Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Bog Plant/Lichen Tissue Nitrogen And Sulfur Concentrations As Indicators Of Emissions From Oil Sands Development In Alberta, Canada, R. Kelman Wieder, Melanie A. Vile, Kimberli D. Scott, Cara M. Albright, James C. Quinn, Dale H. Vitt

Public Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Increasing gaseous emissions of nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) associated with oil sands development in northern Alberta (Canada) has led to changing regional wet and dry N and S deposition regimes. We assessed the potential for using bog plant/lichen tissue chemistry (N and S concentrations, C:N and C:S ratios, in 10 plant/lichen species) to monitor changing atmospheric N and S deposition through sampling at five bog sites, 3-6 times per growing season from 2009 to 2016. During this 8-year period, oil sands N emissions steadily increased, while S emissions steadily decreased. We examined the following: (1) whether each species showed …