|
than the average amount of snow fell on this area during
<br />the winter of 1977 -1978. Consequently, vegetative cover
<br />greatly increased during the second growing season. In
<br />1978, average percent stand was greater for all topsoiled
<br />treatments than for the nontopsoiled treatments (Table
<br />4). Also, stand rating increased linearly with topsoil
<br />thickness (r = 0.90); these increases were similar to in-
<br />creases of intermediate wheatgrass and wheat herbage
<br />production in the greenhouse experiment. On the aver-
<br />age, Bromus biebersteinii, B. inermis, Agropyron de-
<br />sertorum, A. intermediam, A. riparium, A. smithii,
<br />Dactylis glomerata, Phleuin pratense, Medicago saliva,
<br />Astragalus ricer, and Coronilla varia, as a group, com-
<br />posed 85% of the stand on all topsoiled and nontop -•
<br />soiled plots.
<br />CONCLUSIONS
<br />The thickness of the topsoil material placed over mine
<br />spoils directly influenced plant growth. In the green-
<br />house, above- and below - ground growth of intermedi-
<br />ate wheatgrass and wheat increased with topsoil thick-
<br />ness (up to the depth of 46 cm of topsoil used in this
<br />study). In the field, after growing conditions improved
<br />during the second growing season, stand ratings in-
<br />creased with topsoil thickness (up to 46 cm of topsoil).
<br />There was no particular advantage or disadvantage to
<br />mixing topsoil with spoil. In the greenhouse, herbage
<br />and root yields were about the same when grown in the
<br />same amount of topsoil, whether mixed with spoil or
<br />applied separately on top of spoil.
<br />Nitrogen fertilizer increased above- and below -
<br />ground growth of intermediate wheatgrass on topsoil
<br />and spoil in the greenhouse. The enhanced herbage and
<br />root growth caused by the N could be an additional aid
<br />in soil development and stabilization on reclaimed
<br />slopes, particularly in areas where topsoil is shallow.
<br />It is important to consider above- and below - ground
<br />growth of plant species used in reclamation programs in
<br />order to combine several different growth characteris-
<br />tics for successful stabilization and development of soils
<br />in disturbed areas. Intermediate wheatgrass has a vigor-
<br />ous seedling, and its early growth in the greenhouse was
<br />almost as rapid as that of wheat. Intermediate wheat-
<br />grass produced more roots in the topsoil and many more
<br />roots in the spoil than did wheat, so it should provide
<br />better soil stability. Wheat apparently offers little ad-
<br />vantage as a temporary cover when intermediate wheat-
<br />grass becomes established so readily, produces a better
<br />root system, and has the advantage of being a perennial.
<br />LITERATURE CITED
<br />1. Bauer, A., P. Nyren, G. Riechman, G. Gee, and J. Gilley. 1978.
<br />Fertilization of wheat, corn, and a grass - legume mixture grown
<br />on reclaimed spoil banks. North Dakota Agric. Exp. Stn. Res.
<br />Rep. 67. 15 p.
<br />2. Berg, W. A., and E. M. Barrau. 1973. Composition and produc-
<br />tion of seedlings on strip -mine spoils in northwestern Colorado.
<br />p. 215 -224. In Proc. 1st Res. Appl. technol. Symp. on Mined
<br />Land Reclamation. 7 -8 March 1975, Pittsburgh, Penn. Bitumin-
<br />ous Coal Res. Inc., Monroeville, Penn.
<br />3. Bremner, J. A. 1965. Organic nitrogen in soils. In W. V. Barthol-
<br />omew and F. E. Clark (ed.) Soil nitrogen. Agronomy 9:93 -132.
<br />Am. Soc. Agron., Madison, Wis.
<br />4. Dollhopf, D. J., 1. B. Jensen, and R. L. Hodder. 1977. Effects of
<br />surface configuration in water pollution control on semi -arid
<br />mined lands. Montana Agric. Exp. Stn. Res. Rep. 114, Montana
<br />State Univ., Bozeman. 179 p.
<br />5. Dusek, G. L. 1975. Vegetational responses by substrate, gradient,
<br />and aspect on a 12 acre test plot in the Bull Mountain. p. 233-
<br />246. In W. F. Clark (ed.) Proc. Fort Union Coal Field Symp. 25-
<br />26 April 1975, Eastern Montana College, Billings.
<br />6. Farmer, E. E., R. W. Brown, B. Z. Richardson, and P. E. Pack-
<br />er. 1974. Revegetation research on the Decker ('oal Mine in
<br />southwestern Montana. USDA Forest Service Res. Paper INT-
<br />162. 12 p.
<br />7. Hodder, R. L. 1973. Surface mined land reclamation research in
<br />eastern Montana. p. 82 -91. In 1st Res. Appl. Technol. Symp. on
<br />Mined -Land Reclamation. 7 -8 March 1975, Pittsburgh, Penn.
<br />Natl. Coal Assoc., Bituminous Coal Research, Inc., Monroeville,
<br />Penn.
<br />8. Hodder, R. L. 1977. Dry -land techniques in the semiarid West.
<br />p. 271 -288. In J. L. Thames (ed.) Reclamation and use of dis-
<br />turbed land in the Southwest. The University of Arizona Press,
<br />Tucson.
<br />9. Olsen, S. R., C. V. Cole, F. S. Watanabe, and L. A. Dean. 1954.
<br />Estimation of available P in soils by extraction with NaHCO,.
<br />USDA Circ. 939. 19 p.
<br />10. Power, J. F., R. E. Ries, and F. M. Sandoval. 1976. Use of soil
<br />materials- effect of thickness and quality. N. Dakota Agric. Exp.
<br />Stn. reprint no. 891 from Sept. -Oct. 1976 Farm Research 34(1):
<br />23 -24.
<br />11. Power, J. F., R. E. Ries, and F. M. Sandoval. 1978. reclamation
<br />of coal -mined land in northern Great Plains. J. Soil Water
<br />Conserv. 33:69 -74.
<br />12. Power, J. F., W. O. Willis, F. M. Sandoval, and J. J. Bond.
<br />1974. Can productivity of mined land be restored in North
<br />Dakota? North Dakota Farm Research 31:30 -32. North Dakota
<br />Agric. Exp. Stn.
<br />13. Reeder, J. D., and W. A. Berg. 1977. Plant uptake of indigenous
<br />and fertilizer nitrogen from a cretaceous shale and coal mine
<br />spoils. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 41:919 -921.
<br />14. Richardson, B. Z., E. E. Farmer, R. W. Brown, and P. E. Pack-
<br />er. 1975. Rehabilitation research and its application on a surface
<br />mined area of eastern Montana. p. 247 -265. In W. F. Clark (ed.)
<br />Proc. Fort Union Coal Field Symp. 25 -26 April 1975. Eastern
<br />• Montana College, Billings.
<br />15. Ries, R. E., F. M. Sandoval, and J. F. Power. 1977. Reclamation
<br />of disturbed lands in the lignite area of the northern Plains.
<br />p. 309 -327. In G. H. Gronhovd and W. R. Kube (ed.) Proc. 1977
<br />Symp. on Technol. and Use of Lignite 18 -19 May 1977, Dep. of
<br />Energy, Grand Forks, N.D.
<br />16. Schafer, W. M., G. A. Nielsen, D. J. Dollhopf, and R. L.
<br />Hodder. 1977. Soil genesis, hydrological properties, and root
<br />characteristics of 2 -53 year old stripmine spoils. Montana Agric.
<br />Exp. Stn. Res. Rep. 108. Montana State Univ., Bozeman.
<br />17. Schuman, G. E., and E. M. Taylor, Jr. 1978. Use of mine spoil
<br />material to improve the topsoil. Wyoming Agric. Exp. Stn. Res.
<br />J. 130, Laramie.
<br />18. Schuman, G. E., E. M. Taylor, Jr., F. Rauzi, and G. S. Howard.
<br />1980. Standing stubble vs. crimped straw mulch for establishing
<br />grass on mined land. J. Soil Water Conserv. 35:25 -29.
<br />19. Woodmansee, R. G., J. E. Reeder, and W. A. Berg. 1979. Nitro-
<br />gen in drastically disturbed lands. p. 376 -392. In C. T. Young-
<br />berg (ed.) Forest soils and land use. Proc. 5th North American
<br />Forest Soils Conf., Ft. Collins, Colo. Aug. 1978. Dep. Forestry
<br />and Wood Sci., Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins.
<br />j. Environ. Qual., Vol. 9, no. 4, 1980 685
<br />
|