Work

Uncovering patterns and trait-based mechanisms of vegetation recovery over three time periods after low-impact seismic line construction in boreal uplands of northern Alberta

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Disturbance acts as an important environmental filter determining which species will persist or establish, depending on their functional traits. Examined here is the clearing of overstory vegetation in linear corridors, specifically, narrow low-impact seismic (LIS) lines constructed to locate oil and gas reserves. We investigate the initial changes in the understory plant community through the consideration of both taxonomic and functional trait composition and characterize the successional trajectory as the ecosystem recovers. We sampled vegetation over a ten-year period (three-, eight-, and thirteen-years post-construction) at an upland forest research site in the Swan Hills region in northwestern Alberta. We found phanerophyte shrubs (primarily Rhododendron groenlandicum), chamaephytes (mostly low shrubs), and bryophytes all declined drastically in cover after the disturbance. Over the sampling period, chamaephytes and bryophytes recovered to the levels similar to those in the adjacent forest. Hemicryptophytes and geophytes (mostly herbaceous species), showed no declines in cover on seismic lines compared to the adjacent forest. We found no differences in the interspecific trait composition of the chamaephyte and herbaceous plant communities in all sampling periods between disturbed and forested conditions. However, intraspecific trait variation (ITV) was found. Two dominant understory species, Cornus canadensis and Vaccinium vitis-idaea, had lower specific leaf area (SLA) under the higher light conditions found on the seismic line than in the adjacent forest. This information contributes to a better understanding of the impact of the disturbance caused by LIS construction and the mechanisms underpinning their regeneration processes in an upland forested ecosystem.

Source: Ecological Indicators

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2026.115465

Authors: Kellina L. Higgins, Anna Dabros, Daniel Belland, Jennifer Buss, Kierann Santala

Institutions: Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada

Language: English

Topic: Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies

Subfield: Nature and Landscape Conservation

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Life on land

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,650