Powell River Project
Reclamation Guidelines
for Surface-Mined Land in Southwest Virginia

Creation and Management of Productive Mine Soils

Authors: W. Lee Daniels, Associate Professor of Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech; and Carl E. Zipper, Assistant Professor, Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences, and Director, Powell River Project.

Publication Number 460-121, posted May 1999

Figure 4 Standing biomass of tall fescue on a Southwest Virginia mine soil experiment over time (Haering et al., 1990). Note that the second year yields were highest for all rock types and then declined with time. This is typical of fertilized mine soil systems, particularly when a vigorous legume component is not successfully established. Also note the pronounced effect of rock type on yield, especially in the early years.

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