Plant communities and water chemistry properties were characterized at Sandhill Wetland; an experimental reclamation site constructed above a backfilled open pit mine in northeastern Alberta, Canada. Observations from the reclamation site were compared to 12 mature reference wetlands (10 fens and 2 marshes) to determine the type of natural wetland the site most closely resembles at its current successional stage. From this survey of 20 research plots distributed across Sandhill Wetland, 44 plant species were encountered (35 vascular plants and 9 bryophytes). Using multivariate approaches, diversity indices, and coefficient of conservatism values, results indicate areas with water levels above the soil surface at Sandhill Wetland are most comparable to regional marshes, with Typha latifolia and Carex aquatilis exhibiting the highest cover. Across the wetland periphery where water levels are several centimeters below the soil surface, plant communities were quite dissimilar from the reference sites and dominated by the grass Calamagrostis canadensis. Based on principle components analysis, we show water chemistry at Sandhill Wetland is in a state that is between marshes and saline fens. Sandhill Wetland overall possesses a unique set of structural and chemical features in the sixth year of development. In areas where water levels are above the soil surface there is potential for development into a slightly brackish marsh analogue. The successional trajectory of low water table position areas is somewhat uncertain as the wetland periphery exhibited mixed characteristics resembling those of wet meadow, riparian, and upland environments, which we did not survey.

沙丘湿地的植物群落和水化学性质得到表征；在加拿大艾伯塔省东北部的一个回填露天矿上方建造的一个实验性复垦场地。将填海场地的观测结果与 12 个成熟的参考湿地（10 个沼泽和 2 个沼泽）进行比较，以确定该场地在当前演替阶段最接近的天然湿地类型。通过对分布在沙丘湿地的 20 个研究地块的调查，发现了 44 种植物（35 种维管植物和 9 种苔藓植物）。使用多元方法、多样性指数和保守系数值，结果表明沙丘湿地土壤表面水位以上的区域与区域沼泽最具有可比性，香蒲和Carex aquatilis表现出最高的覆盖率。在水位低于土壤表面几厘米的湿地外围，植物群落与参考地点非常不同，并以草类Calamagrostis canadensis 为主. 根据主成分分析，我们表明沙丘湿地的水化学处于沼泽和盐沼之间的状态。沙丘湿地在发展的第六年总体上具有一套独特的结构和化学特征。在水位高于土壤表面的地区，有可能发展成微咸的沼泽类似物。低地下水位区域的演替轨迹有些不确定，因为湿地外围表现出类似于湿草甸、河岸和高地环境的混合特征，我们没有对此进行调查。