Reforestation Guidelines for Unused Surface Mined Lands: Development, Application and Adoption

Abstract

Abstract. More than 600,000 hectares of mostly forested land in the Appalachian region were surface mined for coal under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act. Today, these lands are largely unmanaged and covered with persistent herbaceous species, such as fescue and serecia lespedeza, and a mix of invasive and native woody species with little commercial or ecological value. Some landowners and surrounding residents would like to restore native forests on some of these lands for the valuable products and services they provided prior to mining. For these lands to become productive forests, intervention is needed to loosen compacted mine soils, correct chemical or nutrient deficiencies, and replace the current vegetation. Reforestation guidelines to restore native forests on mined lands that are unoccupied, unmanaged, and unproductive were developed. Practices include land clearing, mine soil tillage, fertilization, tree planting, weed control and monitoring. The recommended practices were tested on a 35-ha mine site, originally reclaimed to grassland and bond-released in 1997. After the second growing season mean stocking of 885 ha -1 was achieved. Five of the six primary planted species (black, white, and red oak, tulip poplar, black cherry) had statistically equivalent stocking, but tulip poplar and black cherry had the highest mean height and biomass. Volunteer trees occurred on most measurement plots; most volunteer trees were native but invasive shrubs were also present. The pre-existing vegetation proved to be persistent and competitive, demonstrating the importance of vegetation control and strategic nutrient application to reforestation success.Under leadership provided by the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative, a group formed by the Office of Surface Mining and seven state regulatory authorities, these procedures have been adopted and applied by watershed improvement groups, forestry and fish/wildlife agencies, coal companies, environmental groups, and an electrical generating company pursuing carbon credits.

Bird Species’ Reponses to Post Mine Reclamation in Alabama – A Preliminary Analysis

“…Focal issues for reclamation are site stabilization, restoration of the original contours, and re-vegetation (SMCRA, 2006). Focus on soil erosion and vegetation coverage means reclamation can be approved without consideration for other biota (Mummey et al, 2002a, b;Burger et al, 2011;Buehler and Percy, 2012). Even in this specific focus, reclamation may not appropriately meet long-term vegetation objectives (Holl, 2002).…”

CASE STUDY: Prioritization strategies for reforestation of minelands to benefit cerulean warblers

“…Guidelines have been developed through ARRI to promote mine reclamation efforts that will expedite the establishment of native hardwood forest on active (e.g., Burger et al, 2005) and legacy mine lands (Burger et al, 2011). Encouraging structural complexity and floristic richness similar to natural forest would maximize bird species recolonization in a variety of restoration settings (Twedt et al, 2002;Munro et al, 2011).…”

“…2). Mine reclamation guidelines developed through the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative (ARRI) promote restoration of native hardwood forest conditions on active mines (Burger et al, 2005) and legacy mine lands (Burger et al, 2011). Reforesting mined lands adjacent to existing forest can reduce negative edge and area effects on interior forest species thus improving suitability for forest-dependent birds such as Cerulean Warblers.…”

Phosphate recovery from aqueous solution by K-zeolite synthesized from fly ash for subsequent valorisation as slow release fertilizer

“…Numerous studies and field applications of these minerals have been reported, providing environmental and technological solutions to the aforementioned industrial activities, including: i) the uptake of pollutants from wastewaters (Itskos et al, 2010;Moreno et al, 2001;Querol et al, 2006;Balsamo et al, 2012Balsamo et al, , 2010; ii) agriculture (Guaya et al, 2018;Gholamhoseini et al, 2013); iii) ecological restoration and soil amendments (Buondonno et al, 2013;Burger et al, 2011;Larney and Angers, 2012;Vallejo et al, 2012); and iv) organics waste composting (; Nissen et al, 2000;Villaseñor et al, 2011;Zorpas et al, 2000). Attention has also been paid to the synthesis of K-zeolites from fly ash and its potential applications have also been of interest and lead to a series of studies focused mainly on the synthesis of philipsite and chabazite for potential agriculture purposes (Amrhein et al, 1996;Murayama et al, 2008;Querol et al, 1997;Zeng et al, 2002) The interest on K-zeolites has been grown in the last years in view of its potential application in agriculture as slow release fertilizers.…”