Research addresses vegetation management in the North

July 8, 2014

WHITEHORSE – Research on vegetation management strategies in the North is lacking and the Yukon Research Centre (YRC) is working to change this. Plant ecologist and soil scientist Dr. Katherine Stewart, and her students are examining how to best manage vegetation on power line right-of-ways in a cold climate.

Researchers will explore different techniques of managing vegetation throughout the Yukon, from cutting and mowing, to selective planting that will change the ground cover vegetation, to herbicides.

“Our research will provide new information on vegetation management techniques in cold climates, allowing decision-makers to make informed decisions in a northern context,” said Dr. Katherine Stewart, Research Associate, Yukon Research Centre, Yukon College.

Stewart’s team is proposing a number of test sites under transmission lines at sites in remote areas of Yukon that provide a representative sample of different types of vegetation. The proposed 6 x 6 metre sites near Carmacks, Haines Junction, Faro and Dawson City are strategically located away from farms, municipalities, residences, and water sources.

At each location, the researchers will test eight vegetation management techniques side by side, and monitor vegetation health, growth, and herbicide persistence over the next two years. Upon completion of the project, a best-management practices manual for vegetation management in northern power line right-of-ways will be made available to the public.

The three-year research project is funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Yukon Energy Corporation, and Environmental Dynamics Inc. (EDI).

The research team has informed affected First Nations of the fieldwork occurring on their traditional territory and is awaiting permitting and licensing approval from Environment Yukon. Project installation will occur later this month. At that time, signs will be placed at all active test sites to ensure the public is aware of the research activity in the area.