Source: KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY submitted to NRP
STRENGTHENING RESEARCH AND TEACHING CAPACITY OF KSU BY STUDYING INTERRELATIONSHIPS AND DISRUPTIONS IN LANDSCAPE CHANGE AND ECOSYSTEMS FUNCTIONS IN KENTUCKY’S APPALACHIA
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
ACTIVE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1021803
Grant No.
2020-38821-31102
Cumulative Award Amt.
$600,000.00
Proposal No.
2019-03231
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Jun 1, 2020
Project End Date
May 31, 2025
Grant Year
2020
Program Code
[EQ]- Research Project
Recipient Organization
KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
FRANKFORT,KY 40601
Performing Department
Agriculture Food & Environmen
Non Technical Summary
The Appalachian Mountain region of eastern Kentucky contains high proportions of forestland along with coal and natural gas depositaries. However, this region is the home of thousands of households living under persistent poverty. Many of the rural landscapes across the southern Appalachian region have experienced significant changes over the years. In those areas, natural resource extraction activities, particularly surface mining, have resulted in social, economic, and environmental impacts. Forest biomass loss is one of the primary impacts of mountain top removal in Appalachia. The distribution and abundance of tree species and understory vegetation are key indicators of forest ecosystem health and productivity. While the mining industry brings jobs and income opportunities for some, environmental impacts affects human as well as natural communities. These environmental impacts include removal of top soil and near-surface materials; destruction of vegetation, biomass, and biodiversity; and potential for flood, landslides, and other hazards. Toxic substances in pollution from mining operations have also been linked with significant public health issues, such as respiratory diseases and cancer, in the surrounding communities. Landscape changes due to excessive mining can affect the provision of forest and other ecosystem services, which may eventually threaten the quality of life in nearby communities. Because of the dependency of these communities on renewable and non-renewable natural resources in the landscape, the impact of historical mining activities, and emerging threats (such as environmental insecurity), it is important to study how mining activities in the past have impacted the forest landscape, ecosystem functions, and quality of life in the region. It is equally important to know the vulnerability of these communities to new threats from changes in natural resources and other supporting systems. Inadequate understanding of the dynamics of this unique system has limited the ability of researchers to explain landscape changes in the future and the resulting impact on ecosystem function. This project will collect residents' perceptions of changes in the local environment, ecosystems function, and quality of life due to surface mining activities and link these to the land cover change data derived from the analysis of satellite data to identify specific locations that have undergone significant changes and need the most attention. This project will also estimate loss in biomass and carbon balance due to surface mining and the effects on climate and predict recovery time of the lost biomass by estimating vegetation growth in the reclaimed land. The nature of the human-environment relationship in many natural resource-dependent communities is very complex and can be only addressed by integrating human perceptions to the physical changes on the landscape. Coupling airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR), unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), and satellite imagery with forest stand structure and species composition data allows us to develop a predictive model for spatial and temporal distribution of the growth and loss of important plant species across the study site and their overall ecosystem productivity (i.e., total biomass or biomass changes over time). The proposal has two components. The research component of the project will identify knowledge gaps in understanding variations in the consequences of surface mining on environment, forest productivity, and feasibility of reclaimed lands for agricultural enterprises and the teaching component includes enhancement of environmental science curricula at Kentucky State University (KSU). KSU will collaborate with the University of Tennessee-Knoxville (UT) and Tennessee State University (TSU) to seek input from local stakeholders via focus group discussions and surveys. Time series, geospatial, survey, and longitudinal data derived from the project will be utilized to explore interconnections between surface-coal mining, quality of life, and other land-cover change conditions in case studies and student research projects. Generating new knowledge from the study of socioeconomic and environmental dynamics of surface mining will raise the level of awareness of their impacts on the local economy and ecosystems. This new knowledge will also enhance the teaching and research capacity of the collaborative universities (KSU, UT, and TSU) to examine the sustainable economic development of the region. Specifically, the findings of this study can bring us closer to answering the question: "Given the long history of coal-field based employment and revenue generation, why has this region lagged behind other areas in quality of life?" The project will provide students opportunities that incorporate innovative, project-based education beyond the classroom and enhanced research, critical thinking, and data analysis skills. Students and faculty will be able to link socioeconomic, remote sensing, and microclimate data to explain the dynamics of human-environment relationships in one of the most vulnerable and underserved regions of the nation. Frequent interactions between research faculty and Extension staff will also enhance Extension potential and impacts by providing new knowledge and skills necessary in advising clients facing emerging issues surrounding surface-mining practices. Proposed project activities will also provide research faculty and staff exposure to innovative and empirical land cover change models and spatial data preparation, analysis, and interpretation as well as opportunities for curriculum development and coordination of research and education efforts. The outputs of the project will have significant impacts on enhancing the capacity of faculty from the participating universities to develop programs for improved agriculture, environmental security, human science education, research, and Extension.
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
40%
Applied
50%
Developmental
10%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
12301202060100%
Knowledge Area
123 - Management and Sustainability of Forest Resources;

Subject Of Investigation
0120 - Land;

Field Of Science
2060 - Geography;
Goals / Objectives
The major goal of this integrated and collaborative project is to strengthen the teaching, research, and Extension capacity of faculty from the collaborating universities to understand coupled human-environment relationships and environmental science. Specifically, the project aims to create opportunities for faculty, students, and staff to study land cover change, forest productivity, biomass loss, optimum use of reclaimed mine lands, and assessment of surface-mining impacts on microclimatic conditions and quality of life of people in the Appalachian region of Kentucky. KSU proposes expanding its institutional support to the Appalachian communities through this project by focusing more on research and teaching/education programs in collaboration with TSU and UT. The objectives of this project are: (1) to examine changes in the different forms of surface mining-driven landscape changes; (2) to evaluate the resulting impacts of landscape changes on forest ecosystems and biomass change; (3) to identify alternative strategies to utilize reclaimed mine lands for agriculture and other entrepreneurship; and (4) to enhance undergraduate and graduate curricula and field research opportunities for students and faculty through a collaborative partnership the three universities. This project integrates research and teaching components to address high-priority regional problems of extraction of natural resources on the environment and rural communities. The project will strengthen research and teaching capacity needed to advance transdisciplinary research in support of sustainable management of natural resources because of collaborative discoveries made at the 1890 and 1862 Land-Grant Institutions. The teaching capacity component of the project is envisioned to advance the cultural diversity of KSU by attracting and educating more students from under-represented groups as well as engaging them in inquiry and problem-solving education and research. The proposed research and teaching objectives are interdependent and will be implemented in a coordinated manner. The nature of the relationship between humans and the environment in many natural resource-dependent communities is very complex and can be only addressed by integrating research and teaching/education. The research component of the project will identify knowledge gaps (i.e., consequences of surface mining on environment, forest productivity, and feasibility of reclaimed lands for agricultural enterprises) while the teaching component of the proposal will enhance environmental science curricula at KSU and TSU. Time series, geospatial, and survey and longitudinal data derived from theproject will be utilized as case studies and student research projects to explore connections between surface-coal mining, quality of life, and other land-cover change conditions. Input will be sought from local stakeholders via focus group discussions and surveys.
Project Methods
This project will utilize mixed methods to collect, analyze, and interpret data related to the four objectives. Geographic information- and remote sensing-based spatial models, surveys, and spatial regression models will be used to analyze landscape data compiled over multiple timeframes. Soil and household survey data will be analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA), regression models, and principal component analysis. The first objective is "To examine unbalanced and dramatic changes in the different forms of surface mining-driven landscape changes." Methods: Classified maps of five time periods (1980-1990, 1990-2000, 2000-2010, 2010-2014, and 2014-2019) will be reexamined and used to create landscape change matrices to fit in the empirical model. These data will be classified into: (1) urban/residential, (2) grasslands, (3) forests, (4) crops, (5) pastures, (6) active mines, and (7) reclaimed mines. These classified maps will be analyzed further to quantify the changes in areas of active and reclaimed mines and types of vegetation (forests, grasslands, etc.), their growth rates, and their patterns of growth. Pattern matrices, such as mean patch size, numbers and density, I-Shannon's evenness index, and patch size coefficient of variation, will be computed and used to test the hypothesis. The pattern change indicators, such as localized changes in forest/grassland composition and density, percentage of impervious surface, erosion index, etc., will be compared with the surface model derived from LiDAR data. The land cover change data will be integrated with the biomass and household survey data to identify impacts of surface-mining on biomass loss and microclimate. The second objective, "To assess impacts of such changes on forest productivity and biomass change," will be studied using geospatial databases derived in Objective 1 to estimate forest productivity and biomass in pre-mined, mined, and reclaimed plots. Random sample points will be generated using the geospatial-modeling tool in ArcGIS to establish plots within those subsets of forest stands. We will generate power analyses based on the variability of population and proportionate samples that are sufficiently large enough to detect differences in the populations, if any exist. In the first hypothesis, we predict the abundance of indicator species as a factor of moisture, topographic wetness indices, and substrate characteristics. In the second hypothesis, we predict plant species richness, diversity, vegetation indices, and canopy cover abundance are a function of biomass or ecosystems productivity. Remote sensing, spatial feature classified data, and their metrics from Objective 1 will be used to characterize and map ecosystem productivity in the form of total available biomass or carbon storage and vegetation indices, canopy cover, and canopy height, which will be important predictors while mapping ecosystem productivity. Objective 3, "To identify alternative strategies to utilize reclaimed mine lands for agriculture," will be accomplished by conducting focus group discussions and analyzing survey responses. First, three focus groups will be conducted to solicit qualitative input and develop a questionnaire survey, which will be administered to a randomly drawn sample of 500 households from the seven counties. Principal component and regression analysis will be performed to assess perceptions of local people and communities on the use of reclaimed lands for alterative agricultural, recreational, or other economic entrepreneurship enterprises based on variations in demographic attributes. The fourth objective, "To enhance undergraduate and graduate curricula and field research opportunities for students and faculty," will be accomplished via adopting evidence-based strategies to enhance research and teaching skills of the project team. Additional pedagogical training to develop adequate expertise on Landsat/LiDAR image processing and object-based image classification will be arranged for the project team. Technical workshops at multiple conferences will be utilized for training in the field of climate change, geographic information systems (GIS) and remote-sensing data, and learning "robot-proof" employment skills development, such as creativity, expertise, relationships, problem solving, design thinking, critical thinking. Stipends will be provided to participating students to pursue research in multiple topics associated with the project objectives. They will receive research exposure and skills to acquire, process, and analyze satellite and GIS data, data compilation and processing, conducting surveys, writing reports, computing land-cover indices, coding and analyzing survey data, preparing manuscripts, and presenting papers and posters at conferences. A collaborative partnership will be established with TSU and UT to allow faculty from these institutions to serve on the graduate thesis committees and participate in guest lecturing, site visits, new proposal development, and exchange of curriculum materials and data. At least four scientific papers will be developed for publication in peer-reviewed journals. Three courses (Climate Change Studies, Remote-Sensing of Environment, and Introduction to GIS) will be strengthened with the inclusion of data generated from this project. The outcomes will be used for developing/strengthening existing courses, compiling/analyzing outcome data for developing student projects and publications, and presenting and developing materials for a training workshop to be held in the third year.The achievements of the project will be evaluated comprehensively using formative and summative evaluation methods. The external evaluator, in collaboration with the project team, will develop an evaluation framework to analyze strengths and weaknesses throughout the project period. At the beginning of the first year, the evaluator will meet with the project team for the developmentof a comprehensive evaluation plan organized around the project goals and objectives, products, and outcomes. Evaluation of accomplishments of the project goals/objectives, timely implementation of milestones, performance measures, and assessment of outputs, outcomes, and impacts will be conducted. The plan will specifically include measures for effectiveness of strategies as well as outcomes to build or strengthen the capacity of KSU in research and teaching/education, specifically in the areas of environmental science. The plan will include performance indicators with targets, evaluation methods (qualitative and quantitative), data sources, and related instruments for data collection and analysis, as well as assigned personnel for evaluation activities. Formative evaluation data will be used to improve and refine project activities. The results of major data collection activities will be shared with the project team as they become available to enhance the formative evaluation process. Likewise, during the course of implementation, a feedback mechanism will be developed to communicate problems, issues, and obstacles identified to the project team and appropriate personnel at KSUso recommendations can be addresed in a timely manner. The evaluator will meet with the project team every six months to plan, review, and assess the progress, share feedback, and ensure timely collection and maintenance of appropriate data and project records for evaluation. At end of the project, a summative evaluation report will provide overall conclusions and specific recommendations for institutionalization and sustainability of the project for the continuation of education services to at least three new counties in the study area.

Progress 06/01/23 to 05/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience:During the reporting period, the project team engaged with the following audiences: Scientific Communities:The project team participated in conferences and meetings such as the 2023 Kentucky Academy of Science Annual Meeting, the Southern Rural Sociological Association Annual Meeting, the 2024 ARD Biennial International Scientific Conference, and the American Association of Geographers Meeting and shared the research findings from the project withthe scientific communities. Local Communities: Discussions at the Martin County Extension Office about restoration of surface coal mine sites, including updates on project activities. Conversations at the Small Farms Conference in Williamsburg, Kentucky, where attendees had firsthand experiences with coal mining, including impacts on their lands, family involvement in the industry, and proximity to mining operations. The other audiences were KSU's undergraduate and graduate students, collaborators and staff, landowners, two newly hired field research technicians etc. Changes/Problems:The project needed two-time no-cost extensions to complete all associated tasks related to project objectives due to the impact of COVID-19 in the first year of the project.Objectives One and three have been completed, including developing two graduate thesis projects, completing the household survey, and preparing three manuscripts, which are currently in review.Two students, supported by this grant, graduated in Summer 2023. Objective 2 is partially completed. The student used Light Detection and Ranging (Lidar) data to estimate vegetation growth. However, we also intended to validate the results using field sampling, which required additional time due to the lack of access to the property previously planned for use. We have identified 30 to 40 sample plots in selected reclaimed sites in Eastern Kentucky, measured aboveground vegetation, and estimated biomass productivity using robust models. The graduate students at Tennessee State Universityhave begun compiling Forest Inventory Analysis (FIA) data from the project site. KSU and TSU students will estimate aboveground biomass and ecological productivity in pre-mined, mined, and reclaimed sites. The remaining $113,845 funds obligated to the grant will be spent on students' travel to the field, papers presentation and publication, and PI's partial salary. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The grant funds were used for attending multiple professional development training and workshops, certification, and conference participation and presentations. Following are some highlights: Certification: Kabita Paudel obtained her UAS Remote Pilot Certificate, enhancing her skills and qualifications in unmanned aerial systems for research and fieldwork. The project team (3 students and staff)received 2 days of Wilderness First Aid training to better prepare for the rugged terrain of reclaimed mine sites. Three graduate students from KSU completed First Aid and CPR training to ensure preparedness for emergencies during field activities. The grant fundsallowed multiple students at KSU, and collaborators at TSU, UT to work on a mixed method of social science research to conduct focus groups with landowners and other relevant stakeholder groups in the mining communities and also helped the research and presentation capacity of students and faculty at collaborative institutions to analyze quantitative and qualitative research data, test hypothesis and develop manuscripts for publication. The project team, including students, has attended numerous conferences related to climate change, GIS, and remote sensing data in the reporting period.The participation in these conferences enhanced my knowledge about cutting-edge research methods and new technology in the fields of GIS, remote sensing, climate change, and others. Three students, two staff members, and the PI of the grant (Dr. Gyawali) attended the 2023 Kentucky Academy of Science Annual Meeting; 24th Southern Rural Sociological Association (SRSA) annual meeting and presented papers and posters; attended the 2024 ARD Biennial conference in Nashville, TN, attended 2024 Small farms Conference, Eastern Kentucky Style; Kabita Paudel presented a research paper at American Association of Geographers (AAG) annual meeting. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?During this reporting period, the results of the project have been disseminated through the following methods: Local Community Meetings: Findings were shared at the Martin County Extension Office, focusing on restoring surface coal mine sites and discussing project activities. Conferences and Meetings: The results from the survey have been presented at scientific conferences of professional societies, including the Kentucky Academy of Science Annual Meeting, Southern Rural Sociological Association Annual Meeting, 2024 ARD Biennial International Scientific Conferences, and the American Association of Geographers Meeting, and a manuscript has been developed and submitted to peer-reviewed journals. Engagement with Local Farmers: Insights were shared with attendees at the Small Farms Conference in Williamsburg, Kentucky, including individuals with personal experiences related to coal mining and its impacts. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Objective 1.The output land cover maps from 2004, 2006, 2010, 2016, and 2019 will be overlaid with microclimate, hydrological data, and soil maps. The data will be prepared for use in teaching, training, and workshops and for educating landowners on sustainable land use planning models. Graduate student Shreesha Pandeya is working on her research titled "Impacts of land use land cover changes on the ecosystem services in priority and non-priority watersheds of Big Sandy River Basin." She will have published this research in a high-impact journal by the next reporting period. Objective 2. Forest Inventory Analysis (FIA) data will be paired with remote sensing and GIS data to model the relationship between ecosystem productivity and auxiliary feature information (vegetation indices, LiDAR point clouds, digital elevation models, and digital climate and vegetation maps). Using spatial reference feature data to predict ecosystem health and productivity at a relevant management scale will be assessed. In addition, we have ordered NAIP (National Agricultural Imagery Program) imageries with a resolution of 60 cm for all seven counties. All image and spatial analysis will be carried out in an ArcGIS environment to generate various indices, such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), to model aboveground forest biomass and develop a mechanism for monitoring forest ecosystem productivity over time. Using the model map approach, a land use map of the study area (seven counties) will be generated. Objective 3: The responses from the Appalachian survey will be further assessed to identify local people's and the community's perceptions regarding the use of reclaimed lands for alternative agriculture and other economic entrepreneurship. The feasibility of alternative options will be evaluated, and the survey results will be disseminated to local communities through outreach programs. The results will be published in a journal by the next reporting period. Objective 4: By the next reporting period, atleast two other scientific papers will be developed and submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals--one on exploring alternative strategies for utilizing reclaimed mine lands, utilizing the survey response on the people's perception of surface coal mining and reclamation, and the other on assessing forest productivity and biomass change in the reclaimed mine lands. The project team, including students, will continue to attend conferences, workshops, and seminars on climate change, GIS, and remote sensing data. At least two seminars will be conducted in the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources to provide opportunities for students and faculty to share research experiences and progress. An external evaluator will conduct a summative evaluation of the project. The project team will share project results with local stakeholders at an appropriate forum in Eastern Kentucky.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1 - Examine the different forms of surface mining and the associated landscape change/alterations. Graduate Student Research: Suraj KC, a Master of Science in Environmental Studies student, successfully defended his thesis in July 2023. Thesis title: "Exploring Land Cover Change Trends, Patterns, and Relationships in Eastern Kentucky." The study utilized Geographic Information System (GIS) tools and remotely sensed data, including the National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) and National Land Cover Database (NLCD), as well as a supervised machine learning algorithm, Random Tree Classifier, Suraj analyzed where, how, and when land cover changes occurred from the early 2000s to 2019 (2004, 2006, 2010, 2016, 2019). The research also explored the human-society dimensions by examining the relationship between sociodemographic attributes and land cover changes in the study area. A chapter of this research is currently under review for publication in the journal 'Land.' Moreever, amixed-method survey conducted earlier provided data on citizen perception of landscape change resulting from mining. These responses were analyzed to draw some conclusions on how communities feel and perceive the impacts of mining and landscape changes. Objective 2 - Evaluate the resulting impacts of landscape changes on forest ecosystems and biomass change. Kabita Paudel, initially an MES student and now a Research Associate, defended her thesis titled "A Study of Vegetation Change in Reclaimed Mine Lands in the Lower Levisa Watershed of Eastern Kentucky between 2011 and 2019" in July 2023. She utilized airborne LiDAR data to analyze changes in 13 LiDAR vegetation structural metrics over this period. Kabita Paudel's research findings were published in the high-impact journal "Remote Sensing Applications: Society and the Environment" in June 2024. Her study provided valuable insights into vegetation changes in 18 different mine sites reclaimed at different decades (the 1980s, 90s, 2000s, and 2010s). Field Biomass Data Collection: During the reporting period, KSU students collaborated with students from Tennessee State University on a weeklong field data collection for biomass from reclaimed mine lands. This week-long effort focused on gathering comprehensive field data for biomass modeling.A PhD student from Tennessee State University, Nirmal Thapa's research focuses on biomass modeling in these reclaimed mine sites, using the collected field data and LiDAR data. The team will analyze the data during the next reporting period. Changes in forest ecosystems, especially above-ground woody biomass, are one of the major impacts that mining sites have witnessed in the Appalachian region of eastern Kentucky. With the aim of assessing the impacts of changes on forest productivity and aboveground woody biomass, the required remote sensing data, such as Landsat and Sentinel2 imageries, have been collated, pre-processed, and stored in the geodatabase environment for further processing and analysis. In addition, we recently had our joint fieldwork (Kentucky State University (KSU) and Tennessee State University (TSU) in the mined sites (e.g., Martin County and Pike County) to collect soil and biomass data from the field. We planned to use the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA)'s periodically measured data from these seven counties in order to develop a predictive model for above-ground biomass using GIS and remote sensing imagery. From our field observation, we also noticed that the mined site is going through the primary succession of vegetation growth, which means the present annual and perennial plant species are prerequisites for establishing a secondary succession of vegetation in the area. Once the vegetation is fully destroyed due to any disturbance (e.g., coal mining), the forest area will naturally follow various stages of forest succession. It is possible to accelerate this process through human interventions such as land preparation, seeding, plantation, and grazing management. Besides continuous monitoring of the mined sites, it is imperative that we promote various approaches that lead to the establishment of a healthy ecosystem in mined sites. Objective 3 - Identify optimum use for post-mine lands and identify alternative land management strategies to utilize reclaimed mine lands for agriculture and/or other land management practices and agendas. By analyzing the survey data collected in the first and second year of the project, a long list of post-mine land use options was compared and contrasted in terms of the landowner's interest in adopting and social acceptance of such options in the local communities. In addition, the potential effectiveness of a number of policy stimulants or incentives that may encourage the adoption of post-mine land use practices was identified. The findings from the Appalachian survey responses were analyzed and presented at the 2024 Southern Rural Sociological Association Annual Meeting by graduate student Samuel Oshikoya. Two manuscripts were prepared and are currently in review Exploration of Alternative Land Management Practices was done in multiple ways, such as through surveys, focus group discussions (in the first year), and field visits. Collaboration with Clifford Smith, a landowner of a reclaimed mine land in Martin County, Kentucky, is underway to explore the use of sheep for the control of invasive species such as Sericea lespedeza and for weed management on the reclaimed mine site. A graduate student, Sudip Paudel, explored the suitability of tea plantations on reclaimed mine sites using ArcGIS Pro. While experiments are being planned for the future, this exploration is a significant step towards implementing alternative agricultural practices. The potential for growing pawpaw on reclaimed mine sites is also being investigated, including a thorough literature review to assess the feasibility and benefits of such cultivation. Objective 4: To enhance undergraduate and graduate curriculum and field research opportunities for the students and faculty 18 Master of Science in Environmental Studies (MES) students and six faculty and staff from the College of Agriculture were taken on a field trip to the coal mine sites in Eastern Kentucky. The purpose of the visit was to show the students and faculty the extent of surface coal mining, discuss research opportunities, and discuss the possibility of collaborative research between different labs within the university. The spatial data gathered for the project, such as the Digital Elevation Model, National land Cover dataset, airborne statewide lidar data, boundary data, watershed data, imagery and lidar data collected from UAV, including the normalized American Community Survey (socioeconomic data) purchased for the project from Geolytics Inc., was utilized for more than 30 student projects in the Introduction to GIS and Remote Sensing class over the fall and spring semesters. Dr. Bharat Pokharel and Dr. Aditya Khanal from Tennessee State University and Dr. Demetrio Zourarakis (collaborator and consultant for the project) are serving as committee members of the three graduate students at Kentucky State University. Other accomplishments achieved under the main goal: Strengthened Partnerships: Established a stronger partnership with landowner Clifford Smith, facilitating collaboration on the "Future Farm Appalachia" project. This visionary initiative aims to convert a former coal mine site into a flourishing permaculture farm that exemplifies sustainability and ecological restoration. Collaboration with Ecosystem Restoration Communities (ERC): Engaged in a partnership with Ecosystem Restoration Communities (ERC). ERC supports restoration activities as part of the global ecosystem restoration movement, connecting volunteers with restoration communities and providing technical, educational, and financial support to these initiatives.

Publications

  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2023 Citation: KC, Suraj (2023). Exploring Land Cover Change Trends, Patterns, and Relationships in Eastern Kentucky. A Master's Thesis. Kentucky State University
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2023 Citation: Paudel, K., Gyawali, B., Zourarakis, D. P., (2024). Assessing change in vegetation structural metrics in the reclaimed mine sites in the Lower Levisa watershed using lidar data [Conference presentation]. 2023 Kentucky Academy of Science (KAS) Annual Meeting, Northern Kentucky University, KY, USA. November 24, 2023.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2023 Citation: Paudel, K., Gyawali, B. (2024). Assessing the environmental justice implications of Surface Coal Mining in Eastern Kentucky [Conference presentation]. 2024 Southern Rural sociological Association Annual Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia, Feb 4-5, 2024.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2024 Citation: Gyawali, B., Zourarakis, D. P., Acharya, S., Paudel, K., Sandifer, J. (2024). Studying Flood Hazards in Eastern Kentucky Using Lidar Data [Conference presentation]. Association of 1890 Research Directors Biennial Research Symposium (ARD), Nashville, Tennessee, April 6-10, 2024.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2024 Citation: Pandeya, S., Gyawali, B., Upadhaya, S., Zourarakis, D., Gebremedhin, M. Assessing the Variations of Land Use Land Cover Change in Surface Mining and Reclamation Area of Big Sandy River Basin, Kentucky. Association of 1890 Research Directors Biennial Research Symposium (ARD). Nashville, Tennessee, April 6-10, 2024 (Research Paper in preparation)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2024 Citation: Paudel, K., Gyawali, B., K C, S. (2024). Assessing the impact of landcover change in erosion and sedimentation dynamics in Eastern Kentucky [Conference presentation]. Association of 1890 Research Directors Biennial Research Symposium (ARD), Nashville, Tennessee, April 6-10, 2024.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2024 Citation: Paudel, K., Gyawali, B., Upadhaya, S., K C, S. (2024). Evaluating the Integrated Impact of Land Cover changes and climate Variability on Multiple ecosystem Services in Eastern Kentucky [Conference presentation]. 4th NAPA Biennial International Scientific Conference. Baltimore, Maryland, May 24-26, 2024.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2024 Citation: Oshikoya, S. O., Buddhi, R., Paudel, K., & Nepal, A. (2024). Assessing the ecological and socioeconomic impacts of surface coal mining in the Appalachia region, Kentucky. In Proceedings of the 55th Southern Rural Sociological Association (SRSA) Annual Meeting. Atlanta, GA, USA. February 45, 2024.
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2023 Citation: Paudel Kabita. (2023). A Study of Vegetation Change in Reclaimed Mine Lands in the Lower Levisa Watershed of Eastern Kentucky between 2011 and 2019. A Master's Thesis. Kentucky State University.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Paudel, K., Gyawali, B., Zourarakis, D. P., Gebremedhin, M., & Lucas, S. T. (2024). Use of lidar for monitoring vegetation growth dynamics in reclaimed mine lands in Kentucky. Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment, Volume 36, November 2024, 101277 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsase.2024.101277 .
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2024 Citation: K C, S., Gyawali, B., Lucas, S., Antonious, G., Chiluwal, A., Zourarakis, D. (2024). Assessing Land Cover Change Trends, Patterns, And Transitions in Coalfield Counties of Eastern Kentucky, USA. Land, In Review.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2024 Citation: Poudyal, N. C., B. R. Gyawali, S. Acharya. 2024.Reclamation satisfaction and post-mining land use potential in Southern Appalachia, USA. The Extractive Industry and the Society, In Review.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2024 Citation: Poudyal, N. C., B. R. Gyawali, B. Pokharel, A. Khanal, and K. Paudel (2024). Socioeconomic legitimacy of surface mining: Assessing the role of environmental change, trust, and reclamation satisfaction in Southern Appalachia of Kentucky, USA. Society and Natural Resources, In Review.


Progress 06/01/22 to 05/31/23

Outputs
Target Audience:During this reporting period, our efforts have effectively reached and engaged diverse target audiences. These include: Academic Community: Our activities have directly impacted the academic community, encompassing students, faculty, and staff. Graduate students have been integral participants, benefiting from the grant's training opportunities, conferences, and workshops. The insights and skills gained contribute to their academic pursuits and future careers. Participation in educational and scientific conferences has also allowed the grant collaborators to share insights and strategies related to curriculum development and educational tools with fellow educators. Local Community and Landowners: Our outreach efforts extend to local communities and landowners, especially those residing in regions affected by surface mining. Through surveys and presentations, we have directly engaged with this audience to understand their perspectives, needs, and preferences concerning using reclaimed mine lands. Government and Environmental Agencies: Our interactions with entities like the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet and Ky Open Record Request demonstrate our engagement with government and environmental agencies. These interactions ensure that our research aligns with and contributes to policy discussions and land management decisions. Changes/Problems:One major challenge we faced was obtaining background data on reclaimed mine lands. At the project's onset, it was anticipated and assumed that getting information on post-mining land use, bond release dates, bond boundaries associated with each permit, and revegetation and land preparation details would be readily accessible. However, obtaining information for each permit (Surface Mining Information System (SMIS) website proved cumbersome. To retrieve such information, it was necessary to input the permit number into a query box, which would then load the post-mining land use and other associated data. A separate webpage within the SMIS site must be accessed for bond release date information, requiring inputting the permit number in the query box. The page would subsequently display a list of bonds associated with the permit, and each bond had to be individually clicked to access the bond release information. It is important to note that each license typically had multiple bonds, ranging from 0 to 52 or more, as mining companies often divided the permit area into several bonds and filed additional bonds to cover incremental permit area expansions. Moreover, the SMIS database did not provide information regarding bond boundaries, which had been anticipated as part of the desired dataset. Due to the COVID-related travel restriction and delay in data compilation and collection, we could not complete all tasks within the project period. We extended the project until May. 2024. We expect to complete all assignments and publish the papers from graduate thesis research in the 2023-2024 project period. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project has provided our team members with robust training, skill enhancement, and professional development opportunities, ensuring their proficiency and alignment with the latest technological advancements. For example, in September 2022, our team made a strong presence at the Kentucky Association of Mapping Professionals (KAMP) GIS Conference. During this event, staff, faculty, collaborators, and students, Buddhi Gyawali, Jeremy Sandifer, Whitney Maynard, Suraj KC, and Kabita Paudel got to partake and present, fostering knowledge exchange and networking. The conference also featured insightful pre-conference workshops focused on spatial data science and lidar data mining, which proved invaluable for the growth of both students and staff. Our graduate students also showcased part of their thesis research at the 2023 ASPRS Annual Conference held during Geo Week, February 13 - 15, in Denver, Colorado. This experience gave them feedback and ideas to refine and improve their thesis projects. Graduate student Kabita Paudel also took an Esri Instructor Led Training course on 'Working With Lidar Data in ArcGIS,' gaining hands-on experience with this technology, which helped her with lidar data analysis in her thesis project. Our students, alongside their coursework, engaged in independent learning avenues like Esri's Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) and shared learning with the team members, thereby deepening their understanding of working with spatial datasets. Moreover, our students proactively reached out to pertinent bodies such as the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet and Ky Open Record Request to obtain information on the mine sites in Eastern Kentucky, effectively demonstrating their proactive approach to gathering critical data on reclaimed mine lands. Staff Whitney Tara Maynard, Cynthia Rice, and Jeremy Sandifer have assisted undergraduate and graduate students in their research projects. Acknowledging the essential role of lidar data in our work, students navigated through lidar preprocessing and data handling, effectively leveraging lidar datasets and imagery collected by our staff members, Jeremy Sandifer and William Rogers. Our Principal Investigator (PI), Buddhi Raj Gyawali, equally played a role in staying at the forefront of industry developments. His participation in the 2022 Esri Education Summit and Esri User Conference provided crucial insights into curriculum development within spatial data science and the discovery of new tools beneficial for education and helped foster meaningful networking opportunities. Our project has been a proactive facilitator of multidimensional learning and growth, ensuring that our team members remain adaptive, well-versed, and innovative in the rapidly evolving landscape of spatial data science. This informs and aids in developing the knowledge base and skill set for obtaining the grant objectives. The project has allowed two post-doctoral scholars at the University of Tennessee to gain valuable insights into the social and political dynamics of surface mining and reclamation efforts. One of them had an opportunity to present at the Rural Sociological Society Annual Meeting and have networking opportunities at the professional society. She is currently in the stage of developing a manuscript for journal publication. A doctoral student was hired at Tennessee State University to model biomass loss/gain prediction using field, satellite, airborne drone, and Lidar data. We conducted preliminary soil and water sampling on a surface coal mine site in Martin County with one of our partners. This initial data gathering provided essential insights into the area's environmental conditions. Multiple site visits were carried out to properties that have undergone the reclamation of surface mine lands. These visits allowed us to gain firsthand insights into the practical aspects of land reclamation and its outcomes. Our students and research team actively presented their research findings and independent projects at various conferences, contributing to knowledge dissemination and exchange within the academic community. One of our notable achievements involves the recognition of our graduate students, Kabita Paudel and Suraj K C. Their dedication and work towards achieving the project's objectives as part of their master's research were acknowledged through the prestigious 2022 Kentucky Association of Mapping Professionals (KAMP) graduate scholarship award during the 2022 KAMP Kentucky GIS Conference. Our staff and students have undertaken a range of research tasks, including descriptive and preliminary data analysis of survey results, as well as field activities like soil and water sampling in the reclaimed mine lands using various instruments such as core samplers, soil compact meters, pH meters, and water probes. Moreover, we've meticulously gathered comprehensive information about the reclaimed mine sites, covering aspects like post-mining land use, reclamation age, permit history, acreage, and more. This thorough data collection was accomplished through the Surface Mining Information System (SMIS) website maintained by the Commonwealth of Kentucky and through Open Record Requests to the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet. The amalgamation of this rich information into our research database contributes significantly to the depth and scope of our project. During this period, the collaborators at the University of Tennessee have invested time and leveraged existing data resources to better understand the local support for the surface mining industry in the study area. A structural equation model has been developed to predict the effect of residents' perception of environmental changes, sense of place, trust in local institutions, and confidence in relation efforts on their support for continual support for surface mining. Key results from this assessment indicate that confidence in reclamation efforts does not lead to help in the expansion of mining efforts alone. However, when residents have pre-existing positive attitudes towards mining, confidence in reclamation efforts positively influences support for the development of mining efforts. In sum, the more confident a resident is of reclamation efforts, the less likely they are to have negative attitudes toward mining. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Our participation in conferences and workshops has allowed us to reach broader audiences beyond academia. Presenting our research at events such as the 2022 Kentucky Association of Mapping Professionals (KAMP) GIS Conference, the 2023 ASPRS Annual Conference, and the 2023 Esri User Conference has enabled us to share our insights with professionals, policymakers, and industry stakeholders. These interactions enrich the discourse surrounding the issues we are addressing and contribute to advancing knowledge in these vital areas. We've taken our message to the heart of decision-making by showcasing our research through posters at the capital. This approach aims to catch the attention of policymakers and legislators, facilitating informed discussions on land reclamation policies and environmental management. Buddhi Gyawali, Whitney Tara Maynard, Cynthia Rice, and Jeremy Sandifer organized a panel at the 2022 Kentucky Small Farms Conference. He talked about the impacts of coal mining and geospatial data use in studying landscape change and community development in November 2022. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Building on the progress made during the previous reporting period, our focus will be on further advancing our research, enhancing educational programs, and engaging with local communities and stakeholders. We will actively refine and expand our Empirical Model, which is designed to predict and quantify the impact of land cover changes on forest ecosystems and biomass. In the upcoming period, our focus will be on strengthening the curriculum of specific undergraduate courses, including "Climate Change Studies," "Introduction to Geospatial Science," and "Remote Sensing Application in Environment." This will involve integrating the latest research findings, case studies, and real-world data into the courses to provide students with a dynamic and relevant learning experience. Additionally, we are committed to engaging students in hands-on activities, data analysis, and research projects related to surface mining impacts and forest ecosystems. By fostering practical involvement, we aim to equip students with valuable skills and insights that can translate into meaningful contributions to the field. The PI Buddhi Gyawali will organize a retreat workshop to review undergraduate and graduate curricula in July 2023. All faculty within the School of Agriculture, Community, and the Environment will participate in the workshop and assess the current student and program learning outcomes and ways to make current curricula innovative and relevant to prepare students with essential skills. They will also be involved in professional development training on developing culturally relevant curricula and developing inquiry- and project-based learning modules. Co-PI Jeremy Sandifer will organize a few workshops on UAV-Drone Piloting and analyzing Drone data for agriculture and environmental research and outreach. We will also increase our outreach efforts to local communities and stakeholders to gather qualitative input on alternative land use strategies for reclaimed mine lands and disseminate our findings from the survey and our research in the statewide multiple events and the annual meetings of the Kentucky Academy of Sciences, and Kentucky Association of Mapping Professionals (KAMP). Undergraduate and graduate students will continue to play an active role in research activities, data compilation, and maintaining our geospatial databank. Additionally, we will continue to foster collaborative partnerships with Tennessee State University (TSU) and the University of Tennessee-Knoxville (UT), creating platforms for faculty interaction, student involvement, and the exchange of expertise. We will hire undergraduate students and involve them in experiential learning activities in Martin County to collect soil, vegetation, and water samplings. Recently graduated students will continue to work as full-time research associates and spend time publishing their thesis research. At least three papers will be published in the next reporting period. They will also be research associates encouraged and supported to obtain a certified drone pilot license. A doctoral student from Tennessee State University will collect vegetation data from the study area to estimate biomass loss/gain over the two years. He will integrate classified land cover and field data to calculate the vegetation loss and gain. Whitney Maynard will continue to collect soil and water samples for her capstone research.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Accomplishments under each objective are described as follows: Objective 1:Examine the different forms of surface mining and the associated landscape change/alterations. A study on land cover change trends, patterns, and relationships between land cover and sociodemographic changes between 2009 and 2019 in Eastern Kentucky was carried out by a graduate research assistant, Suraj K C (2021-2023), at Kentucky State University as a part of his master's thesis project. The seven coalfield counties in Eastern Ky were the focus of his study. Results suggest that the reclamation works had a favorable impact, increasing forest land cover and a significant decrease in barren areas. The amount of developed land increased, indicating urban and infrastructure growth. Barren land decreased, indicating successful reclamation operations. Forest cover increased, suggesting the accomplishment of reclamation and ecological balance--paired t-tests found statistically significant changes, particularly an increase in developed land. Moran's I value, and hotspots/cold spots maps were developed to examine spatial autocorrelation, and the results indicated unique patterns in land cover changes. Pearson's correlation coefficients and geographically weighted regression were used to investigate the relationships between land cover data, sociodemographic, and topography. Strong connections were discovered, demonstrating that these factors impact land cover changes. We are preparing two manuscripts for publication in scholarly journals. Objective 2:Evaluatethe resulting impacts of landscape changes on forest ecosystems and biomass change. Graduate student Kabita Paudel completed her master's thesis with title 'A study of vegetation change in reclaimed mine lands in Lower Levisa Watershed of Eastern Kentucky.' Her study (1) analyzed vegetation changes in reclaimed mine lands as changes in vegetation structural metrics using lidar data from 2011 and 2019, (2) compared vegetation growth among the sites reclaimed in different decades (1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s), and 3) predicted the relationship between vegetation growth and site characteristics within the mine boundary. Lidar data was processed to represent various vegetation attributes (lidar metrics). The study focused on three key metrics: maximum vegetation height, mean vegetation height, and canopy density. The results demonstrated that many sites exhibited a significant positive change in vegetation metrics, indicating increased vegetation height, canopy cover, and canopy density over time. Moreover, the analysis revealed a significant increase in the vertical structure of the canopy, evident by distinct changes in height percentiles and increased variability and heterogeneity in vegetation changes within the reclaimed sites. Significant differences in change vegetation metrics between the areas reclaimed at different decades were found, suggesting that the reclamation period is crucial in determining the vegetation growth in reclaimed mine lands. Linear regression was performed to examine the relationship between changes in mean vegetation height and site predictor variables. The regression model demonstrated a relatively low R-squared value, suggesting a moderate model fit. Younger reclaimed sites exhibited higher mean vegetation growth than older ones, highlighting the influence of reclamation age on vegetation growth. Additionally, the post-mining land use categories, including Forest, Fish and Wildlife, and Forest and Fish and Wildlife, positively impacted mean vegetation growth. We are developing a manuscript to publish in a prominent remote sensing journal. Objective 3:Identify alternative strategies for agriculture and entrepreneurship using reclaimed mine lands. This objective was carried out by surveying residents of the 8-county study area. We received a total of 312 responses. Respondents were primarily aged 51-75 years (65%), followed by above 75 years (15%), and age groups 26-50 (13%) and below 25 (1%). Many participants were male (63%) and Caucasian (87%). Educational levels varied, with respondents completing college (26%), graduate degrees (23%), high school or below (23%), and some college/vocational training (22%). Employment status ranged from retired (54%) to full-time jobs (33%), with others having part-time jobs, being farmers, or unemployed. Household income distribution showed a range of income levels. The survey results indicated that many respondents had lived in Eastern Kentucky for approximately 50 years. More than half of the respondents had experienced surface mining on their property, and a significant portion had witnessed it on family, relatives, friends, or community properties. The average mined area for respondents whose property underwent surface mining was around 49.78 acres. Various land uses were reported after mining, including timber production, pasture, and developed land for housing or businesses. Most respondents had never received government support or subsidies for land use or operation. Intended post-mining land use was often aligned with wildlife habitat, forests, and hay/pasture, with varying degrees of success in practice. Responses on reclamation effectiveness highlighted concerns about operators' efforts and restoration outcomes. The survey also captured attitudes towards utilizing reclaimed land for different purposes, with timber production and farmland being the most considered options. The survey findings shed light on community perceptions, preferences, and concerns about utilizing reclaimed mine lands. This information will contribute to a better understanding of how to leverage these lands for sustainable agricultural and entrepreneurial ventures. Two manuscripts are being developed for publication consideration. Objective 4:Enhance undergraduate and graduate curricula and field research opportunities for students and faculty through a collaborative partnership between the three universities. This reporting period has witnessed remarkable achievements that benefit students and faculty through improved learning and research opportunities. Field researcher Whitney Maynard completed the FAA Part 107 Drone Pilot Exam, attaining her drone license. This will allow her to fly drones for research, expanding our capabilities. Another graduate student, Kabita Paudel, who will continue to work on the project as a temporary research associate, is studying and preparing to take the FAA Part 107 Drone Pilot Exam to become a certified remote drone pilot. We completed two impactful graduate theses: one focused on changes in land cover patterns in Eastern Kentucky and another on the transformation of vegetation in reclaimed mine lands. A graduate thesis proposal about water quality in regions impacted by surface coal mining in Eastern Kentucky has also been developed. This proposal sets the groundwork for further research in this vital area. Students and staff made multiple site visits to the reclaimed mine sites to understand their study area better. They utilized the information from the site visits for research planning and collaboration. Graduate students Kabita Paudel from Kentucky State University and Nirmal Thapa from Tennessee State University have teamed up to work on a project about biomass modeling in reclaimed mine lands. Their collaboration involves sharing findings and field data collection for biomass sampling. Dr. Bharat Pokharel (Co-PI) from Tennessee State University provided two seminars on applied statistics for graduate students and research staff. Grant funds were used to present research papers at national conferences. We've also enhanced the GIS Teaching and Research Lab at Kentucky State University, providing a better environment for learning and research.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Kandel. S., J. Sandifer., S. Shrestha., and B. Gyawali. (2023). Identification of Flood Risk Areas and Mapping of them for Flood Insurance Program using Lidar. Journal of Kentucky Academic of Sciences J. of the Kentucky Academy of Science, 83(1-2):1-10 (2023). https://doi.org/10.3101/KYAC-83-01-02-04
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Gyawali B. Paudel K. R. Jeans, Banerjee S. (2023). Adoption of computer-based technology in Agriculture: Opportunities and Barriers. Technology and Society Vol 12 (February 2023, 102202) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2023.102202.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Kandel, S., Gyawali B., Shrestha S., Zourarakis Demetrio, Antonious G., Gebremedhin M., and Pokhrel B.. 2023. Estimation of runoff and sediment yield in response to temporal land cover change in Kentucky, USA. Land 2023, 12(1), 147; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12010147.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Kandel, S. Gyawali, B, Jeremy Sandifer, Sandesh Shrestha and Suraj Upadhaya (2022). Assessment of Urban Heat Island (UHI), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and Land Surface Temperature (LST) in three metropolitan cities of Nepal.Vol 32 (2): Banako Janakari. https://doi.org/10.3126/banko.v32i2.50895 .
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Jones, B.G.; Gyawali, B.R.; Zourarakis, D.; Gebremedhin, M.; Antonious, G. (2022) Soil Loss Analysis of an Eastern Kentucky Watershed Utilizing the Universal Soil Loss Equation. Environments 2022, 9, 126. doi: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3298/9/10/126.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Jean R. Naka, Kozma, Christian C. Gyawali, B. and others. (2022). Identifying Primary Drivers of Participants from Various Socioeconomic Backgrounds to Choose National Forest Lands in the Southeastern Region of the US as a Travel Destination for Recreation. MDPI- Land DOI: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/8/1301.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: 7. Gyawali, B. Shrestha, S., Bhatta, A., Pokharel, B., Antonious, G., Cristan, R., Banerjee, S., Krishna P. (2022). Assessing the Effect of Land-use and Land-cover Changes on Discharge and Sediment Yield in a Rural Coal-mine Dominated Watershed in Kentucky, USA. Water 2022, 14(4), 516; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14040516
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2023 Citation: Paudel, K. (2023). A study of vegetation change in reclaimed mine lands in the lower Levisa watershed of eastern Kentucky. (Unpublished master's thesis). Kentucky State University, Frankfort, Kentucky, USA.
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2023 Citation: K C, S. (2023). Exploring land cover change trends, patterns, and relationships in Eastern Kentucky (Unpublished master's thesis). Kentucky State University, Frankfort, Kentucky, USA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Paudel, K., Gyawali, B. (2023). A Study of Vegetation Growth in Reclaimed Mined Lands in Eastern Kentucky between 2011 and 2019 [Conference presentation]. 2023 ASPRS Annual Conference at Geo Week, February 13  15, Denver, Colorado.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Paudel, K., Gyawali, B., Zourarakis D. (2022). Evaluation of ground cover reclamation success in reclaimed mined sites in Eastern Kentucky, 2010-2021 [Conference presentation]. 2022 Kentucky GIS Conference, Lexington, KY, USA, September 27-29,2022.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: K C, S., Gyawali, B. (2023). Assessing surface coal mining driven landscape changes using supervised machine learning algorithm in eastern Kentucky [Oral Presentation]. 2023 ASPRS Annual Conference at Geo Week, Denver, CO, Feb 13-15, 2023.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Romanini, C., Poudyal, N. C., Gyawali, B., Watkins, C. (2023). Understanding factors determining community support for surface mining. [Oral Presentation]. 2023 Rural Sociological Society (RSS) Annual Meeting. Burlington, VT. August 2-6, 2023.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: K C, S., Gyawali, B., Zourarakis, D.P. (2022). Estimation of potential areas for forest restoration in Pike County, KY, USA [Oral presentation]. 2022 Kentucky GIS Conference By Kentucky Association of Mapping Professionals (KAMP), Lexington, KY, USA, Sep27-29, 2022.


Progress 06/01/21 to 05/31/22

Outputs
Target Audience: The project has broadly touched three different audience groups during this reporting period, including students, adjacent staff at the university, and stakeholders engaged in smallholder agriculture, forestry, and environmental monitoring. Student learners at every level have been engaged in real-world adventures to sites to work directly with people in the field solving problems. We have focused primarily on serving students of low-resource, disadvantaged backgrounds, as well as those living in sparsely populated regions of the state. To extend the reach beyond our direct contacts, we have focused on engaging and finding common solutions with adjacently placed staff who work directly with small farmers, foresters, and students as well in other capacities. Additionally, stakeholders interested in land management and technology for monitoring were reached, including several engaged in reclaimed surface mine land redevelopment for tourism and the economy. Several site visits were made to multiple reclaimed surface mine lands to visit with local stakeholders, farmers, local community members, and government officials engaged in the project directly or indirectly in order to provide opportunities for the real world and expert-based information, much of it informal. These opportunities for students are very valuable for learning how the world works and for understanding the people engaged in this work. Changes/Problems:We encountered issues with the PVA data quality and address mismatch that caused delays in surveying and lower survey response rate. Around 740 mailed Appalachian Reclamation surveys were delivered back as "Return to sender," which is corresponding to a lower response rate than we anticipated. The following are the "Return to sender" reasons listed on the returned mailed survey and the number per reason: Not deliverable as Addresses 200, No Such Number 218, No Mail Receptacle 32, Insufficient Address 98, Refused 40, Unclaimed 2, Vacant 25, Attempted Not Known 70, Deceased 5, No Such Street 35, and Forward Time Expired Return to Sender 15. We are discussing alternative ways of reaching out to additional property owners to meet our goal for the survey, which is 500 completed surveys. At the time of grant proposal development in 2019, it was assumed and brought into evidence that the clarification of the earlier imagery is limited in availability due to the early advancements, limited data acquisition, and limited radiometric resolutions. Therefore, quality imagery for some years since 1973 are not available or are only partially available, which may affect biomass change estimates. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Multiple opportunities for knowledge transfer, training, or skill development were provided or aided by grant activities in an effort to keep team members up to date and in the know. For example, project team members and graduate students attended a training on June 8-10, 2021, organized by GeoTech Center, in Louisville, Kentucky. The training provided better use of ArcGIS Toolsets and automating tools. The PI (Dr. Gyawali) attended ESRI's 2021 Virtual Education Summit. The summit was helpful to learn higher education curriculum development, networking, and spatial data science. Students and staff attended a pre-conference workshop offered by the Kentucky Associate of Mapping Professionals (KAMP) in September 2021. Two graduate students completed lab safety training in order to access additional facilities and equipment at the university. Staff Cynthia Rice and Whitney Tara Maynard assisted two graduate students, Kabita Paudel and Suraj KC, to set up GIS Workshop Tutorials/series provided by Esri's AGOL learning series and other ArcGIS essentials. A collaborator and visiting professor Dr. Demetrio Zourarakis provided multiple guest presentations to new graduate students to prepare them for use of GIS and compile and process lidar data. Jeremy Sandifer and William Rogers demonstrated lidar and software used to process the lidar collected from the collaborative project sites, in conjunction with MOU agreements, and as part of other outreach and training obligations. Staff, faculty and collaborators Buddhi Gyawali, Jeremy Sandifer, Cynthia Rice, Whitney Maynard, Maheteme Gebremedhin, Demetrio P. Zourarakis, and Bharat Pokharel assisted graduates and undergraduates with utilizing geospatial technologies and toolsets to measure spatial and spectral properties of reclaimed surface mine lands. This learning initiative, taught in and outside the classroom, provided learning exercises with lidar and Remotely Sensed Data (Imagery). Students learned additional training via remote sensing class such as NDVI, NDMI, other indices, raster functions and use of LIDAR point cloud data in Arc Pro. Students received skillsets on creating Digital Surface Models, Digital Elevation Models, and classifying LIDAR Point Clound Data. Results accumulated across the exercises inform and aid the development of the knowledge base and skill set for characterizing the natural lands we study as part of stated grant objectives. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Since the last reporting period, the results from the focus group discussion were used to create a household survey to reach the target audience of reclaimed surface mine land owners and local residents in the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field Region of our study area. These results developed the household survey in which 2,833 surveys were mailed out to reclaimed mineland owners sampled using GIS data overlayed with the PVA Data, which helped to identify many of the contacted land owners. The household survey also reached folks at local events such as farmers' markets. More than 15 interviews were conducted with local land owners and concerned citizens calling about the reclamation survey they have received in the mail. Many times, it is intriguing and interesting to hear the many stories that land owners have shared. With permission, their experiences will be compiled and documented to share their stories and contribute to the grant's research toward local livelihoods. Various outreach events were included as well. Whitney Tara Maynard coordinated KSU's participation in the Hillbilly Day Event in Pike County, Kentucky. Nine project staff and graduate students reached out to well over 200 people. The booth served as a talking point about reclaimed mine lands; we also handed out and discussed the reclamation survey. The poster presentation was set up at a booth where locals from our study area could ask questions. Information on the poster pertained to surface mining statistics, mine land reclamation, and focus group results. In addition, we discussed the survey broadly and continue to receive new responses from the local community members. Website development is in the process to share project results with the public. Here is a testimonial to highlight the impact, "One occasion conducting fieldwork with KSU collaborator and reclaimed mine land property owner, we were approached by his land neighbor who uses his reclaimed property for grazing cattle. The neighbor asked what we were doing. His demeanor was inquisitive and guarded in the beginning, but by the end of talking with him, his attitude lightened up. This is progress in reaching members of communities who have been let down in the past and have become questionable of outsiders' intentions. After having an open discussion with the neighbor gentleman he was a little more understanding about what we were doing near his property." The project team also attended the Shaping of Appalachian Region (SOAR) Summit in Corvin, Kentucky. We set a demonstration Exhibit and shared posters and surveys. Graduate students and the project team attended multiple meetings, such as the Association of Research Directors (ARD) and Southern Rural Sociological Association (SRSA) annual conferences, and presented papers and posters. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will complete the reclamation survey and begin analyzing data (Objective 3). Land cover change maps will be finalized and validated with the help of graduate students. Two graduate students will complete their thesis that relates to grant Objectives 1 and 2. Under Objective 1, we will offer multiple trainings to enhance institutional research capacity. We will process key benchmark and vegetation change datasets and make them available for undergraduate and graduate research and for public consumption. We will offer workshops for the real end-users (students, faculty, and research staff), the landowners, official and non-official foresters, and their agents in the field. We are already drafting and rehearsing a series of stakeholder and agent training workshop series for an introduction to unmanned aerial systems (drones). We are also directly contributing lab training and skill development to the experts serving the individual stakeholders, maximizing access to the available technology for land management planning and monitoring of natural resources. We will develop a catalog that will be made available using a combination of the ESRI suite of products and other available cloud and web features under development now for sharing products. In support of objective four (4), curriculum development, and to strengthen the project team's research capacity and knowledge in forestry dynamics and accumulation in biomass, we will continue to collaborate with the experts in forestry management to better understand forest characterization. We will collaborate in adapting our datasets and drone technology to capture data relevant for a wide variety of projects and use provided feedback to optimize our planned products. We will also continue to work with the forestry department agent on several KSU campus-local demonstration projects showcasing the utility of the drone and sensor technology for quantifying the total extent and change in invasive species. An active example at Cove Springs Park involves the Franklin County Invasive Species Task Force and KSU students and staff to quantify the biomass of the various layers in the canopy and understory of the forest. These quantities and processes transfer to the sites in Eastern Kentucky. We also plan to continue to expand the data collection and processing to encompass the several mine sites located in Martin and Pike counties using the same methods described above to suit the interests and requests of the various concerned stakeholders. Graduate students will perform fieldwork on reclaimed mine sites for collecting ground truth data for results validation. Lidar data will be collected for the study sites, once in summer and once in fall, to capture data at leaf-on and leaf-off conditions. In addition to the collection of airborne lidar data, lidar tiles for the study area will be downloaded from the study years. After data collection, data visualization, cleaning, and preprocessing of data will be done so as to ready it for analysis. To acquire the necessary skills needed for the handling of LIDAR data, necessary lessons, tutorials and MOOC will be taken from ESRI's website and other platforms. Literature review of the relevant articles, books, and papers will be performed. Two graduate students who started the MES program in fall 2021 will work closely with the collaborator from Tennessee State University to learn additional statistical tools and to develop the biomass estimation model. They will spend fall 2022 and spring 2023 on data analysis and manuscript writing. The third part-time student, who started in spring 2022, will develop a thesis proposal in summer 2022 to study water quality variation in the mined and reclaimed properties. The collaborators from Tennessee State University (TSU) will hire a doctoral student in the summer of 2022 to work partially in the biomass estimate component of the project. KSU's graduate students will closely work with the TSU student and the collaborator for field sampling and use of the Forest Inventory Analysis dataset for validation of lidar-based biomass modeling. The collaborator from the University of Tennessee (UT) Knoxville will take a lead in analyzing the survey data, student training, and developing models to understand the perception of reclaimed landowners on the utilization of reclaimed lands. The project team will collectively be involved in developing research presentations and publications in the next reporting period.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Accomplishments under each objective are described as follows. Objective 1: Examine the different forms of surface mining and the associated landscape change/alterations. We continuously collect satellite imagery and Light Detection and Ranging (lidar) data to update the dynamic geodatabase with comparable time-series imagery of the landscape in our study area, examining the different forms of surface mining and associated landscape changes. One study conducted on reclaimed surface mine lands derived land and surface mine lands cover types. This study analyzed Multispectral Satellite Imagery of Landsat-8 imagery using maximum likelihood classifier. The same Landsat 8 2018 imagery were used to create a Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Another study assessed the land cover changes in Pike County, Kentucky, from 2001-2019. Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper + ETM and Landsat 9 Operational Land Imager (OLI) sensors were classified to detect land cover change. NDVI images were also created for the same time period. Preliminary results from year 2001-2019 suggested forest and developed land increased, while barren, water and light vegetation areas decreased. In another analysis, we created NDVI maps on multiple reclaimed mine land sites over various years and examined the biomass loss and gain, as well as identified specific times when the vegetation biomass was low. The results indicated that vegetation on reclaimed surface mine lands were much less vigorous. These results were presented at the ARD conference. Citations for these presentations are provided in the Products section. Objective 2: Evaluate the resulting impacts of landscape changes on forest ecosystems and biomass change. Notable progress includes the development of two graduate thesis proposals. The first proposal aims to develop a lidar-based biomass estimation model for assessing vegetation growth in reclaimed mine land and compare vegetation growth in several reclaimed mine lands in the Levisa Fork watershed of Eastern Kentucky. Lidar tiles for the study area are being downloaded from KyFromAbove website for the years 2011 and 2019. Lidar data for the year 2022 are being collected for the study area plots with the help of a recently purchased laser scanner (Zenmuse) that was mounted on a UAV drone. Ten sites that were barren in 2011 but show some form of vegetation growth in 2019 were selected for the study. Within each site, 10 circular plots with a 10 m radius were randomly selected, and lidar plot metrics are being created for each of them. Lidar plot metrics such as height, intensity, and canopy cover categories are derived, which will be employed as independent predictors of above-ground biomass in regression analysis. In support of Objective 2's specific task for assessing attributes and changes in forest productivity and biomass attributes, Co-PI Jeremy Sandifer and UAV Drone research assistant William Rogers are using new L1 lidar system (Zenmuse). Several sites are revisited on a regular schedule in order to capture baseline temporal data illustrating the changing nature of the forest in areas all across Appalachia. Multiple 1,000-plus acre sites are included in our new collaborator's property in Martin County, Kentucky. Two visits were made so far, and two more are planned over the next short period to collect benchmark vegetation data. An additional key activity supporting objective 2 during this period included Whitney Tara Maynard's effort in further developing a new beta version of the Reclaimed Surface Mine Land Survey using Survey 123. Objective 3: to identify alternative strategies to utilize reclaimed mine lands for agriculture and other entrepreneurship. We held two virtual Focus Group Sessions to discuss and identify how reclaimed surface mine lands are utilized and managed by the property owner and identify alternative land management practices on reclaimed mine lands for agriculture. Local individuals of the study community were identified through previous personal/public connections, such as family, school, teachers, public figures, and public information, etc. The sample methodology used virtual snowball sampling and hoped to create diverse participants. Results from focus group sessions indicated local landowners own many reclaimed surface mine land properties. The majority of the known lands were either abandoned or idle (i.e. not in any agricultural or business use), development, or outdoor activities, and few participants knew about land used for grazing. Many participants shared their special connection to the land and how surface mining has changed that image. Some participants shared their concerns with surface mining and reclamation practices. Many responses indicated a close tie to the land. During the reporting period, we designed and deployed the Appalachian Reclamation Survey. This survey includes multiple questions to explore how locals perceive alternative land management practices on their reclaimed mine lands, identify alternative land management practices for agriculture, and identify local needs to manage their land. Survey questionnaires were mailed from the identified reclaimed surface mine landowners list obtained from PVA database.Preliminary results indicated that 253 out of 2,833 of the mailed surveys were returned (8.93%). We are waiting for more responses to begin the data analysis. Objective 4: Enhance undergraduate and graduate curricula and field research opportunities for students and faculty through a collaborative partnership the three universities. Field researcher Whitney Maynard and two graduate research assistants, Kabita Paudel and Suraj KC, are studying and preparing to take the FAA Part 107 Drone Pilot Exam to become certified remote drone pilots. The drone pilot license permits students and staff legal requirements to fly an unmanned aircraft (drone). The lidar and other satellite imagery data were utilized in teaching AFE489/ENV589 Remote Sensing of Environment in spring 2022. Other accomplishments achieved The project team met with both internal and external evaluators July 7-10, 2021, in Pikeville, Kentucky. The meeting centered around open discussion, including the different reclamation approaches, known and theorized problems of surface mining, the history of coal, surface mining reclamation, and regulations, etc. We also made multiple site visits to reclaimed surface mine land properties. These tours were led by local stakeholders of reclaimed surface mine lands with knowledge of surface mining and reclamation. We noted the general physical landscape differences, dominant vegetation type, and general soil types. The information acquired from the site visits was then utilized in team research planning and collaboration. The grant team also met with a reclaimed surface mine land owner. The team discussed potential collaboration efforts utilizing his land to conduct vegetation, soil, and water sampling and students' field research and education. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was established between the local property owner of reclaimed surface mine land that intersects with two of the study area counties. In collaboration with the property owner, the agreement creates opportunities for students, staff, and faculty to gain imperative research accessibility to reclaimed surface mine lands. We also compiled PVA parcel maps from four out of seven counties in the study region. These parcel maps were used for sampling and identifying the main target participants for the Reclamation household survey. Queries and data manipulations identified many reclaimed surface mine land owners for a survey and future outreach.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Paudel, K., Gyawali, B., Zourarakis, D.P., Sandifer, J., Maynard, W.T., Gebremedhin, M. & Pokharel, B. (2022). Estimation of biomass change in reclaimed mined lands in Knott County, Kentucky, 2010-2021 [Conference presentation]. 2022 Association of 1890 Research Directors 20th Biennial Research Symposium, Atlanta, GA, USA, April 2-5, 2022.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: KC, S., Gyawali, B., Zourarakis, D.P., Sandifer, J., Maynard, W.T., Gebremedhin, M., & Pokharel, B. (2022). Assessing Surface Coal Mining Driven Landscape Changes Between 2001 and 2019 in Pike County, Kentucky [Conference presentation]. 2022 Association of 1890 Research Directors 20th Biennial Research Symposium, Atlanta, GA, USA, April 2-5, 2022.
  • Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Maynard, W.T. B. Gyawali (2021) Permitted Mine Boundaries Classified by spectral properties of Landsat 8 Analysis Ready Data. Remote Sensing Final Project Class Presentation, Kentucky State University May 10, 2022.


Progress 06/01/20 to 05/31/21

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audiences in this project include stakeholders from Appalachia with experience in surface mining and reclamation efforts. The audience also includes government officials, educators at the high school and college level, local NGOs, and other organizations working for environmental stewardship. Additional target audiences are students, faculty, Extension agents, and individual surface mine-land and reclaimed property owners, and mine-land workers, and mine industries. Activities performed during the reporting period have reached out to many local residents and stakeholders who participated and provided input during the focus group discussion. This has helped us include public input in the social inquiry portion of our research, as well as helped us create networks of stakeholders with a common interest to best utilize the mined lands. Changes/Problems:COVID-19 has created some complications in obtaining data in a timely fashion due to office closure, such as obtaining PVA data. The PVA office has been closed or working from home, which has made it difficult for them to keep up with all orders. COVID-19 safety guidelines and restrictions have made it difficult to travel to particular sites and locations to conduct water and soil sampling. This also delayed hiring graduate and undergraduate students for soil and water sampling and finalizing the survey questionnaire. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project team (Dr. Buddhi Gyawali and Whitney Maynard) attended the following professional development training and workshops over the reporting period. These are helpful for the project team to accomplish grant-related tasks. Training and workshops have allowed them to expand their knowledge in newer methods of handling geospatial data and classified images in ArcGIS Pro and ERDAS Imagine. Training activities included Google Earth Engine Fundamentals with Hands-on Training 4/16/2021 ASPRS 2021 Workshop: Combining Deep Learning with Object-Based Image Analysis 4/21/2021 Utilizing online tutorials to strengthen the skill set in ERDAS Imagine software. Whitney Maynard attended the following additional Professional Development training KAMP NG911 Networking Event 02/24/2021 American Association of Geographers 02/25/2021 - 03/05/2021 Analytics for Agriculture 03/25/2021 Introduction to Python in Geospatial Technology including the use of Notebooks 04/08/2021 Arc Hydro: Support for Hydrologic and Hydraulic Modeling 4/14/2021 American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) - PSW & SDSU Spring Technical Meeting 4/16/2021 ASPRS The Imaging and Geospatial Information Society - Annual Conference 03/29/2021 - 04/02/2021 Southern Regional Science Association 04/06/2021 - 04/09/2021 Climate Change in Extension: Elevating and Amplifying Action" Monday, April 19 through Wednesday, April 21, 2021, 04/19/2021 - 04/21/2021 Remote Pilot in Extension: Getting Started Additional activities during this period have allowed Whitney Maynard, a field research assistant, to learn about the process of designing and implementing social science surveys. She has worked closely with the Social Scientist CO-PI (Dr. Neelam Poudyal) in developing a checklist for focus group discussion, recruiting participants, and organizing the focus group meeting, and has learned the details of sampling and administration of a social survey. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?During the reporting period, the project team organized two virtual focus group discussions. Each discussion had 15 participants with various backgrounds in demographics, experience in mining and reclaimed land properties, and affiliation. Many tasks associated with each objective were not completed or were delayed due to COVID-19 impacts. Therefore, we were not able to share specific results with the target audiences and community of scholarship. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We plan to accomplish stated tasks for each objective during the next reporting period. We will also complete the tasks that we could not complete in the first year due to COVID-19. The project team will meet with both internal and external evaluators in July to review and revise activities. We plan to hire a graduate and two undergraduate students, one local part-time field staff for soil and water sampling. We will begin surveying local residents from July 2021. We are also compiling PVA parcel maps from seven counties. We plan to receive them in June. These parcel maps will be used for sampling to collect both in-situ and conducting a household survey. PVA data will identify the ownership of land and the associated land use. Specifically, regarding Objective 1, we will complete preparing geodatabase such as NAIP and Landsat, LIDAR, and other imageries. We will classify images and create NDVIs from the 1973-2021 time-lapse series. This time series of NDVIs will create a time-lapse series of the biomass loss and gain over a period of time in relation to landscape changes via surface mining in the study area. Surface mine types and methods used will be researched further to describe particular post-mine lands and their associated land use. Regarding Objective 2, we use classified maps and NDVIs to examine biomass loss and gain and types/heath of biomasses that support healthy forest ecosystems. We will identify and measure changes and impacts on forest ecosystems by analyzing species types, succession patterns, etc. using NAIP imagery. We will create time-lapse series of NDVIs to identify vegetation health, vegetation types, and abundance over a period. Once we receive instruments, we will collect soil and water samples and measure heavy metals present, water quality in regard to salinity, conductivity, turbidity, pH, and dissolved oxygen. Regarding Objective 3, after we receive approval from IRB, we will launch the survey in July to 1,000 local residents to explore how locals perceive alternative land management practices on their reclaimed mine lands. We will also collaborate with owners of reclaimed mine land properties and organizations such as Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR) and Green Forests Work for their assistance to the survey. We will also seek their assistance for collecting field samples, and organizing workshops in their communities. Regarding Objective 4, we will attend multiple training workshops to enhance research and data analysis capacity. Two graduate and undergraduate students will begin to work in project-related activities and earn research experience and strengthen their research skills. They will begin assisting the PI in preparing two manuscripts and data and course materials to use for the classes. We will attend two conferences to present the initial results of the research.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? We have made progress with several activities under four objectives, which aim to evaluate the resulting impacts of landscape changes on forest ecosystems and identify alternative strategies to utilize mined lands. Accomplishments under each objective are described as follows. Objective 1 - Examine the different forms of surface mining and the associated landscape change/alterations. We have begun downloading Landsat, National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP), and Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) data from the 1973-2021 time-lapse series from KY GeoPortal. We have hired field staff (Whitney Maynard) to compile these data and create a time-lapse series of the visual landscape changes via surface mining in Eastern Kentucky, Appalachia. We have also begun obtaining PVA (Property Valuation and Assessment) data from seven counties from the study area. Four out of seven counties have already received payments for the purchase of such data. COVID-19 has caused a delay in obtaining and processing such data. PVA data will identify ownership of properties and the associated land use in each parcel. We are making some progress on receiving Reclamation Performance bonds data. Our field staff has begun downloading this type of information from the Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation Enforcement. PVA datasets will be overlaid in a GIS platform along with the Reclamation Performance Bonds, which detail the reclamation activities for post-mine land use. Objective 2 - Evaluate the resulting impacts of landscape changes on forest ecosystems and biomass change. This objective has been delayed due to travel restrictions in collecting in-situ data. COVID-19 travel restrictions affected our UAV and field data collection. This objective also relates to outcomes of Objective 1 that have not been accomplished yet. We will begin collecting field data related to Objective 2 in June 2021. Objective 3 - Identify optimum use for post-mine lands and identifying alternative land management strategies to utilize reclaimed mine lands for agriculture and/or other land management practices and agendas. We organized two virtual Focus Group Discussions to see what locals are already implementing on their reclaimed property and how they perceive alternative land management practices on reclaimed mine lands in Eastern Kentucky on March 29 and April 5, 2021 (the verbatim transcripts of the sessions are attached herewith). The discussion lasted for two hours. Dr. Buddhi Gyawali (PI) discussed project objectives and grant opportunities for local residents to participate in various grant-related activities and workshops. We hired a facilitator to moderate the discussions. We conducted an in-depth review of published and gray literature to develop a list of novel questions on these topics. Based on this, a checklist (guiding questions) was established and used to ask participants to voluntarily provide answers and feedback. The feedback of these discussions is being used for developing a survey for the greater population. The survey is at its final phase and will be sent to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) soon. We plan to lunch the survey to the selected population in the study area around the first week of July. The purpose of the survey is to collect perceptions on alternative land management practices on their reclaimed mine lands. During the reporting period, we have ordered the purchase of field research instruments that will measure heavy metals present, water quality in regard to salinity, conductivity, turbidity, and pH, and dissolved oxygen. These instruments will arrive around the second week of June. We have also ordered field supplies to use for collecting field data. The newly hired field staff, Ms. Maynard, met with teachers, governments officials, environmental non-profit organizations performing reclamation on reclaimed mine lands, mine- and reclaimed landowners, and residents to gather information on how reclaimed mine landowners are using their land and what other opinions locals have about how to utilize reclaimed mine lands. This will be a continuation throughout the lifetime of this project to gain more knowledge about reclaimed mine lands in the Appalachian region of Eastern Kentucky. Other accomplishments achieved under the main goal The findings from the literature review and qualitative information obtained from focus groups were used to develop a 6-page, semi-structured survey questionnaire (a draft copy is attached), which is currently being reviewed/further refined before conducting a full-blown survey this summer. This survey instrument will measure the societal perception of change in landscapes and ecosystem services because of surface mining. It is framed to also measure local residents' acceptability of alternative land use strategies and landowners' likelihood of adopting these strategies in effectively utilizing mined lands. The survey will take about 15 minutes to complete and will be launched using mixed methods such as mail, online, and in-person interviews. We don't have any publication to report yet from this data. However, we are currently preparing a manuscript from structural equation modeling of social survey data collected from the previous project in Appalachia. The results from the model show that confidence in reclamation efforts is positively influenced by place attachment, trust in the mining industry, and belief that reclamation efforts have had positive impacts on the environment. Confidence in reclamation efforts, in turn, does not lead to support in the expansion of mining efforts alone. However, when local residents have pre-existing positive attitudes toward mining, confidence in reclamation efforts does positively influence support for the expansion of mining efforts. In addition, the more confident a local resident is of reclamation efforts, the less likely they are to have negative attitudes toward mining. Model is unique in its linkage of place attachment and beliefs about environmental changes to local trust in mining reclamation efforts. Here is the working title: Watkins, C., N. C. Poudyal, and B. Gyawali. 2021. Influence of perceived reclamation efforts on local support for surface mining expansion. Society and Natural Resources, In Preparation.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: 1.Ojha Santosh K., Wubishet Tadesse, Christopher M. Oswalt, Buddhi Gyawali (2020). Occurrence, density, and distribution of longleaf pine regeneration in southeastern forests: An assessment by forest type, disturbance, and site quality. Forest Ecology and Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2020.118755.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Other Year Published: 2021 Citation: Watkins, C., N. C. Poudyal, and B. Gyawali. 2021. Influence of perceived reclamation efforts on local support for surface mining expansion. Society and Natural Resources, In Preparation.