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Fertilizer and Organic Amendment Effects on Mine Soil Properties and Revegetation Success
Author(s) -
Schoenholtz Stephen H.,
Burger James A.,
Kreh Richard E.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1992.03615995005600040029x
Subject(s) - topsoil , revegetation , environmental science , agronomy , fertilizer , amendment , wood ash , nutrient , herbaceous plant , biomass (ecology) , soil water , chemistry , soil science , biology , botany , ecological succession , organic chemistry , political science , law
Nitrogen deficiency frequently limits mine‐soil revegetation in the eastern USA. Application of organic amendments to these systems may provide a long‐term source of N and eliminate the need for repeated fertilization. A factorial experiment was conducted using lysimeters to determine the degree to which (i) organic amendments (control, 50 Mg ha −1 of whole‐tree wood chips, or 500 Mg ha −1 of native topsoil) and (ii) inorganic N fertilizer (0 or 100 kg N ha −1 as NH 4 NO 3 ) affected mine‐soil properties and establishment of herbaceous vegetation and pitch × loblolly hybrid pine ( Pinus rigida L. × P. taeda L.) seedlings on a newly exposed mine soil from the central Appalachian region. Amendments were tilled into the soil surface prior to application of fertilizer and cover‐crop seed. After 3 yr, total N, mineralizable N, and organic C in the wood‐chip‐amended mine soil were 10, 50, and 18% higher, respectively, than the control. Tree growth after 2 yr was highest with wood chips. A lack of wood‐chip treatment effect on pine nutrition showed that higher soil moisture levels, resulting from lower evapotranspiration, probably accounted for improved tree growth. Topsoil replacement increased total N and mineralizable N by 23 and 46%, respectively, but did not significantly increase vegetation productivity over that of the control. Nitrogen fertilizer increased herbaceous biomass production by 87% during the first growing season but did not affect herbaceous or pine productivity in two subsequent years or produce lasting effects on soil nutrient levels. Organic amendment × fertilizer interactions were not significant for any measured parameters. Results show that the organic amendments provided more stable sources of soil N; however, early revegetation success was more a function of moisture than of soil nutrient availability.