In July 2009 we re-visited the re-vegetation experiments, which had been set up on tailings in the period 2003-2006. The three experimental sites are at Mount Skukum, United Keno and Wellgreen. The experiments consisted of either seeding the tailings with various populations of the tufted hair grass and/ or with stratified (cold temperature treated) seed of the shrub soapberry, or making transplants of the same two species. The treatments included the addition of compost from the City of Whitehorse, addition of fertilizer as 7:7:7 pellets, addition of organic matter as sheep manure, peat or woody debris from on site and, in the case of Wellgreen, a lime addition to overcome the strong acidity.
The results are striking and illustrated in the Plates 1-15. Data of performance and flowering success are shown in the Tables, as are chemical analytical data in the Figures and Tables. Plots set up in 2003 provide a nucleus for effective re-vegetation, having survived for 6 years. The success of the seedings and transplants at Mount Skukum and United Keno was good, while that at Wellgreen was very poor. Wellgreen has suffered flooding with washing out of plots and washing out of the neutralizing lime. Nevertheless, in compost additions plots at Wellgreen, set up in 2005 and 2006, a small amount of re-vegetation and survival has occurred, especially in the wetter areas near the tailings pond.
