SELECTING TOPSOIL SUBSTITUTES FOR FORESTRY MINE SOILS
Open accessAbstract
The Forestry Reclamation Approach is a five-step system for reclaiming mined lands to forests.Step 1 of the FRA involves creating a suitable rooting medium for good tree growth using topsoil, weathered sandstone and/or the best available material.Several types of overburden types can be selected to place on the surface as growth media.These spoil types include weathered brown sandstone and unweathered rock materials including sandstones, siltstones, shales, and mixtures of these materials.When sufficient topsoil is not salvageable, reclamation scientists often recommend that, when available, weathered sandstone should be considered as the 'best available' topsoil substitute material.Here, we review the scientific evidence that supports such recommendations.Several studies have shown that tree survival was not significantly different among spoil types.Weathered brown sandstone, unweathered gray sandstone, siltstone and shale materials all produced good tree survival (>70%) when compaction and competitive ground covers were reduced.However, growth for most trees (as measured by height, diameter, and volume) was usually significantly greater in weathered brown materials than in unweathered sandstones, siltstones, shales, and mixed spoils.At one site in West Virginia five years after planting, a 10-fold difference in tree volume was found between these two spoil types.Similar results have been found with other studies across Appalachian surface mines.Based on the results of studies summarized herein, the use of weathered brown sandstone is generally recommended, along with topsoil materials when available, to be placed on the surface on sites where hardwood tree species are being planted for forestry post-mining land uses.Weathered brown sandstone spoil materials have a pH, soluble salt content, fine earth content well suited for trees, and sufficient nutrient supplying and water holding capacity that results in superior tree growth compared to other spoil types.The brown sandstone material more closely resembles the native forest soil than the unweathered gray materials.
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Brown mine soil is the preferred topsoil substitute in reforestation projects when insufficient quantities of native soil are salvaged.
“Brown mine soil is the preferred topsoil substitute in reforestation projects when insu cient quantities of native soil are salvaged [20]”
From Early Tree Growth in Reclaimed Mine Soils in Appalachia USA (2019) · cites this paper as [20]
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Cites
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“projects when insufficient quantities of native soil are salvaged [20] and numerous studies have shown that brown mine soil promotes superior tree growth over gray mine soil [24–29].”
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Skousen, J., Zipper, C., Burger, J., Angel, P., & Barton, C.
- Affiliations
- University of Kentucky (US)
- West Virginia University (US)
- Venue
- Journal American Society of Mining and Reclamation
- Published
- 2011-06-30
- Volume
- 2011
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 591-609
- ISSN
- 2328-8744 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2182701811
- Cited by
- 30
- References
- 26
- Citations by year
- 2024: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 2.78
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal American Society of Mining and Reclamation (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Seedling growth and survival studies
- Social Sciences › Law › Geology and Environmental Impact Studies
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Forest ecology and management
- Keywords
- mine reclamation, tree survival, tree growth, siltstone, shale, sandstone, rooting medium, soil pH, soluble salts, water holding capacity
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