Vegetation associated with the major soils and reclamation areas on the Navajo Mine, New Mexico

Conference · Mon Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:56939

Buchanan, B A; Wood, M K ^[1]; Ruzzo, W ^[2]

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1. New Mexico State Univ., Las Cruces, NM (United States)
2. BHP - Utah International Inc., Fruitland, NM (United States)

Mine-land reclamation success is usually measured by comparing reclaimed areas to be the pre-mined or native conditions. Establishing standards of reclamation is made more difficult when the native conditions are extremely variable as for the Navajo Mine. The Navajo mine lease has annual grazing capacities ranging from 12 hectares (30 acres) to 80 hectares (200 acres) per sheep. The objective of this research was to determine the vegetal characteristics combining the most extensive or most productive native soil types on the Navajo Lease. Then to compare these data using weighted means (based on percent area) to the vegetal characteristics of topdressed and non-topdressed reclamation plots. Some native areas have high cover, shrub density and phytomass. However, these vegetal characteristics are lower for the average native condition than the average for either the topdressed or non-topdressed reclamation plots. The weighted mean of the native area is low because of the extensive amount (>65%) of badland and natrargid type soils. These two mapping units have extremely low cover, shrub density and phytomass. Reclaimed plots without topdressing have higher cover and phytomass than topdressed reclamation plots. This is because of the high schrub density. However, the topdressed reclamation areas produce more perennial forbs and grasses than non topdressed plots. This is considered to be more desirable for reclamation success.

• OSTI ID: 56939
• Report Number(s): CONF-9003298--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BASELINE ECOLOGY
COAL MINES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
GRAZING
LAND RECLAMATION
PLANTS
REVEGETATION
SHEEP
SOILS
SPECIES DIVERSITY