Abstract:
Thecamoebian (testate amoeba) species diversity and assemblages in
reclamation wetlands and lakes in northeastern Alberta respond to chemical and
physical parameters associated with oil sands extraction. Ecosystems more impacted
by OSPM (oil sands process-affected material) contain sparse, low-diversity
populations dominated by centropyxid taxa and Arcella vulgaris. More abundant and
diverse thecamoebian populations rich in difflugiid species characterize environments
with lower OSPM concentrations. These shelled protists respond quickly to
environmental change, allowing year-to-year variations in OSPM impact to be
recorded. Their fossil record thus provides corporations with interests in the
Athabasca Oil Sands with a potential means of measuring the progression of highlyimpacted
aquatic environments to more natural wetlands. Development of this metric
required investigation of controls on their fossil assemblage (e.g. seasonal variability,
fossilization potential) and their biogeographic distribution, not only in the
constructed lakes and wetlands on the oil sands leases, but also in natural
environments across Alberta.
