Naturalization Research Partnerships

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The City of Edmonton has partnered to conduct several research projects in naturalized areas.

MacEwan University Naturalization Research Project

In spring 2017, Dr. Karen Christensen-Dalsgaard of MacEwan University partnered with the City of Edmonton on a 5-year research project with the purpose of improving the growth and survival of woody species in the Edmonton urban area.

The MacEwan research team is continuing work on 15 experimental plots that were established by the Anne Naeth lab from the University of Alberta in 2014.

Learn the history of the 2014 University of Alberta and City of Edmonton partnership research.

Research Project Objectives

Objective 1: The effect of soil treatments and amendments on the growth and survival of woody species.

Research Plots

The project will focus on the health and competitive interactions of the plants during the establishment phase. Further, the MacEwan team will visit additional naturalization sites to monitor survival of recently planted wooden seedlings in selected urban greenspaces. Several roadway and industrial naturalization areas are included.

In addition, the team will use dendrochronological techniques (also known as tree-ring dating) on tree cookies from mature trees provided by the City to study how long-term environmental stressors affect the growth of trees in Edmonton’s urban forest.

Research Plot Locations

Fifteen existing research plots located at 5 different locations will be included in MacEwan University’s 5-year extension of the study. These include:

Lendrum research site
91 Street research site
Terwillegar/Whitemud Interchange research site
Smith research site
Blackmud research site

View Research Plots Map

Objective 2: A re-assessment of the growth and survival of woody species planted within selected naturalization sites within the City of Edmonton.

Results from the experimental sites will be compared to woody plant survival at seven non-experimental naturalization sites across the city. These sites will be visited to provide survival data for a period corresponding to that of the research sites, and will include the following:

Root for Trees Volunteer Planting Sites

Naturalized sites planted with native tree and shrub species by volunteers:

Pylypow Industrial NAT 1
Pylypow Industrial NAT 2
Satoo NAT

Roadway Operational Planting Sites

Naturalized sites planted with native tree and shrub species by professional tree planters:

Bergman NAT 1
Bergman NAT 3
Newton NAT
Montrose NAT

Objective 3: Effect of multiple simultaneous stressors on trunk growth rates: a dendrochronological investigation.

Trunk growth correlates with growth of the crown, and crown health, size, and density are important determining factors for the quality of ecosystem services provided by urban trees.

Led by Dr. Christensen-Dalsgaard, the MacEwan group will perform dendrochronological investigations on tree cookies provided by the City to study the historical response of urban trees to fluctuations in compounded environmental stressors. These will include drought, the impact of winter conditions, and mechanical stress.

Dendrochronology

Dendrochronology (or tree-ring dating) is the scientific method of dating tree rings (also called growth rings) to the exact year they were formed in order to analyze atmospheric conditions during different periods in history.

University of Alberta Naturalization Research Project

In 2014, Dr. M Anne Naeth of the University of Alberta, Department of Renewable Resources and the City of Edmonton partnered in a joint research project on naturalized areas. The research was focused on the effects of naturalization on living and non-living habitats.

The City of Edmonton is supportive of research and this project is the first of its kind in Edmonton.

We are pleased to share the results of the research:

Urban Naturalization: An Approach Towards Sustainable Cities
The Master's Thesis by Jaime Aguilar Rojas

Where are the Research Sites Located?

Lendrum
Strathcona Industrial Park, at 91 Street and Whitemud Drive
Booster Juice Recreation Centre in Terwillegar
Smith Crossing near 23 Avenue
Skyrattler near Blackmud Creek Cliff site
Bulyea Heights near Whitemud and Terwillegar Drive Interchange

View Research Plots Map

Planting Plots

Each research site has a total area of 300m² divided into 16 plots of 10 x 10 m areas with 3 replicates of each treatment. Six sites had the same native species planted including white spruce, aspen, rose, snowberry and buffalo berry, amongst several other species which are native to Alberta.

At the Booster Juice Recreation Centre in Terwillegar, the exception is the unique plant material used. This site was planted with over 25 species of flowering wildflowers; for a total of almost 2000 units of native forbs and wildflowers. Some of the species include wild strawberry, white prairie aster, meadow blazing star, and wild mint, amongst others.

Treatment Design

Each site, including the Booster Juice Recreation Centre in Terwillegar, has the following treatments: tillage, herbicide, compost, topsoil, double topsoil, double compost, and several other combinations of these treatments in conjunction with others, for example: tillage plus herbicide, tillage plus compost.

See Treatment Design

Naturalization Initiatives

Naturalization has been occurring in Edmonton for nearly three decades! Learn about the naturalization projects that are being done in the city.

Explore Naturalization Initiatives

Contact Us

311 Contact Centre

Telephone	In Edmonton: 311 Outside Edmonton: 780-442-5311

Email	rootfortrees@edmonton.ca
TTY	780-944-5555

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