Role of arthropods in developing soils on mine spoils. Final report
In laboratory microcosms of coal mine spoil amended with bark and wood chips, the activity of termites increased organic matter and increased total nitrogen. Termite survival was reduced in microcosms with spoil and paper or straw amendments. Field studies evaluating the efficacy of organic amendments in developing a soil biota showed that decomposition rates of wood chip-bark amended spoil were the same as unmined soil and that decomposition rates were lower than all other mulch-spoil combinations. Wood and bark amended-spoil had the highest density and diversity of soil fauna. Top dressing spoils with borrow soil did not improve any of the soil biological parameters measured. Based on these data it was recommended that reclamation procedures be changed to eliminate borrow soil top-dressing and that wood removed from mined areas be returned to the contoured spoil as wood chip amendment in addition to straw mulch.
- Research Organization:
- New Mexico State Univ., Las Cruces (USA). Dept. of Biology
- OSTI ID:
- 6326616
- Report Number(s):
- NP-1903439; EMD-2-68-3212; ON: DE81903439
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
SOILS
ARTHROPODS
FERTILITY
SPOIL BANKS
LAND RECLAMATION
BIODEGRADATION
COAL MINES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
NITROGEN FIXATION
ORGANIC MATTER
SOIL CHEMISTRY
WOOD
ANIMALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
DATA
DECOMPOSITION
INFORMATION
INVERTEBRATES
MINES
NUMERICAL DATA
010900* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Environmental Aspects