Consequences of strip mine reclamation: vegetation and economics of reclaimed and unreclaimed sites in west-central Pennsylvania
A survey was conducted of the vegetation on 36 strip mines which varied in reclamation effort and age. Vegetation on sites that had not been resoiled was most influenced by site age and historic liming and fertilization efforts. Six sites, all older than 30-years-old, were closed canopy woodlots dominated by either planted Pinus or volunteer Populus. Three sites 15-23 years old that had undergone repeated liming and fertilization efforts before abandonment were also dominated by planted Pinus or volunteer Populus and had stem densities quite similar to woodlot sites. All other sites less than 30 years old had open canopies and ground cover dominated by Cladonia, Polytrichum, Andropogon virginicus, Danthonia spicata, and bare soil. These sites had low tree stem densities and growth, and were not rapidly developing into woodlots. Barren spoils were significantly associated with low pH values, and results suggest that soil chemistry is currently dominated by aluminum buffering, not pyrite oxidation. Historical information was used to reconstruct the history of mining and reclamation in a watershed within the study area. An economic analysis of the costs and benefits of minimal and total reclamation was performed. Reclamation costs, fishery benefits, land productivity benefits, and state financed reclamation expenditures were included. The results were quite sensitive to assumptions about the value of a fisherman-day, the analytical period, and the discount rate. When a fisherman-day was valued at $35, the analysis included 1945-1983, and a 4% discount rate was used, benefits of total reclamation exceeded costs by 6%.
- Research Organization:
- Rutgers-the State Univ., New Brunswick, NJ (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6005111
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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