Forest Productivity aud Minesoil Development Under A White Pine Plantation Versus Natural Vegetation After 30 Years
Year: 2001
Type: article
Abstract: In 2000, the State of West Virginia passed legislation requiring commercial forest land as a preferred post-mining land use on surface coal mines, and especially on those sites where mountaintop removal mining is occurring and valley fills are being constructed.Due to West Virginia's mountainous terrain, most future surface mine permits will be impacted by this change in post-mining land use.Therefore, interest has been renewed into studies examining forest productivity and minesoil development on areas planted in trees.Since fresh geologic materials in minesoils undergo rapid pedogenic changes, long-term studies may provide valuable insight into tree growth, plant succession al changes, and soil development over time.In summer of 2000, soil development and forest productivity were evaluated on a 30-year-old (pre-SMCRA) surface mine in northern West Virginia that had been planted with white pine (Pinus strobus L.).The site offered a unique research opportunity in that one-half of the site was planted to white pine, while the other half was left to natural revegetation.Canopy tree species composition, density, basal area, and height, along with species composition and density of woody understory seedlings, were evaluated in the pine plantation and on the naturally revegetated site.On each site, three soil pits were dug, the minesoils were classified, and soil samples were taken from each described horizon to determine physical .andchemical properties.Forest productivity, including productivity of volunteer hardwoods, was much greater on the pine planted site than on the naturally revegetated site.Species composition of woody regeneration in the understory showed that both sites will revert to mixed hardwoods similar to the surrounding forest via natural succession.Minesoils on both sites experienced rapid soil development during the 30-year post-mining period.All six minesoil profiles had well developed Bw horizons and would have been classified as Inceptisols.Minesoil development was better on the naturally revegetated site possibly due to the difference in ground cover type.
Language: English
Subfield: Forestry
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Life on land
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2556005029