"There is a great demand for the inclusion of berry-producing plants, such as wild blueberries or huckleberries (Vaccinium species), in forest restoration and post-industrial reclamation efforts, due to their value to wildlife and traditional users of the land. However, the biology and propagation requirements of northern Vaccinium species and their potential for use in reclamation, ecological restoration, and horticulture are largely unexplored. Propagation trials of black huckleberry (V. membranaceum) and velvet-leaf blueberry (V. myrtilloides) using seeds, hardwood cuttings, and rhizome cuttings were carried out to determine propagation protocols. Outdoor trials tested the influences of mycorrhizal inoculation and soil amendment on seedling survival. Seeds and rhizome cuttings were found to be the most effective propagation techniques for Vaccinium. Soil amendment increased outdoor seedling survival; however, none of the seedlings showed mycorrhizal colonization, regardless of inoculation treatment. These Vaccinium species are dominant components of climax sub-boreal forests, well adapted to recovery after fire; however it is difficult for them to establish rapidly on degraded soils, making soil amendments important to their use in ecological restoration. Growers must have patience when growing northern Vaccinium plants, but successful establishment is possible with adequate care and planning."
"Bioenergy, or energy derived from biomass, was the predominant energy source for humans from prehistory to the mid-19th century. With on-going energy security issues, rising greenhouse-gas (GHG) levels driven by fossil fuel energy consumption and volatile natural resource prices, the biomass energy of yesterday is now being re-evaluated as the energy source for tomorrow. The technology of bioenergy production has evolved considerably in recent years, such that heat, electricity and liquid fuels for transportation can all be derived from a wide variety of biomass starting materials. Though the transformation of sunlight energy into chemical biomass energy in plants is in theory an endlessly renewable process, the way in which we manage our lands to generate this biomass energy can be degradative and unsustainable when all of the land-use values are taken into account. This paper evaluates bioenergy through the prism of sustainability, highlighting issues relating to the physical and temporal scales of the resource and impacts of its use, technological opportunities and limitations, net environmental impacts, and community concerns and needs. The geographic focus is the central interior of British Columbia, however, the issues raised in this paper will be relevant to all locations considering bioenergy."