Vegetation trends in reclaimed areas at Gibbons Creek Lignite Mine, Grimes County, Texas
- Morrison Knudsen Corp., San Antonio, TX (United States)
Vegetation productivity and cover studies have been conducted annually at the Gibbons Creek Lignite Mine since 1989, and multiple annual clippings have been collected since 1991. The primary purpose of these studies was to examine revegetation success, in terms of herbaceous productivity, for various post-mine soil types. However, the studies also contain detailed information on species composition. For the years in which multiple annual clippings have been collected (1991 through 1996), total vegetation cover increased, with the mean proportion of bare ground dropping from 12% in 1991 to 1% in 1996. Relative proportions of most introduced and native grasses were virtually static from 1991 through 1994; in 1995, however, herbicide applications to reduce clover cover resulted in a dramatic increase in total grass cover, especially in bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum) and Indiangrass (Sorgastrum nutans). In contrast to the trends of other introduced and native grasses, bahiagrass increased in cover throughout the study period, increasing from 7% in 1991 to 21 % in 1996. Annual and weedy grass species decreased in cover throughout the study period, falling from 12% cover in 1991 to 2% in 1996. This trend of displacement of annuals by perennials is typically observed during ecological succession in natural vegetation communities, and appears to have been accelerated by the herbicide application.
- OSTI ID:
- 613818
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9705128-; TRN: 98:001000-0007
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 14. annual national meeting of the American Society for Surface Mining and Reclamation (ASSMR), Austin, TX (United States), 10-15 May 1997; Other Information: PBD: 1997; Related Information: Is Part Of Vision 2000: An environmental commitment; Brandt, J.E.; Galevotic, J.R.; Kost, L.; Trouart, J. [eds.]; PB: 799 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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