Performing Department
Plant & Soil Sciences
Non Technical Summary
Land disturbance by surface and underground mining, natural gas extraction and pipeline construction, logging, agriculture, urban development, and road/highway construction will continue to increase as population and land use demands grow. This project focuses on reclaiming disturbed lands to productive post-disturbance land uses. Characterizing physical and chemical properties of the soil material placed on the surface and determining their capability will largely aid in selecting the appropriate and potential land use opportunities for that site. Characterization also allows an evaluation of amendments or alterations that should be applied to prepare the site for the selected land use and provide information about best management practices.Accepted post-disturbance land use categories available for disturbed sites are 1) agriculture, 2) forestry, 3) wildlife habitat and recreation, and 4) urban and building site development. For example, agricultural land uses include pasture, hay land, row crops, horticultural crops (small fruits, grapes, flowers, vegetables, ornamentals, and fruit trees), biofuel crop production, and other specialty crops. Disturbed lands can be reforested with a variety of tree species such as the hardwoods (oak, maple, poplar, hickory, ash, cherry, etc.) for long-term sustainability, chestnut to re-introduce this species into the Appalachian forest, woody crops such as hybrid poplars and sycamore for biomass and biofuel production, and other trees for special uses.Wildlife habitat post-mining land uses require re-establishing a varied vegetation composition with some grasses, shrubs, and trees in a pattern conducive to animal and bird movement and feeding. Recent attention has focused on these lands for pollinators and migratory bird habitat. Recreational land uses could include hiking trails and camping areas, hunting clubs, water bodies for fishing and boating activities, and wild lands with aesthetic values. Building site development can support residential, commercial and industrial development. Such areas can include land for housing developments or home sites, stores and malls, hospitals, schools, government buildings, small industrial complexes or energy parks that provide for manufacturing and production facilities, and electrical generation by wind turbines, solar arrays, or power plants. Critical information regarding site location, terrain and slope, elevation, soil properties, surrounding land use and proximity to towns for labor and infrastructure, transportation and accessibility, and utilities are important to the development of suitable and sustainable post-disturbance land uses.
Animal Health Component
75%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
0%
Applied
75%
Developmental
25%
Goals / Objectives
1. Determine and refine techniques for predicting appropriate materials to place on the surface for reclamation and evaluate their effectiveness.2. Evaluate properties of soil materials placed on the surface and assess their suitability for a variety of land uses such as agriculture, forestry, building site potential, recreation, and energy production.3. Examine the production potential of plant communities and crops to achieve the desired post-disturbance land use.4. Assess changes in soil and water quality with time on previously-mined sites and determine post-disturbance land use sustainability.
Project Methods
Objective 1: New techniques and processes are continually being developed for reclaiming disturbed areas. Studies to investigate the usefulness and application of new products and techniques have been initiated. For example, current methods to predict the acid-producing potential of rocks being disturbed during mining and highway construction are being further refined to eliminate the possibilities of contaminant generation and release into surface waters (Cook et al., 2008; Daniels et al., 2016; Odenheimer et al., 2013; Skousen, 2017). As methods are implemented, monitoring of their effectiveness is necessary (Skousen et al., 2002). The detection of heavy metals and other pollutants in soil materials needs additional work and research, especially as federal and state regulations decrease the limits that such materials can contain (Roy and McDonald, 2013). Field and laboratory studies can be used to leach and measure contaminant generation from materials which can then be used to more accurately predict contaminant release.Objective 2:Studies will determine the physical and chemical properties of soil materials placed on the surface for areas that have been reforested and used for biomass production. When using waste materials or byproducts, attenuation of potentially toxic components also may be significantly influenced by the rate of application and decomposition rates. The physical and chemical characteristics of wastes and receiving soils will determine the potential fates of nutrients and metals. Laboratory, greenhouse, and field experiments will be initiated by researchers at WVU to determine these properties and the utilization of various combinations of waste materials to amend contaminated or disturbed soils (Wilson-Kokes et al., 2013). Various rates (with suitable controls) to determine the optimum combinations for revegetation and water quality will be determined.Objective 3: Studies on survival and growth of plants seeded or planted on disturbed areas will be initiated. On some sites, reforestation is the preferred post-disturbance land use and hardwood trees with commercial value will be planted. Growth rates and prediction of harvestable timber will be done over various time frames (Dallaire and Skousen, 2019). Survival and growth of plants the support other forestry uses will continue including chestnut (Skousen et al., 2018) and wildlife shrubs (Monteleone et al. 2018). On areas where biomass is to be grown for ethanol or fuel, methods for establishing the crop and harvesting the material will be tested (Caterino et al. 2020). Other products such as hemp will be studied (Scott et al., 2016).Objective 4: Soil quality is an important component of land use sustainability. Determining the appropriate material to place on the surface must be based on its current quality but also to its predicted nature over time (Pena-Yewtukhiw et al., 2017). Some materials may weather over time and release nutrients or metals in amounts that are too small or too great for the intended land use (Odenheimer et al., 2013). Weathering studies to determine the long-term development of these soils and their properties need to be developed and used.In some disturbed areas, water quality has been impacted because of disturbing acid-producing materials in soils or geologic materials (Skousen et al., 2019). Land disturbance and reclamation projects must not degrade soils or water resources, and must promote a sustainable land use. Therefore, studies to determine the quality of soils and water on disturbed sites are important. Leaching studies in column experiments can give valuable information on the potential of water contamination by soil materials placed on disturbed lands. Additional studies will be conducted to monitor water quality from surrounding streams and from other sites disturbed for various reasons. In cases where water has been contaminated, a method for treating the water is necessary before discharge into receiving streams. Methods of treatment include active treatment systems (the use of chemicals such as lime, soda ash, caustic soda, ammonia, or organic compounds) and passive systems (wetlands, limestone channels, limestone fines, or anoxic limestone drains). Treatment effectiveness with these methods depends on the flow rate, the amount of metals or pollutant in the water, and site conditions. In addition, costs for building the system and operating and maintenance costs greatly influence the method selected and constructed. Studies are on-going of cost effective and suitable treatments for contaminated water (Skousen et al., 2017; Skousen and Ziemkiewicz, 1996).