State-and-transition simulation modeling for wetland reclamation in the Athabasca Oil Sands

ApexRMS is happy to announce its participation in the Boreal Wetlands Reclamation Assessment Program (BWRAP), in collaboration with Dr. Jan Ciborowski, Industrial Research Chair in Oil Sands Wetlands Reclamation at the University of Calgary, and Dr. Gillian Donald, a BWRAP laboratory Research Associate. Launched in 2019 by Dr. Ciborowski, the BWRAP’s objective is to support the reclamation of wetlands and, simultaneously, promote biodiversity in the highly disturbed landscape of the Athabasca Oil Sands.

Earlier this Fall, Leonardo Frid, a Systems Ecologist at ApexRMS, with co-facilitator, Dr. Donald, kicked off a series of six monthly webinars that will explore the applicability of state-and-transition simulation models (STSMs) to evaluating and forecasting the outcomes of wetland reclamation. The course will cover the concepts, methods, and tools used for developing and running STSMs using the open-source software package for landscape simulation modeling, ST-Sim. Course participants will also learn how to integrate additional variables, such as wildlife habitat and carbon, into STSMs, and how to present model results to decision makers. We’re excited to share our expertise in support of this important wetland reclamation initiative!

If you would like to attend upcoming webinars, please contact Dr. Donald at gillian.donald@ucalgary.ca. Registration is free and past webinar recordings are available to course registrants online.