Reclamation of mined organic soils in northern Minnesota to selected conifers

Thesis/Dissertation · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:5873453

Schmitt, M D.C.

In a greenhouse experiment designed to evaluate the capacity of residual organic soils from mined peatland sites to support commercially valuable conifers under various fertilization regimes, the six month height growth and dry weight production of Scotch pine, black, white, and Norway spruce was dependent upon the nature and properties of the residual organic soils to be reclaimed, the species selected to revegetate these sites, the type and amount of fertilizer treatments applied, and interactions between these factors. On a highly acid, nutrient poor Fibrist, only Scotch pine seedlings exhibited adequate growth, but their performance appeared to be limited by natural and fertilizer induced soil acidity. On a Ca rich, near neutral Hemist, Scotch pine growth was adequate and unaffected by fertilization. However, spruce growth was vigorous only under a fertilizer treatment containing micronutrients plus a high rate of NPK. Although there is little doubt that residual organic soils from mined peatland sites can be used for forest production, there are important differences between sites requiring that each be considered individually before reclamation procedures are initiated.

• OSTI ID: 5873453
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
LAND RECLAMATION
CONIFERS
REVEGETATION
MINNESOTA
WETLANDS
SURFACE MINING
FERTILIZERS
PH VALUE
PINES
SOILS
SPRUCES
TREES
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
ECOSYSTEMS
FEDERAL REGION V
MINING
NORTH AMERICA
PLANTS
USA
010800* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Waste Management
510100 - Environment
Terrestrial- Basic Studies- (-1989)