Abstract
Reclamation of disturbances from oil sands mining requires effective soil management to
ensure successful plant establishment and to promote recovery of native plant communities.
In this study we investigated the effects of salvage depths (shallow vs. deep) and placement
depths (shallow vs. deep) of forest topsoil on plant establishment, species richness, and soil
properties in two substrate types (sand and peat-mineral). Shallow salvage led to greater
tree stem densities and higher canopy cover for most plant groups, although there was no
significant difference in species richness between shallow and deep salvages. Deep place-
ment generally resulted in greater canopy cover, while its effect on plant density was very
small for most plant groups. On peat-mineral substrate, fewer differences were detected
between shallow and deep salvage, and multiple treatments resulted in greater cover.
Find-
ings suggest that a balance between maximizing the area over which propagules are redis-
tributed and providing sufficient resources for successful plant establishment is necessary.
Forest topsoil from shallow salvages and deep placements is recommended when targeting
increased site productivity and species diversity. In contrast, deep salvage should be used
when the primary objective is to obtain maximum reclamation material volume.
Salvage
depth effects may be influenced by substrate type, with peat-mineral substrate providing
more favourable conditions for plant establishment. Further research is needed to assess
the long-term impacts of different salvage and placement depths on plant community devel-
opment and the potential effects of substrate properties on soil and plant response.