WEST VIRGINIA REFORESTATION RESEARCHDr. Jeffrey Skousen and
his colleagues at West Virginia University have performed the
following three studies on reforestation of mined lands during
the past several years:
Survival of Three Tree Species on Old Reclaimed
Surface Mines in Ohio
http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/landrec/ohiotrees.PDF
Tree Survival on Mountaintop Mines in Southern West Virginia
http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/landrec/treesurvl.pdf
Natural
Revegetation of 15 Abandoned Mine Land Sites in West Virginia
http://www.wvu.edu/~exten/infores/pubs/other/reclm1.pdf
All of these studies can
be viewed online at:
http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/landrec/land.htm#REFOREST
In the spring of 2005,
Dr. Skousen commenced working with Catenary Coal Company in
evaluating a large reforestation experimental practice site. The
experimental practice site is 220 acres, and about 170,000 trees
were planted in March 2005. The study involves planting six
commercial hardwood species (red oak, white oak, yellow poplar,
black cherry, white ash, and sugar maple) into 7-ac plots
composed of two substrates (gray sandstone and brown sandstone).
Half of each plot was compacted with more than 3 passes with a
bulldozer versus 1 – 2 bulldozer passes.
Permanent sampling
areas are being established within the plots and also in other
locations throughout the 220-ac experimental practice area,
which was planted with the same species, to monitor the survival
and growth of the trees, and also to determine the physical and
chemical properties of the minesoils (color, rock fragment
content, texture, bulk density, water-holding capacity, pH,
organic matter, nutrients). The study is planned to continue for
10 years.
For more information
about surface mine reforestation research in West Virginia,
please contact:
Dr. Jeffrey Skousen
Professor and Reclamation Specialist
West Virginia University
Department of Plant and Soil Sciences
Agricultural Sciences Building
1106 Morgantown, West Virginia 26506
Telephone: (304) 293-6256 ext. 4326
E-mail:
jskousen@wvu.edu
Dr.
Mary Beth Adams is a Supervisory Soil Scientist and
Project Leader at the USDA Forest Service, Fernow
Experimental Forest, Northeastern Research Station in
Parsons, WV. She received her B.S. and M.S. degrees in
Forestry at Purdue University, and a Ph.D. in Soil
Science and Forestry at North Carolina State
University. Her research interests, experience, and
expertise are in the areas of soil science, forest
ecology, watershed research and ecophysiology. Her
current research includes long-term ecological research
examining sustainable forest ecosystems in the central
Appalachians, artificial watershed acidification and
nutrient cycling, and air pollution effects on forests.
Dr. Adams has published more than 60 manuscripts during
her career, and has served as associate editor for the
Journal of Environmental Quality, Forest Science, and
Forestry journals, in addition to providing her
expertise as a member of the Science and Technical
Committee of the Chesapeake Bay Program, the West
Virginia Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station
Advisory Committee, the MeadWestvaco Wildlife and
Ecosystem Research Forest, among others.
For more
information about surface mine reforestation research at
the USDA Forest Service, please contact:
Dr. Mary
Beth Adams
USDA Forest Service
Timber and Watershed Laboratory
Parsons, WV 26287
Telephone: 304-478-2000, X-130
E-mail:
mbadams@fs.fed.us
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