SURFACE MINE REFORESTATION RESEARCH: EVALUATION OF TREE RESPONSE TO LOW COMPACTION RECLAMATION TECHNIQUES
Open accessAbstract
In 1996, a multidisciplinary group of researchers at the University of Kentucky initiated a study on the Starfire surface mine in eastern Kentucky to evaluate the effects of soil compaction and two organic amendments on the survivability and growth of high value tree species.Three types of prepared rooting medium were examined: compacted spoil, lightly compacted spoil, and uncompacted spoil.The compacted spoil was prepared using normally accepted spoil handling techniques that resulted in a smooth graded surface.The lightly compacted spoil was loose-dumped and struck-off with one or two passes of a bulldozer.The uncompacted spoil was loose-dumped and not further disturbed.In addition, organic amendments (mulches) were evaluated within the three reclamation techniques.The organic amendments used were processed hardwood bark mulch and a combination of straw and horse manure mulch.The following six species of trees were planted: white oak (Quercus alba), white ash (Fraxinus americana), eastern white pine (Pinus strobus), northern red oak (Quercus rubra), black walnut (Juglans nigra), and yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera).Five of the six species, the exception being white ash, showed increased survivability as compaction was minimized.Additionally, the loose-graded techniques led to enhanced growth in height for the seedlings.The addition of organic amendments also showed additional benefit but results varied by species and by treatment.Results definitively show that strike-off and loose-dump techniques improve seedling height and survival.The data also suggest that even a small amount of traffic (i.e., one or two passes per the strike-off method) may result in enough compaction to significantly reduce survival and growth in some species, such as yellow poplar and white pine.In the backfilling and grading process, spoil material should be placed and compacted according to standard engineering practices so that the required stability and approximate original contour is achieved.However, the top 1.2 to 1.8 meters (4 to 6 feet) of material should not be graded or only lightly graded so that it is as uncompacted as possible.
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The addition of bark mulch improved the growth of two tree species on uncompacted plots on a reclaimed coal mine in eastern Kentucky.
“In a study by Angel et al. [25], the addition of bark mulch improved the growth of two tree species on uncompacted plots on a reclaimed coal mine in eastern Kentucky.”
From Early Tree Growth in Reclaimed Mine Soils in Appalachia USA (2019) · cites this paper as [25]
Numerous studies have shown that brown mine soil promotes superior tree growth over gray mine soil.
“numerous studies have shown that brown mine soil promotes superior tree growth over gray mine soil [24-29].”
From Early Tree Growth in Reclaimed Mine Soils in Appalachia USA (2019) · cites this paper as [25]
The Site design section describes a shale-and-sandstone soil substitute, while the Abstract and results compare tree growth under different compaction and mulch treatments. Searches for brown and gray mine soils found no passage comparing tree growth between those soil types. Page numbers were not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.76)
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References 4 · Cited by 41
Research works printed but not linked: 3
- Graves, D.H., J.M. Ringe, M.H. Pelkki, R.J. Sweigard, and R. Warner. 2000. High value tree reclamation research. In Singhal & Mehrotra (eds.) Environmental Issues and Management of Waste in Energy and Mineral Production. Balkema, Rotterdam, ISBN 90 5809 085 X.
- Hooks, C.L., I.J. Jansen, and R.W. Holloway. 1987. Deep tillage effects on mine soils and row crop yields. Proceedings, 1987 National Symposium on Mining, Hydrology, Sedimentology, and Reclamation, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, Dec. 7-11, pp. 179-182.
- Plass, W.T. 1978. Use of mulches and soil stabilizers for land reclamation in the eastern United States. Reclamation of Drastically Disturbed Lands. Madison, WI. Chapter 18:329-337.
- Authors
- Angel, P. N., Graves, D. H., Barton, C., Warner, R. C., Conrad, P. W., Sweigard, R. J., & Agouridis, C.
- Affiliations
- American Society of Reclamation Sciences (US)
- University of Kentucky (US)
- Venue
- Journal American Society of Mining and Reclamation
- Published
- 2006-06-30
- Volume
- 2006
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 45-58
- ISSN
- 2328-8744 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2181718123
- Cited by
- 41
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 3.02
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal American Society of Mining and Reclamation (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- U.S. Department of Energy
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
- University of Kentucky
- U.S. Forest Service
- Agencia Estatal de Investigación
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Seedling growth and survival studies
- Social Sciences › Law › Geology and Environmental Impact Studies
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanical Engineering › Tree Root and Stability Studies
- Keywords
- surface mine reclamation, soil compaction, organic amendments, mulch, tree seedling survival, tree growth, Quercus alba, white ash, Pinus strobus, Quercus rubra, Juglans nigra, Liriodendron tulipifera, eastern Kentucky
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