Research shows that the simple act of leaving woody material on oil and gas sites introduces microsites and diversity into reclaimed sites. These microsites serve as critical habitat for a range of native plant species, seedlings, and microorganisms that are essential for the regeneration of forests. Woody material can also provide habitat for forest insects and mammals, and play a key role in nutrient cycles over time. Thus, woody materials can greatly improve habitat.  

Three different types of wood material were applied to stripped ground. Coarse wood debris, which consisted of unbroken logs, chunk wood (logs chopped into smaller pieces) and mulch (shredded logs). This was done to determine what type of woody debris would facilitate regeneration the fastest informing industry policy.