Quality of Amended Mine Soils After Sixteen Years

Abstract

Soil quality research has focused on intensively managed agricultural and forest soils, but the concept and importance of soil quality is also pertinent to reclaimed mine soils and other disturbed ecosystems. Adding organic amendments has been used as a means for ameliorating mine soils and improving their quality, but the long‐term effects of amendments on soil quality are not known. In 1982, a mined site was amended with seven different surface treatments: a control (nothing added), 30 cm of native soil, 112 Mg ha−1 sawdust, and municipal sewage sludge (SS) at rates of 22, 56, 112, and 224 Mg ha−1 Four replicates of each treatment were installed as a randomized complete block design. Each plot was split and planted with pitch × loblolly pine hybrid (Pinus rigida × taeda) trees and Kentucky‐31 tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.). During the 16‐yr period, organic matter content, total organic N, N mineralization potential, aggregate stability, and other physical and chemical properties were measured as mine soil quality indicators. The comparative ability of these organic amendments to positively affect organic matter content, total N, and other parameters was most apparent and pronounced after 5 yr. However, after 16 yr, soil organic matter (SOM) content and total N appeared to be equilibrating at ≈10 000 and 750 kg ha−1, respectively. Organic matter inputs by vegetation alone across the 16‐yr period in the control plots resulted in organic matter and N mineralization potential values comparable to levels in the organically‐amended plots, indicating the overriding importance of vegetation in the soil recovery process. After 16 yr, there appears to be no lasting soil quality improvements due to addition of organic amendments to this mine soil. Amendments improved short‐term production, but their cost of transport and application may be difficult to justify based on long‐term soil quality improvement.

Atributos físicos do solo em área de mineração de carvão influenciados pela correção da acidez, adubação orgânica e revegetação

“…Tais restrições físicas e hídricas reduzem a aeração e o crescimento das plantas em áreas mineradas (Indorante et al, 1981), como reportado em detalhe em solos recuperados após mineração de carvão na região central da Pensilvânia, Estados Unidos (Guebert & Gardner, 2001). Dessa forma, na área em questão, a macroporosidade deve ser aumentada com matéria orgânica e plantas de cobertura adaptadas ao ambiente, como uma das principais estratégias na recuperação desses solos (Bendfeldt et al, 2001 A água prontamente disponível (APD), variou de 0,050 m 3 m -3 no tratamento com calcário a 0,077 m 3 m -3 no tratamento com "dregs", ambas na camada de 5 a 10 cm (Figura 1e). Contudo, nas duas camadas avaliadas, a APD foi menor na testemunha e maior no CalcBbCa, o que pode estar refletindo o efeito da cama de aviário na retenção de água.…”

Switchgrass Biofuel Production on Reclaimed Surface Mines: I. Soil Quality and Dry Matter Yield

“…Many of these cited studies were conducted in agricultural soils with residual soil N and moderate organic matter levels, and such results might not apply to mine soils which typically have very low residual N amounts and little soil organic matter [3]. Adding fertilizer to mine soils is important because low N concentration in mine soils is most frequently the growthlimiting nutrient for plants [3].…”

“…Adding fertilizer to mine soils is important because low N concentration in mine soils is most frequently the growthlimiting nutrient for plants [3]. It was shown by Shrestha and Lal [19] that a significant amount of total N is lost during mining activities and in some cases no topsoil is replaced as a growth medium, which contains a large supply of nutrients in organic matter.…”

Quality Change of Mine Soils From Different Sources in Response to Amendments - A Laboratory Study

“…A number of amendments have been tried to increase the mine soil quality for establishing a vigorous vegetation cover for mine soil reclamation, enhancing C sequestration, and producing biofuel feedstock. For example, manure, compost, biosolids, paper-mill sludge, and sawdust have been successfully applied to increase the SOM content and improve the physical and chemical properties of diverse mine soils (Daniels & Haering, 1994;Li & Daniels, 1997;Coyne et al, 1998;Roberts et al, 1988;Haering et al, 2000;Bendfeldt et al, 2001;Tompson et al, 2001;Larney et al, 2005;Forsberg & Ledin, 2006;Shipitalo & Bonta, 2008;Shrestha et al, 2009). Limestone and coal combustion byproducts (fly-ash, bottom ash, and flue gas desulfurization gypsum, FGD) have been widely used and extensively researched for reducing mine soil acidity (Bhumbla et al, 2000;Dick et al, 2000;Daniels et al, 2002;Shukla et al, 2005;DeSutter et al, 2014).…”