Regions: Dehcho Region
Tags: biology, vegetation, forestry, natural gas development, wellsite
| Principal Investigator: | Enns, Katherine (1) |
| Licence Number: | 13524 |
| Organization: | Larkspur Biological Consultants Ltd. |
| Licensed Year(s): |
2003
|
| Issued: | Aug 01, 2003 |
| Project Team: | Carissa Ca |
Objective(s): This project will assess the sulphur dioxide impacts of a natural gas well production test on vegetation in complex, steep terrain, and establish a biomonitoring system for tracking changes in vegetation health in the vicinity of a natural gas well. Well tests produce high sulphur dioxide concentrations over short periods and may damage vegetation, especially in complex, steep terrain where dispersal may be restricted by topography. Also, other causes of injury in forest vegetation caused by ordinary pathogens can be mistaken for sulphur dioxide injury. A biomonitoring system will be installed around the Canadian Natural Resources Limited well near Fort Liard, for longer term evaluation of forest health in response to gas well production testing. This project is designed to distinguish the effects of the well flare from any other symptoms of injury and to provide a long-term biomonitoring baseline. This project will use vegetation analysis to assess the impacts. Permanent plots will be established in selected sites around the well and pathological sampling, vegetation tissue collection and photography of plant condition will be used to show health and condition of the stand for comparisons over time. Samples will be collected and analysed to show the sulphur status at 10 locations in receiving sites around the well flare, as well as in selected reference locations.
