-13.
Alberta native plants and seeds: wild harvest, registration and deployment. A guide for technicians and practitioners (pdf).
Ann Smreciu, 2011.
Optimizing Weed Control for Progressive Reclamation: Risk Analysis on Regulated Weeds in the Boreal Region. (pdf)
Schoonmaker, S. Schreiber, C.B. Powter, and B. Drozdowski. 2018.
Optimizing Weed Control for Progressive Reclamation: Retrospective Case Study and Risk Framework. InnoTech Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta. 68 pp.
Optimizing Weed Control for Progressive Reclamation: Literature Review (pdf)
Small, C., D. Degenhardt, B. Drozdowski, S. Thacker, C.B. Powter, A. Schoonmaker and S. Schreiber. 2018.
Optimizing Weed Control for Progressive Reclamation: Literature Review. InnoTech Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta. 48 pp.
Peer-Reviewed Papers
Restoration approach influences carbon exchange at in-situ oil sands exploration sites in east-central Alberta
Kimberley R. Murray, Melanie Bird, Maria Strack, Michael Cody, Bin Xu. 2021. Wetlands Ecology and Management.
Manipulating aspen (Populus tremuloides) seedling size characteristics to improve initial establishment and growth on competitive sites
Kyle D. Le, Stefan G. Schreiber, Simon M. Landhäusser and Amanda L. Schoonmaker. 2020. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research, 35 (1).
Effects of cold stratification on the germination of Vaccinium myrtilloides (common blueberry) and Vaccinium vitis-idaea (bog cranberry) seeds from Alberta, Canada.
Jessica J Hudson, Çağdaş Kera Yucel, Amanda L Schoonmaker, and Jean-Marie Sobze. 2017. Native Plants, 18 (3).
Cluster planting: early enhancement of structural diversity in a reclaimed boreal forest (pdf).
Bradley D. Pinno, Amanda Schoonmaker, Çağdaş Kera Yücel, and Robert Albricht. 2017.
Journal American Society of Mining and Reclamation, 6 (2).
Mineral nitrogen and phosphorus pools affected by water table lowering and warming in a boreal forested peatland.
Tariq M. Munir, Bhupesh Khadka, Bin Xu, and Maria Strack. 2017.
Echohydrology ,10 (8).
Impact of winter roads on boreal peatland carbon exchange.
Maria Strack, Divya Softa, Melanie Bird, and Bin Xu. 2017.
Global Change Biology, 24 (1).
Germination and early growth of boreal understory plants on 3 reclamation soil types under simulated drought conditions.
Bradley D Pinno, Edith H Y Li, Bhupesh Khadka, and Amanda Schoonmaker. 2017.
Native Plants, 18 (2).
Length of cold stratification period affects germination in green alder (Alnus viridis (Chaix) DC. subsp. crispa (Aiton) Turrill) seed collected from northwestern Alberta (pdf).
Jasmeen Kaur, Amanda L Schoonmaker, and Jean-Marie Sobze. 2016.
Native Plants, 17 (2).
Tools
Decision Support System
The Decision Support Systems (DSS) uses a scenario approach to guiding reclamation and restoration activities. They are integrations of decision trees, illustrative videos, technical notes, and photographs which assist practitioners in making reclamation decisions under given site conditions.
Landscape Treatment Process for Forest Land (Upland)
Soil Treatment Process for Forest Land (Upland)
Vegetation Treatment Process for Forest Land (Upland)
Silviculture Toolkit
The Silviculture Toolkit is a suite of knowledge extension tools used by the forest industry, to provide information and instruction related to improving forest cover on areas disturbed by oil sands exploration activities and operations. Topics include site preparation and regeneration techniques.
The Ecosystem Management Emulating Natural Disturbance (EMEND) Project
Teacher resources including 360 degree videos and lesson plan.