Research Projects (Phase II)

There are four themes within BERA: Vegetation, Soils and Ecohydrology, Humans & Wildlife, and Remote Sensing. Each theme addresses one or two strategic priorities that are coupled with one or more tactical deliverables. These tactical deliverables are the specific targets for BERA’s models and planning tools.

Each theme dives deeper into the complex system that gives rise to our specific list of associated projects (below).

Links to supporting documents (research updates, research summaries) are provided as available.  Please note that this table is a living document and will be updated regularly.

 

VEGETATION THEME

 

Project Focus

Project Codes and Title

Research Lead

Tree Growth, Abundance & Height

VG1:1: Natural patterns in recovery trajectories of trees on seismic lines

VG1.2: State of seismic line restoration in Alberta

VG1.3: Cost-benefit analysis of passive to active restoration

VG1.4: Prioritization of seismic line restoration treatments

Sutheimer (PhD)

Landscape Fragmentation & Recovery Trajectory

VG2.1: Implications of defragmentation from seismic line recovery & restoration

VG2.2: Site-level pathways of recovery on seismic lines

VG2.3: Climate change & transition probabilities in tree regeneration on seismic lines

VG2.4: State-and-transition models for seismic lines

Viliani (PhD)

Herbivory & Tree Regeneration

VG3.1: Browse subsidy for moose/deer on seismic lines

VG3.2: Relationships between browse subsidy & herbivory on regenerating trees

Quayle (MSc)

Large-scale Recovery Models

IN1: Conceptual models

TBD

IN2: Final models

TBD

 

SOILS AND HYDROLOGY THEME

 

Project Focus

Project Codes and Title

Research Lead

Hydrologic Changes & Water Balance

SY2.2: Effect of seismic lines on evapotranspiration

SY2.3: Changes to water balance on seismic lines

Bayatvarkeshi (PhD)

Hydrologic Changes & Snow

SY1.2: Changes to snow accumulation and ablation and soil frost conditions on mounded and unmounded seismic lines

Weiland (MSc)

SY2.1: Effects of seismic lines on snow accumulation and ablation at regional scales

Bayatvarkeshi (PhD)

Mounding, Soil Physics & Chemistry

SY1.1: Changes to soil hydrophysical properties in response to seismic line disturbance and mounding treatment

Weiland (MSc)

SY3a: Changes in physical and chemical soil properties in fens in response to different mounding techniques

Kleinke (MSc)

SY3b: How does mound construction and local characteristic affect early seedling success

Fliesser (MSc)

SY3c: Changes to physical and chemical soil properties on treated and untreated seismic lines

Davidson (PDF)

Carbon Cycling & Greenhouse Gases: Lines and treatments

SY4.1 Effect of mounding treatments on peatland C exchange

SY4.2 Effect of seismic line disturbance and mounding on soil C stocks

Tabassum (PhD)

SY5.1 Changes to peat accumulation potential on peatland seismic lines

SY5.2 Changes in methane flux on peatland seismic lines 

Korsah (PhD)

Plant Functional Traits: Linkages to C mapping

IN3a: How does peatland plant community function change on mounded and unmounded seismic lines

Goud (PDF)

IN3b: Using RGB photos to monitor plant community phenology and C exchange on peatland seismic lines

Davidson (PDF)

IN3c: Plant functional traits – direct measurements in peatlands

TBD (MSc)

 

HUMANS AND WILDLIFE THEME

 

Project Focus

Project Codes and Title

Research Lead

Wildlife, Line Width & Recovery

HW1.1: Response of boreal songbird communities to linear features of varying width

HW1.2: Changes in edge effect based on line width, recovery state and forest type

Kalukapuge (PhD)

Human Activity & Wildlife

HW2.1: Assessing human activity level based on ARU sounds along seismic lines

HW2.2: Response of boreal birds to human activity on seismic lines.

TBD

Wildlife & Wellsite Recovery

HW3.1: Response of small mammals to wellsite with varying recovery state

HW3.2: Changes in edge effect based on recovery state and forest type

TBD

Human-Vegetation Recovery

IN4: Does how we measure foot and footprint influence our understanding of wildlife responses?

TBD

 

REMOTE SENSING THEME

 

Project Focus

Project Codes and Title

Research Lead

Restoration Assessment

(Status of Line)

Remote Sensing Traits

RS2.1: Plant traits – satellite time series

Yeomans (MSc)

RS4a.1: Plant traits – pixels and point clouds

Chan (MSc)

RS4b.1: Hydrological traits

TBD (MSc)

Line Characteristics

RS5.1: Age / Disturbance epoch

Klotz (MSc)

RS5.2: Surface topography and water-table position

Koch (MSc)

RS5.3: Solar irradiance and establishment

Heglis (MSc)

RS5.4: Advanced regeneration / Functional recovery

Byford (MSc)

RS5.5: Other (center line, footprint, direction, orientation)

Technician

RS5.6: Intensity of human use on seismic lines

Terentieva (PDF)

Matrix Characteristics

RS 6.1: Canopy and Understory Metrics

TBD

Edge Characteristics

RS3.1: RADAR Interferometry

Heiss (MSc)

RS3.2: Edge structure and characterization

TBD

Integration and Scaling

IN5: A remote-sensing approach to boreal restoration assessment

Shellian (PhD)

Restoration Monitoring

Tree Detection, Height, and Growth

RS1a: Remote detection of seedlings/saplings: technical and environmental controls

Terentieva (PDF)

RS1b.1: Black spruce and tamarack survival and growth: silvicultural-treatment effects

RS1b.2: Remote sensing of seedling/sapling height and growth: environmental controls

Shellian (MSc)

RS1b.3: Remote sensing of seedling/sapling height and growth: technical controls

TBD