Forest Litter as a Seed Source in Coal Mine Reclamation in the Southwest

• Main Authors: Day, A. D., Ludeke, K. L.
• Other Authors: University of Arizona
• Language: en_US
• Published: University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ) 1990
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10150/609138; http://arizona.openrepository.com/arizona/handle/10150/609138

Forest litter, a good source of organic matter and seeds, was applied on undisturbed soil and on coal mine soil (spoils) in experiments conducted on the Black Mesa Coal Mine near Kayenta, Arizona over a 2 -year period (1977 - 1978). Germination, seedling establishment, plant height, and ground cover were evaluated for two seeding treatments (forest litter and no forest litter) and two soil- moisture treatments (natural rainfall and natural rainfall plus irrigation). The forest litter was obtained at random from the Coconino National Forest, broadcast over the surface of the soil materials, and incorporated into the surface 5 cm of each soil material. Germination, seedling establishment, plant height, and ground cover on undisturbed soil and coal mine soil were higher when forest litter was applied than when it was not applied and when natural rainfall was supplemented with sprinkler irrigation than when rainfall was not supplemented with irrigation. Applications of forest litter and supplemental irrigation may insure successful establishment of vegetation on areas disturbed by open -pit coal mining.