Surface coal mining in Appalachia disturbs hundreds of hectares of land every year with the removal of valuable and ecologically diverse eastern deciduous forests. After the passage of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act in 1977, coal mine operators began planting a variety of grasses and legumes as a fast and economical way to reestablish a permanent vegetative cover to meet erosion and site stabilization requirements. However, soil compaction and competitive forage species have arrested the recolonization of native hardwood tree species on these reclaimed sites. Three 2.8-ha demonstration plots were established at Catenary Coal's Samples Mine in Kanawha County, West Virginia, of weathered brown sandstone and unweathered gray sandstone. Half of each plot was compacted. Each plot was hydroseeded with a low-competition herbaceous cover and planted with 11 hardwood tree species. After eight growing seasons, average tree volume index was nearly 10 times greater for trees grown in the brown sandstone treatments, 3853 cm 3 , compared with 407 cm 3 in gray sandstone. Trees growing on compacted treatments had a lower mean volume index, 2281 cm 3 , than trees growing on uncompacted treatments, 3899 cm 3 . Average pH of brown sandstone was 5.2 to 5.7, while gray sandstone was 7.9. The gray sandstone had much lower fine soil fraction (<2-mm) content (40%) than brown sandstone (70%), which influenced nutrient-and water-holding capacity. Brown sandstone showed significantly greater tree growth and survival and at this stage is a more suitable topsoil substitute than gray sandstone on this site.

Abstract. Surface coal mining in the eastern USA disturbs hundreds of hectares of land every year and removes valuable and ecologically diverse eastern deciduous forests. Reclamation involves restoring the landscape to approximate original contour, replacing the topsoil, and revegetating the site with trees and herbaceous species to a designated post-mining land use. Re-establishing an ecosystem of ecological and economic value as well as restoring soil quality on disturbed sites are the goals of land reclamation, and microbial properties of mine soils can be indicators of restoration success. Reforestation plots were constructed in 2007 using weathered brown sandstone or unweathered gray sandstone as topsoil substitutes to evaluate tree growth and soil properties at Arch Coal's Birch River mine in West Virginia, USA. All plots were planted with 12 hardwood tree species and subplots were hydroseeded with a herbaceous seed mix and fertilizer. After 6 years, the average tree volume index was nearly 10 times greater for trees grown in brown (3853 cm 3 ) compared to gray mine soils (407 cm 3 ). Average pH of brown mine soils increased from 4.7 to 5.0, while gray mine soils declined from 7.9 to 7.0. Hydroseeding doubled tree volume index and ground cover on both mine soils. Hydroseeding doubled microbial biomass carbon (MBC) on brown mine soils (8.7 vs. 17.5 mg kg −1 ), but showed no effect on gray mine soils (13.3 vs. 12.8 mg kg −1 ). Hydroseeding also increased the ratio of MBC to soil organic C in both soils and more than tripled the ratio for potentially mineralizable nitrogen (PMN) to total N. Brown mine soils were a better growth medium than gray mine soils and hydroseeding was an important component of reclamation due to improved biochemical properties and microbial activity in mine soils.

Each year surface mining in Appalachia disrupts large areas of forested land. The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act requires coal mine operators to establish a permanent vegetative cover after mining, and current practice emphasizes soil compaction and planting of competitive forage grasses to stabilize the site and control erosion. These practices hinder recolonization of native hardwood trees on these reclaimed sites. Recently reclamation scientists and regulators have encouraged re‐establishment of hardwood forests on surface mined land through careful selection and placement of rooting media and proper selection and planting of herbaceous and tree species. To evaluate the effect of rooting media and soil amendments, a 2.8‐ha experimental plot was established, with half of the plot being constructed of weathered brown sandstone and half constructed of unweathered gray sandstone. Bark mulch was applied to an area covering both sandstone types, and the ends of the plot were hydroseeded with a tree‐compatible herbaceous seed mix, resulting in eight soil treatments. Twelve hardwood tree species were planted, and soil chemical properties and tree growth were measured annually from 2007 to 2012. After six growing seasons, average tree volume index was higher for trees grown on brown sandstone (5333 cm3) compared with gray sandstone (3031 cm3). Trees planted in mulch outperformed trees on nonmulched treatments (volume index of 6187 cm3 vs. 4194 cm3). Hydroseeding with a tree‐compatible mix produced greater ground cover (35 vs. 15%) and resulted in greater tree volume index than nonhydroseed areas (5809 vs. 3403 cm3). Soil chemical properties were improved by mulch and improved tree growth, especially on gray sandstone. The average pH of brown sandstone was 5.0 to 5.4, and gray sandstone averaged pH 6.9 to 7.7. The mulch treatment on gray sandstone resulted in tree growth similar to brown sandstone alone and with mulch. After 6 yr, tree growth on brown sandstone was about double the tree growth on gray sandstone, and mulch was a successful amendment to improve tree growth.

For over a century coal mining has been an important industry in West Virginia, creating jobs and generating revenue for the state and surrounding region, but advancements in technology and mining methods has accelerated the disturbance of valuable contiguous deciduous forests in the Appalachian region. Mountaintop mining has converted large expanses of forested mountaintops to rolling pasture and hay land. Once thought to be of economic value, these pasture/hay lands were unmanaged and have been left abandoned to revert to shrub land dominated by invasive non-native species. Due to excessive soil compaction and heavy herbaceous cover, natural plant community succession from planted grasslands to hardwood forests is slow. Recently, efforts are being made to re-establish hardwood forests on mined land through careful spoil and amendments selection and placement and planting of appropriate herbaceous and tree species. In order to evaluate tree growth on selected spoils with various amendments, a 3-ha demonstration plot was created at ICG-Eastern's Birch River mine in West Virginia. The plot is comprised of two exclusive areas of oxidized (brown) and un-oxidized (gray) sandstone substrates. Portions of each area were amended with bark mulch and/or hydroseeded with fertilizer and herbaceous species, creating a total of eight treatments. The study area was planted with a variety of hardwood tree species on 2.4-m centers. Soil chemical properties and tree survival and growth were evaluated for four years beginning in 2007. After four years, hydroseeding had no effect on soil chemical properties. Soil chemistry strongly depended on sandstone type and mulch amendment. The pH of brown sandstone without bark mulch application was 4.9. Soil pH for brown sandstone with mulch and all gray sandstone treatments ranged from 7.2 to 7.8. The largest average tree volume, 1098 cm 3 , was recorded on treatments with brown sandstone and bark mulch. Tree growth on gray sandstone was the lowest. Interaction between sandstone type and mulch was most influential on tree growth. Four years after reclamation, hydroseeding at a rate of 28 lbs ac-1 had no effect on tree growth. Interaction between sandstone type and mulch was most influential on soils chemical properties. No treatment was found to have an effect on tree survival. Survival of all treatments ranged from 77 to 100%. In conclusion, tree growth on brown sandstone outperformed gray. After four years, hydroseeding had no effect on tree growth or soil chemical properties. Mulch application had the ability to improve tree growth in both sandstone types and had a strong influence on soil chemical properties.

Reclamation of surface mined sites to forests is a preferred post-mining land use option, but performance of planted trees on such sites is variable. American chestnut (Castanea dentata (Marsh.) Borkh.) is a threatened forest tree in the eastern USA that may become an important species option for mine reclamation. Chestnut restoration using backcross hybrids that incorporate blight resistance may be targeted to the Appalachian coal mining region, which corresponds closely with the species’ native range. Thus, it is important to understand how chestnut hybrids perform relative to progenitors on reclamation sites to develop restoration prescriptions. Seeds of parents and three backcross generations of chestnut (100% American, 100% Chinese, and BC1F3, BC2F3, and BC3F2 hybrids) were planted into mine soils in West Virginia, USA with shelter treatments. Survival for all stock types was 44% after 8 years (American 39%, Chinese 77%, BC1F3 40%, BC2F3 28%, and BC3F2 35%). Height for all stock types was 33 cm after 8 years (American 28 cm, Chinese 67 cm, BC1F3 30 cm, BC2F3 21 cm, and BC3F2 20 cm). At another site a year later, seedlings of the chestnut stock types were planted into brown (pH 4.6) or gray sandstone (pH 6.3) mine soils and seedling survival across all stock types was 58% after 7 years. Chinese had the highest survival at 82%, while the others ranged from 38 to 66%. Height was 63 cm for all stock types after 7 years. More advanced backcross hybrids (BC2F3 and BC3F2) had the lowest vigor ratings at both sites after 7–8 years. Our results indicate that surface mines in Appalachia may provide a land base for planting blight-resistant chestnuts, although Chinese chestnut outperformed American chestnut and later generation backcross hybrids. As blight-resistant chestnuts establish and spread after planting, chestnut trees may become a component of the forest canopy again and possibly occupy its former niche, but their spread may alter future forest stand dynamics.

Abstract. Surface coal mining in the eastern USA disturbs hundreds of hectares of land every year and removes valuable and ecologically diverse eastern deciduous forests. Reclamation involves restoring the landscape to approximate original contour, replacing the topsoil, and revegetating the site with trees and herbaceous species to a designated post-mining land use. Re-establishing an ecosystem of ecological and economic value as well as restoring soil quality on disturbed sites are the goals of land reclamation, and microbial properties of mine soils can be indicators of restoration success. Reforestation plots were constructed in 2007 using weathered brown sandstone or unweathered gray sandstone as topsoil substitutes to evaluate tree growth and soil properties at Arch Coal's Birch River Mine in West Virginia, USA. All plots were planted with 12 hardwood tree species and subplots were hydroseeded with an herbaceous seed mix and fertilizer. After six years, average tree volume index was nearly ten times greater for trees grown in brown (3853 cm3) compared to gray mine soils (407 cm3). Average pH of brown mine soils increased from 4.7 to 5.0, while gray mine soils declined from 7.9 to 7.0. Hydroseeding doubled tree volume index and ground cover on both mine soils. Hydroseeding doubled microbial biomass carbon (MBC) on brown mine soils (8.7 vs. 17.5 mg kg−1), but showed no effect on gray (13.3 vs. 12.8 mg kg−1). Hydroseeding also increased the ratio of MBC to soil organic C in both soils and more than tripled the ratio for potentially mineralizable nitrogen (PMN) to total N. Brown mine soils were a better growth medium than gray mine soils and hydroseeding was an important component of reclamation due to improved biochemical properties and microbial activity in mine soils.

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