Ground Cover and Tree Growth on Calcareous Minesoils: Greater Influence of Soil Surface than Nitrogen Rate or Seed Mix
Year: 1994
Type: article
Abstract: Growth of ground cover and trees was evaluated for five growing seasons on calcareous coal minesoil surfaces (standard graded topsoil, graded and ripped topsoil, graded gray cast overburden) in southeastern Ohio.Soil surface plots were seeded in September 1987 with either a standard herbaceous seed mix [ orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), timothy (Phleum pratense L.), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), Kentucky bluegrass (Poapratensis L.), Ranger alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), Mammoth red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), Empire birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.), and wheat (Iriticum aestivum L.)], or a modified mix using no alfalfa and half the rate of orchardgrass.Nitrogen ( 45, 90, or 135 kg ha/N) was applied as ammonium nitrate in September 1987 and April 1989.White ash (Fraxinus americana L.), silver maple (Acer saccharinum L.), northern red oak (Ouercus rubra L.), and eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) were planted in spring 1989 into 0.8 m-wide strips sprayed with glyphosate herbicide at 2.24 kg/ha in October 1988.Sethoxydim was applied at 0.54 kg/ha in June 1989 to control dense grass cover.Total herbaceous canopy cover and total aboveground live biomass were greater on standard topsoil than on gray cast overburden in 1989 and 1993, but the reverse was true in 1992.Legumes ( canopy cover, aboveground live biomass, or fraction of total biomass) were generally more abundant on cast overburden than on the two topsoil surfaces until 1993.Total cover (84%) and total biomass (239 g/0.5 m 2 ) were highest in July 1989, following the last application of nitrogen fertilizer in April 1989.Total cover ranged from 44% to 56%, and total biomass ranged from 102 to 162 g/0.5 m 2 from 1990 to 1993.Total cover and total biomass were lower at the lowest nitrogen rate in 1989 only.Type of herbaceous seed mix did not affect growth of ground cover or trees.Overall tree survival was 82.0% the first year but declined to 40.6% after 5 yr.Survival varied significantly among all tree species (3.5% for pine, 22.2% for oak, 38.5% for maple, 98.1 % for ash).White ash was taller on ripped topsoil (111 cm) than on cast overburden (94 cm).Silver maple survived better on standard topsoil (51.5%) and ripped topsoil (42.9%) than on cast overburden (21.0%).Red oak also survived better on both topsoil surfaces (33.4% or 23.9%) than on cast overburden (9.4%).Maple (43.8% versus 32.7%) and oak (33.6% versus 20.5%) survived better at the intermediate than at the low nitrogen rate.Survival was not reduced by the high nitrogen rate.The use of herbicides to control ground cover around the trees combined with above average rainfall during the one year in which nitrogen fertilizer increased ground cover probably explains the absence of detrimental effects on tree survival at the higher nitrogen rates.
Authors: D. A. Kost, J. P. Vimmerstedt
Institution: The Ohio State University
Language: English
Subfield: Forestry
Domain: Life Sciences
SDGs: Life on land, Zero hunger
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2521691121