Restoring forests and associated ecosystem services on appalachian coal surface mines

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Forestry
• Land Reclamation

Background:

• Surface coal mining in Appalachia has led to significant forest loss, resulting in unmanaged, unproductive land cover.
• Traditional reclamation methods often create unsuitable conditions for forest regrowth, hindering reforestation efforts.
• Forest ecosystems provide valuable marketable products and essential ecosystem services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and promote a Forestry Reclamation Approach (FRA) for restoring forest vegetation on Appalachian mined lands.
• To address the limitations of conventional reclamation practices in re-establishing productive forests.
• To enhance the restoration of ecosystem services on formerly mined areas.

Main Methods:

• Studying existing forests on older mine sites to identify successful natural regeneration.
• Conducting experimental plantings of forest vegetation on recently mined lands.
• Identifying specific reclamation practices conducive to forest re-establishment.

Main Results:

• The Forestry Reclamation Approach (FRA) has been developed and communicated to the coal industry and regulators.
• The FRA is now routinely implemented by many coal mining firms.
• Thousands of hectares of mined land have been reclaimed using the FRA, restoring productive soils and planting native trees.

Conclusions:

• The FRA effectively restores forest vegetation and productive mine soils.
• Reclamation using the FRA is expected to significantly improve forest-based ecosystem services, including wood production, carbon sequestration, and watershed protection.
• Collaborative efforts between scientists and regulators have facilitated the widespread adoption of the FRA.