Wood residue and fertilizer amendment of bentonite mine spoils. I. Spoil and general vegetation responses

Journal Article · · J. Environ. Qual.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq1985.00472425001400040021x· OSTI ID:6291167

Smith, J A; Sedbrook, T A

Bentonite mine spoils in the northern Great Plains are difficult to rehabilitate and manage because of extreme saline-sodic conditions and high percentage of 2:1 expanding clays. Wood residue and N fertilizer amendments have been shown to promote vegetation establishment on bentonite mine spoils. This study was conducted to determine wood residue and N fertilizer levels necessary to revegetate these mine spoils. Treatments included 0, 45, 90, and 135 Mg ha of dry ponderosa pine wood residue and N fertilizer rates of 0, 2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 kg N Mg of residue. A uniform P fertilization rate of 90 kg P ha was used across all treatments. The greatest increase in seeded plant density, canopy cover and aboveground biomass occurred at 90-Mg ha wood residue fertilized at 2.5 kg N Mg of residue. Spoils amended at these levels exhibited a mean first-year plant density of 59 seedlings M S, second-year plant canopy cover of 67% and second-year plant biomass (dry weight) of 2060 kg ha compared to the zero wood residue treatment which had a plant density of 14 seedlings m S, 8% plant canopy cover, and 80-kg ha plant biomass.

• Research Organization: Wyoming Dept. of Environmental Quality, Cheyenne
• OSTI ID: 6291167
• Journal Information: J. Environ. Qual.; (United States), Vol. 14:4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
PLANTS
PRODUCTIVITY
SOILS
SALINITY
SPOIL BANKS
REVEGETATION
BENTONITE
CLAYS
FERTILIZERS
GROUND COVER
LAND RECLAMATION
NITROGEN
WOOD WASTES
ELEMENTS
NONMETALS
SOLID WASTES
WASTES
560303* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Plants- (-1987)