The Effects of Pipeline Clearings on Plant Communities, Soil Microbe Density, and Invertebrate Diversity in a Second-growth Temperate Rainforest.
Abstract
Abstract
The Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline, a feature of Burnaby Mountain since 1953, requires clearings for maintenance. These clearings require frequent maintenance which disturbs the forest.
Our study site was located in a second-growth temperate rainforest in the coastal western hemlock zone. We studied invasive and native plant species richness, overall plant species richness, density of soil bacteria, and invertebrate diversity in the pipeline clearing and the surrounding forest to quantify environmental impacts caused by the pipeline’s presence.
We found a significant increase in the number of invasive plant species in the pipeline clearing along with a significant decrease in the number of native species. Within 50m of the pipeline we saw no significant difference in overall plant species richness. We also found significantly greater soil bacteria density at the edge of the pipeline clearing and no significant differences in invertebrate diversity. The abundance of invasive plant species raise concerns for the overall health and stability of this section of the Burnaby Mountain forest ecosystem.
