NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: North Slave Region

Tags: biology, lichen, land reclamation, botany, seed collection, plant growth, revegetation monitoring

Objective(s): To determine appropriate methods to restore disturbed sites at Diavik Diamond Mine to productive and sustainable tundra communities following mine closure.

Project Description: The overall research goal is to determine appropriate methods to restore disturbed sites at Diavik Diamond Mine to productive and sustainable tundra communities following mine closure. There are three main research areas 1) building suitable reclamation substrates for plant establishment and growth, 2) methods of collection and propagation of locally common native plant and lichen species, and 3) longer term monitoring of research sites to assess reclamation success over time. Research plots were established in 2014 on the old magazine store area at Diavik to test the effects of substrate, microsite and organic matter addition on plant establishment and growth. Substrates include processed kimberlite, lake sediment and crushed rock. Native grass and forb cultivars will be sown. Surface soil samples will be collected and analyzed at a laboratory. Data loggers will be installed to monitor soil water content and temperature. Vegetation will be assessed annually (density, canopy/ground cover, species richness). Seed and cuttings from locally common shrubs and lichen fragments will be hand collected from undisturbed areas on East Island. At the University of Alberta, the effect of time of collection, conventional propagation treatments, and substrates on shrubs and lichen will be tested. Shrubs and lichen will be monitored weekly for health and growth. Seedlings will also be planted on-site in small scale plots to further test the effect of reclamation substrates and use of hydrogel on plant success. In 2004, a research site was established to test the potential of substrates, amendments and native species for reclamation. In 2014, soil and plant tissue samples will be collected for analysis at a laboratory and vegetation assessed. Volunteers could assist with data collection on the research sites and seed and cutting collection. The research team will provide annual progress reports to Diavik Diamond Mines Inc. and a final research report at the end of the research program. The team will provide Diavik with copies of each graduate student's thesis upon completion. Diavik as part of their annual reporting will share results with the local communities. Upon request, the research team will attend meetings and discuss results with local communities. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from July 1, 2017 to August 31, 2017.