Restoring native grassland function in urban environment; implications for soil-plant relations

Fescue prairie has reduced in Western Canada, because of human activities including housing development and land clearing. Urban development can impact natural ecosystems by eliminating the majority of native species, thus changing the richness and composition of the species. Strategic restoration efforts may reduce the effects of urban expansion on native ecosystem by protecting natural habitat and re-establishing modified habitat. Larch Park is an Edmonton residential development area, to which land reclamation and restoration ecology have been applied to rebuild native ecosystems (grassland) instead of turf grasses to reduce the impacts of urbanization. By rebuilding soils and planting native communities in Larch Park we believe that ecosystem function and wildlife habitat will improve to something more similar to natural grassland with less maintenance costs including watering, fertilization and weed invasion resistance.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. M. Derek MacKenzie

Student:

Seyedeharezoo Amini

Partner:

Clark Ecoscience and Sustainability

Discipline:

Resources and environmental management

Sector:

Environmental industry

University:

University of Alberta