In this study, our goal was to adapt the moss layer transfer technique (MLTT), first developed to restore degraded Sphagnum-dominated peatland explicitly with a bryophyte layer, to a former in-situ oil sands well-pad constructed with nearby mineral fill in northwestern Alberta, Canada. Mineral fill was either completely removed or partially removed with residual fill buried under excavated and decompacted peat, followed by the transfer of donor moss collected from nearby linear features with different plant communities in peatlands. Three years after MLTT, peatland vegetation covers 63% of the site. Carex spp. dominate with 36% coverage, followed by mosses at 12%, including 3% Sphagnum spp. and 8% fen mosses, and shrubs at 8%. Different substrate adjustment treatments and types of donor moss had negligible impact on vegetation development although areas without MLTT remained devoid of mosses and had the lowest peatland species cover. Instead, surface elevation, moisture conditions, and substrate chemistry played important roles in shaping the vegetation communities. The prompt introduction and establishment of peatland donor species through MLTT was crucial to the overall re-establishment of peatland vegetation. This is the first full pad scale study to prove that a flat, moist peat surface created by the removal and/or burial of mineral fill can support peatland vegetation development, particularly ground layer bryophytes. Overall, the reclaimed well-pad appears to be on trajectory toward becoming a functional peatland and our approaches should be considered and tested in future well-pad reclamation trials.

中文翻译：

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受原位油砂井垫影响的北方泥炭地的恢复 1：植被响应

在这项研究中，我们的目标是采用苔藓层转移技术 (MLTT)，该技术最初是为了恢复具有苔藓植物层的退化泥炭藓为主的泥炭地，采用附近的矿物填充物建造的前原位油砂井垫。加拿大阿尔伯塔省西北部。矿物填充物被完全去除或部分去除，残留填充物埋在挖掘和压实的泥炭下，然后转移从附近线性特征收集的供体苔藓与泥炭地的不同植物群落。MLTT 三年后，泥炭地植被覆盖了 63% 的场地。苔藓属 以 36% 的覆盖率占主导地位，其次是 12% 的苔藓，包括 3% 的泥炭藓spp. 和 8% 苔藓和 8% 的灌木。尽管没有 MLTT 的地区仍然没有苔藓并且泥炭地物种覆盖率最低，但不同的基质调整处理和供体苔藓类型对植被发育的影响可以忽略不计。相反，地表海拔、湿度条件和基质化学在塑造植被群落方面发挥了重要作用。通过 MLTT 迅速引入和建立泥炭地供体物种对于泥炭地植被的整体重建至关重要。这是第一个完整的垫层规模研究，证明通过去除和/或掩埋矿物填充物产生的平坦、潮湿的泥炭表面可以支持泥炭地植被的发育，特别是地层苔藓植物。全面的，