Eugenia M. Pena-Yewtukhiw

Hardwood tree survival in heavy ground cover on reclaimed land in West Virginia: mowing and ripping effects.

Current West Virginia coal mining regulations emphasize reforestation as a preferred postmining land use on surface mined areas. Some mined sites reclaimed to pasture are being converted to forests. In the spring of 2001, we compared the establishment and growth of five hardwood tree species on a reclaimed West Virginaia surface mine with compacted soils and a heavy grass groundcover. We planted 1-yr-old seedlings of five species (black cherry [Prunus serotina Ehrh.], red oak [Quercus rubra L.], yellow poplar [Liriodendron tulipifera L.], black walnut [Juglans nigra L.], and white ash [Fraxinus americana L.]) into sites that were mowed and unmowed on north- and south-facing aspects. We applied a ripping treatment, which loosened the compacted soils and disturbed the heavy ground cover. First year results showed >80% survival for all species. After 7 yr black cherry survival averaged 36%, red oak 47%, yellow poplar 66%, black walnut 80%, and white ash 98% across all sites and treatments. Seedling survival was best on north, unmowed, and ripped areas. Average growth (height x diameter(2)) of trees after 7 yr was greatest with white ash (434 cm(3)), followed by yellow poplar (256 cm(3)) and black walnut (138 cm(3)), then by black cherry (31 cm(3)) and red oak (27 cm(3)). Browsing by wildlife had a negative impact on tree growth especially on south aspect sites. Overall, mowing reduced survival of black cherry, red oak, and yellow poplar, but not for black walnut and white ash. Ripping increased survival of black cherry, red oak, and yellow poplar. Growth of all species was improved with ripping. Using inverse linear-quadratic plateau models, the time required for tree survival to stabilize varied from 1 yr for white ash to 6 to 9 yr for the other species.

Survival and growth of chestnut backcross seeds and seedlings on surface mines.

Some scientists consider the loss of the American chestnut from forests in the eastern United States as one of the greatest forest ecological disasters in the 20th century. The American Chestnut Foundation has been attempting to restore chestnut by backcrossing blight-resistant Chinese chestnut to American chestnut and selecting those strains with blight resistance. Third-generation backcross seeds and seedlings have been produced and planted by researchers. Surface-mined lands provide a land base where these backcross chestnut seedlings may be introduced back into forests. In 2008, seeds of two parent species of chestnut (100% American and 100% Chinese) and three breeding generations (BF, BF, and BF backcrosses) were planted into loosely graded mine soils with and without tree shelters. First-year establishment from seeds averaged 81%. After the fourth year, survival without shelters declined for all chestnut stock types except for Chinese (80%): American 40%, BF 70%, BF 40%, and BF 55%. Survival with shelters was only slightly better after the fourth year (average, 60% with shelters and 57% without). Height growth was not different among stock types, and average height after the fourth year was 43 cm without shelters and 56 cm with shelters. In 2009, seeds and seedlings of the same chestnut stock types were planted into brown (pH 4.5) or gray (pH 6.6) mine soils. Only six out of 250 seeds germinated, which was very poor considering 81% average seed germination in 2008. Transplanted chestnut seedling survival was much better. After the third year, seedling survival was 85% in brown and 80% in gray soil, but significant differences were found with stock types. Survival was significantly higher with American, Chinese, and BF stock types (75%) than with BF and BF (60%). Height after the third season averaged 90 cm on brown and 62 cm on gray soil. Chestnut backcrosses displayed no hybrid vigor and were not better in survival and growth than the parent stock. All five stock types grew on mine soils in West Virginia, and we found surface mines to be promising sites for introducing blight-resistant chestnut backcross trees into the Appalachian forest.

Early C Sequestration Rate Changes for Reclaimed Minesoils

Abstract Reclaimed minesoils have well-defined ages (time since reclamation), making them suitable for studying temporal changes in terrestrial carbon sequestration. The objective of this research was to assess the effect of time since reclamation on soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration and related soil properties such as texture, bulk density, and cation exchange capacity in three West Virginia minesoils along a chronosequence. The minesoils’ surface 750 Mg ha−1 (0–6 cm) was sampled at 1, 4, and 21 years and again at 2, 5, and 22 years postreclamation, giving a total of 6 site-years of information. Average SOC stocks (Mg C ha−1) were highest in the oldest minesoils. Soil bulk density was highest and unrelated to SOC concentration in the youngest minesoil, reflecting recent compressive reclamation techniques. The cation exchange capacity of older minesoils was influenced more by SOC than by clay, whereas the opposite was observed in younger minesoils. The relationship of SOC stock to time since reclamation was best described by a logarithmic diminishing returns model. Short-term (1 year) SOC sequestration rates (Mg C ha−1 y−1) were not appropriate to describing the change in SOC sequestration rate occurring along the chronosequence. When taken as the first derivative of the diminishing returns model, long-term SOC sequestration rates were shown to decline precipitously (80%) in the first 5 years after reclamation. The model predicts that the surface 750 Mg ha−1 of minesoil will contain about 13.3 Mg SOC ha−1 at 50 years after reclamation. About 75% of that SOC storage is predicted to be achieved in the first decade after reclamation.

Land Use Effects on Sample Size Requirements for Soil Organic Carbon Stock Estimations

Soil organic carbon (SOC) stock (in metric tons of carbon per hectare) is calculated from SOC concentration (in grams per kilogram) and soil bulk density (&rgr;b; in grams per cubic centimeter). Temporal changes in SOC stock are used to calculate terrestrial carbon sequestration rates used in global climate change models. The inherent variability in soil properties like SOC and &rgr;b means that larger sample sizes may be needed to accurately determine SOC stocks. Our objective was to calculate the minimum sample size required to detect changes in &rgr;b, SOC, and SOC stock for two land uses. Surface soils (0-5 cm) from two reclaimed mine soils and two managed hay fields in northern West Virginia were intensively sampled (60-74 samples each). Mean SOC and SOC stock values were larger in the hay fields (40 g/kg, 29 Mg ha−1) than in the mine soils (20 g/kg, 20 Mg ha−1), but &rgr;b was larger in reclaimed mine soils (1.4 g cm−3) than in hay field soils (1.2 g cm−3). The &rgr;b variance was larger in mine soils than that in hay field soils, but field variances for a given land use were similar (0.09 and 0.11 [g cm−3]2 in mine soils; 0.02 and 0.03 [g cm−3]2 in hay field soils). The variances in SOC concentration and SOC stock were not related to land use and were not similar within a land use. As a result, the minimum number of samples required to detect a change in &rgr;b, SOC, and SOC stock was a site-specific property and cannot be assumed a priori.

Effect of soil and absence/presence of an abandoned feedlot on determining the area sourcing nitrate to a contaminated domestic well.

Abandoned feedlots have been found to enhance nitrate (NO3−) production and subsequent contamination of nearby groundwater. Site remediation depends on a thorough understanding of existing manure deposits, knowledge often lacking when dealing with abandoned feedlots. The main objective of this work was to describe the variability in soil NO3− and organic matter concentrations with depth in an abandoned feedlot, to guide future remediation. The feedlot area was believed to be the source of NO3− contaminating a nearby domestic well. Organic matter and bioavailable Ca, Mg, K, and Zn were statistically higher in the surface 0 to 0.3 m of farmstead soils, as compared with surrounding farm field soils. The area around an old silo that was high in soil organic matter was not always well related to soil NO3− concentrations. Although greater organic matter between 0 and 0.3 m was generally associated with greater NO3− at deeper depths, it seemed that NO3− was being attenuated by landscape-induced denitrification in some areas of the farmstead. There were significantly lower NO3− concentrations with greater depth (0.3-1.2 m) in Loring (Oxyaquic Fragiudalf), as opposed to Memphis (Typic Hapludalf), farmstead profiles. This suggested that denitrification, due to perched water above the fragipan, was occurring in those parts of the farmstead landscape dominated by Loring soil. A detailed characterization of the site would be necessary to guide expensive remediation work because not all the area affected by the presence of an abandoned feedlot possesses high subsurface NO3− concentrations.

Preferential Flow in Pastures on Benchmark Soils in West Virginia

Preferential flow is a mechanistic description of irregular water movement in a soil profile where part of the soil matrix is bypassed during periods of infiltration and percolation. Although a common phenomenon, there is little research specific to West Virginia soils, particularly those under pasture management. To identify the active preferential flow pathways, FD&C blue no. 1 dye solution was applied in a ponding application to 24 pedons representing three different benchmark soil series common to pastures in eastern West Virginia. Sites were excavated 2 days after the dye application to reveal the flow paths. Digital images of the dye-stained soil profiles were taken to identify the active flow pathways and analyzed to determine if the movement of the dye appeared to be preferential. A paired t test was used to compare the stained areas of adjacent horizons within each plot to determine if the extent of stained soil between observed horizons was statistically different. Statistically different stained pixels percentages were identified in every research plot. Overall, the percentage of stained pixels was significantly different in 76% of the adjacent horizons, and irregular wetting fronts were identified in every research plot. Dye patterns indicated zones of both increasing and decreasing subsurface staining. Changes in staining patterns often occurred at or near observed horizon boundaries. This research supports the qualitative identification of preferential flow as the dominant means of water movement through the soil profile, which may have implications for the transport of surface applied nutrients or contaminants into deeper soil layers and/or groundwater.

SURVIVAL AND GROWTH OF FIVE CHESTNUT SEED TYPES ON A MOUNTAINTOP SURFACE MINE IN WEST VIRGINIA 1

Reforestation of mined lands has become a preferred post-mining land use in some parts of Appalachia since the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative began. With this new emphasis, attention has been focused on replanting the American chestnut on these areas, which was decimated by Chestnut blight during the last century. The American Chestnut Foundation has developed potential blight-resistant hybrids through a series of backcrosses between American and Chinese chestnut. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the survival and growth of five seed types of chestnut (100% American, 100% Chinese, and three hybrids (B1F3, B2F3, and B3F2)) into loosely-graded minesoils at the Glory surface mine in Boone County, West Virginia. The five seeds types were randomly planted in eight blocks (four with tree shelters and four without shelters) and each block was split into randomly assigned peat or no peat treatments. Average seedling survival from seeds after the first growing season was 72% across all treatments, with survival of Chinese 82%, American 67%, and the hybrids at between 69 and 74%. Seeds with tree shelters showed a significantly higher survival at 81% compared to non-sheltered seeds at 63%. Peat treatment generally reduced seed survival but especially so on the non-sheltered seeds. Height growth of trees showed similar results as that of survival, with Chinese seeds and sheltered trees being greatest in height. Additional plantings of seeds and seedlings will be conducted in spring 2009 in West Virginia. Additional Keywords: chestnut hybrids, Forestry Reclamation Approach, minesoils, tree seedlings, tree seeds