Plant-growth response to various combinations of mulches and spoil substrates on a Walker County, Alabama, surface coal mine
In 1978-1979, Walker County, Alabama, was the site of an experiment designed to assess plant growth and soil erosion. The experiment utilized 6 mulch treatments applied to each of 3 coal surface mine substrates. The mulches (wood fiber, hardwood bark, pine bark, waste compost, paper-slag, and no mulch application) were randomly combined with either A + B horizon soil, shale, or a mixture of the two. The resulting 18 plots were replicated on two slopes (N-S). A standard seed-fertilizer regimen was applied to all plots. Plots were read in June and October 1979 for species composition, density, and plane cover. Overall grass growth, as measured by plane cover, was best on mixed substrate, and growth was not significantly different between shale and topsoil plots. Density and cover provided by volunteer species varied according to slope, substrate, and mulch combinations. Overall, numbers of spoil arthropods did not show great differences according to slope or substrate.
- Research Organization:
- Alabama Univ., University (USA). School of Mines and Energy Development
- OSTI ID:
- 5015899
- Report Number(s):
- NP-2906043; ON: DE82906043
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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