First year seedling response to three levels of silvicultural input on post-smcra reclaimed lands

Surface mined lands in the Appalachian coal producing region reclaimed after the passage of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA) have been found to have dense ground covers, compacted soil materials, and unfavorable soil chemical properties. To address these concerns three study sites, which had been reclaimed post-SMCRA, were located in Lawrence County, Ohio, Nicholas County, West Virginia, and Wise County, Virginia. At each site, three species assemblages were planted across a gradient of three levels of silvicultural intensity intended to alleviate the previously mentioned problems associated with post-SMCRA mined land. Response to treatment was variable by site with the site in Virginia having the best survival and greatest growth of the three sites. Hardwood species survived better at all sites than white pine or hybrid poplar. Hardwood survival across treatments was 80 and 85% for sites in Virginia and West Virginia respectively, while only 50% in Ohio. Hybrid poplar height and diameter growth were superior to other species with the height growth of this species reaching 126.6cm in the most intensive treatment at the site in Virginia. Hybrid poplar biomass increased from 15.7g to 104.5g from the least intensive to the most intensive silvicultural treatment for the site in Nicholas County, West Virginia. Hybrid poplar's excellent response to silvicultural treatment and adequate survival, especially at the site in Virginia, may give this species an advantage over the others tested in this experiment for reverting post-SMCRA reclaimed mined lands supporting grasses back to forests.