2008

The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF)

 

$200,000

American Chestnut Restoration on Surface Mines Sites in the Appalachian Region

The objectives of the study are to determine:
1) performance and growth of chestnut on formerly surface mined lands, 2) performance and level of disease resistance of backcross chestnuts compared to American and Chinese chestnut parents, and 3) site effects on the performance and growth of chestnut.

2008

West Virginia University

 

$45,482

Research is needed to determine the soil hydrologic group classification of reclaimed minesoils on forestry post-mining land uses that use the Forestry Reclamation Approach, which in turn may change the calculated amount of runoff from these areas.

2008

VA Polytechnic Institute & State University

$86,749

This study will develop and demonstrate full operational use of the FRA by several end-using Virginia coal operators. The potential value of loose grading and non-competitive ground cover for crop tree growth, native species recruitment, and normal forest succession will be tested.

Concern has been expressed that the application of FRA on steep-slope mines with highwall elimination may be impractical or may lead to slope failures, in some cases. The proposed investigation addresses those concerns by:  (1) a regional inventory of the current practices that are in use throughout Appalachia at steep-slope operations where reforestation is the intended postmining land use;  and (2) a detailed field investigation that implements the most common practices at a specially-constructed test site. The latter part will evaluate the selected practices on the basis of operational efficiency, economics, slope stability, and reforestation potential of the reclaimed surface.

There is still some debate about whether four or five feet of material is necessary for successful growth of hardwood species, and perhaps only two feet of material is needed for successful tree growth.  The objectives of this first-year phase of the project are to: 1) construct the demonstration areas and plant commercially valuable trees, 2) establish a monitoring program, and 3) determine hardwood tree survival and growth success after the first growing season.

Several research objectives have been identified: d) Determine optimum ground cover/tree species combinations for reforestation of steep slopes; e) Investigate the depth and rate of root colonization of the soil profile, in relation to soil type and vegetation; f) Observe the effects of vegetation on hydrologic processes; g) Determine the relationship of vegetative characteristics to sediment yield

Several research objectives have been identified: a) Develop appropriate construction procedures for reclamation of steep slopes to satisfy the conflicting concerns of providing loosely compacted backfill for tree growth yet assuring there is sufficient compaction to provide structural stability; b) Investigate the use of more complex slope geometries to increase stability while avoiding long planar slopes which may lead to excessive erosion; c) Demonstrate that these methods provide satisfactory erosion and sediment control, and that groundwater quality is maintained. Based on field observations, develop appropriate input for common sediment models into SEDCAD and AnnAGNPS, including those parameters related to the surface vegetation.