Ecological Enhancement Techniques

During reclamation work, MEMS employs various methods to enhance the ecological values of the sites. Dozers and excavators can be used in different ways to create site conditions favorable for revegetation and its restoration towards the surrounding forest communities. Some of the treatments that MEMS uses on reclamation sites are rough and loose landscape, tree transplanting, tree bending, root-shoot promotion, vegetation and wildlife habitat refugia.

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Root Shoot Promotion

When roots are damaged or stressed, suckers that form new individual plants are often produced, contributing to increased revegetation rate. Sucker producing species are often resilient to these damages, and there are no significant adverse effects to the standing trees if the area immediate to the trunk is intact.

Mounds created by an excavator.

Disturbed root systems promoting Aspen suckers

Tree and Shrub Transplanting

At the beginning of site reclamation, trees and shrubs growing on the site can be salvaged and stored using existing equipment on site. By transplanting shrubs and trees onsite, revegetation rate is increased, and it can save cost on tree planting in the future. The trees are also able to develop easily due to the lack of plant competition onsite.

Tree Bending

Another method for promoting the revegetation of woody species is tree bending. In the final stages of reclamation, excavators can bend surrounding trees toward the site to encourage cones and seeds to drop onto the area. Shaking the trees over the site further increases seed dispersal, enhancing the revegetation rate. Additionally, the bent trees provide shade, which helps developing plants retain moisture and protects them from desiccation.

Coarse Woody Debris (CWD)

Spreading coarse woody debris (CWD) over the site provides ecological value to the site by promoting revegetation, adding nutrients to the soil, attracting wildlife activity, controlling erosion, and deterring undesired access. CWD creates microsites with varying conditions that introduces diversity to the vegetation communities, as shaded areas with higher moisture levels are created. With increased microbial and insect activities, various wildlife including birds and rodents are attracted to the site, which contribute to seed dispersal and the overall ecological health of the area.

Wildlife Habitat and Vegetation Refugia

Leaving islands of vegetation refugia and wildlife habitats are beneficial to the process of site restoration as revegetation rate can be increased, and animals contribute to seed dispersal and the resilience of the plant species onsite. Islands of vegetation refugia allow plants to establish onto the site faster as individual plants can be dispersed from within the site area rather than just from the edges of the site. There is also greater protection against desiccation with the shade provided by the standing plants within the refugia. With decreased effects of fragmentation, the site would attract more animal activities as well, increasing the rate of seed dispersal and introducing a greater diversity of plant species.