Vegetation Response to Organic Soil Amendments on Coarse Taconite Tailing

Abstract

Mine land reclamation rules in Minnesota require that tailing darns be constructed and vegetated to control wind and water erosion for dam stability, safety, and dust control. Coarse taconite tailing used in darn construction tends to resist vegetation stabilization due to several adverse edaphic factors that make it difficult to establish and maintain a diverse and productive vegetative cover that will meet State standards. The Bureau of Mines, in cooperation with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources-Division of Minerals, has implemented a series of experiments on coarse taconite tailing to study the effects of various organic residues on the establishment and maintenance of vegetative cover for site amelioration. At each of the tailing darn sites, changes that occurred in.vegetative cover (live vegetation and its litter) as a result of experimental treatment was monitored. At the Minntac site, the total cover (mean of all treatment combinations) on the experimental site was 41 % with cover ranging from zero to 100 %. The type of organic amendment used, the rate at which the organic residues were applied, and the level of fertilization each had a significant effect on cover. The total number of plant species found at the Minntac site, including seeded vegetation, was 18. At the Eveleth Mines site, the total cover on the experimental site was 55 % with cover ranging from zero to 100 %. The type of organic amendment used, the rate at which the organic residues were applied, and the level of fertilization each had a significant effect on cover. Additionally, there were significant interactions between each of the main effects. The total number of plant species found at the Eveleth Mines site, including seeded vegetation was 38.

Growth and Trace Metal Content of Poplars Planted on Tailing Treated with Municipal Solid Waste Compost

“…The highest rate (89.6 Mg/ha) had significantly greater percent cover and biomass than any of the other treatments. Percent cover and biomass compare closely after 2 growing seasons with results from a study (Norland et al 1992(Norland et al , 1993) completed earlier using similar application rates of MSW compost. Subsequent findings (Norland et al 1994) showed that the 90% cover standard was achieved after 4 seasons.…”

“…In a companion study (Melchert et al 1994), MSW compost was applied to a tailing site to examine impacts on water quality and runoff. In recent years other studies have been initiated by the MDNR and the U.S. Bureau of Mines, studying the usefulness of MSW compost as a soil amendment for revegetating coarse !aconite tailing (Norland et al 1991(Norland et al , 1992(Norland et al , 1993. The objective of this paper is to assess tree growth and trace metal concentrations in leaf tissue for trees planted in coarse tailing plots treated with four rates of MSW compost.…”

Standing Crop Biomass and Cover on Amended Coarse Taconite Iron Ore Tailings

“…During the third growing season (1992) there was a change in the cover variable response ( total, plant, litter, and bare tailing) to the main effect treatments compared to years one and two (Norland et al, 1991b(Norland et al, ,1992. Only the rate of MSW compost application and rate of fertilizer application resulted in statistically significant responses (Table 1), compost maturity had no statistically significant effect on the cover variables.…”

“…made using a cover-point optical point projection device (Norland et al, 1992). Cover measurements were taken in June and August 1992.…”

Physiological Responses of Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) to Organic and Inorganic Amended Heavy-Metal Contaminated Chat Tailings

“…Addition of organic residues to chat tailings had no effect on total nitrogen or phosphorus levels but increased levels of potassium (Norland, 1991). …”