Download or read book Testate Amoebae as a Performance Indicator of Ecosystem Establishment in Wetlands Impacted by Oil Sands Processed Materials written by Allison M. Legg and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 90 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mining for oil sands in the Athabasca Basin in northeastern Alberta is rapidly expanding. As economics continue to drive growing mining practices, waste management, reclamation and bio-monitoring strategies are becoming increasingly important. This project aims to determine the practicality of testate amoebae assemblages as an indicator of microbial community health and ecosystem establishment in wetlands impacted by oil sand processed materials (OSPM). Testate amoebae are unicellular, shelled protists that live in abundance in soils, leaf litter and in fresh water habitats. This group of protists forms shells (or tests) which makes them relatively easy to identify. Ecological studies have shown they occupy specific niches controlled by environmental parameters such as pH and moisture variables. These features make testate amoebae excellent bioindicators, and this project explores the potential of applying testate amoebae bioindicators in wetlands affected by OSPM.