Reclaimed mined soils (RMSs) could restore soil quality and ecosystem productivity while sequestering C and off-setting some of C emissions associated with coal utilization. The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of tillage and pasture management on soil physical properties, soil organic carbon (SOC) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) in RMSs managed for agricultural use in eastern Ohio . Soil bulk density (ρ b ) of the top 50 cm ranged from 1.11 to 1.93 Mg·m -3 . The ρ b of the RMSs was significantly more than that of the undisturbed soils. Water stable aggregates (WSA) and mean weight diameter (MWD) of the 0 - 10 cm soil layer were significantly lower under reclaimed conventional tillage (RCT) than reclaimed no tillage (RNT) and reclaimed pasture (RP), probably due to tillage-induced disturbance. The SOC pool of the top 50 cm layer was 64.2, 66.5, 75.4, 86.1 and 101.1 Mg·C·ha -1 for undisturbed pasture (Und P), RNT, RCT, RP and undisturbed hardwood forest (Und HWF), respectively (LSD = 7.7 Mg·ha -1 ). The RMSs under pasture accumulated SOC at higher rates than RMSs under cropland. Reclaimed pasture land use increased SOC pool by 14% or 0.5 Mg·ha -1 ·yr -1 and 30% or 0.9 Mg·ha -1 ·yr -1 relative to RNT and RCT land uses, respectively. Our d ata indicated that RMSs under forest and pastures had higher SOC sequestration rates than RMSs under arable land use, probably due to disturbances associated with farm operations. The MBC of the RMSs were generally lower than those of the undisturbed sites. The disturbances associated with mining and reclamation reduced the MBC by 39, 53 and 21% under RCT, RNT and RP compared to the undisturbed forest and pasture sites. However, the amount of mineralizable C was not significantly different among land disturbances or land uses.
K. McSweeney and I. J. Jansen, “Soil Structure and Associated Rooting Behavior in Minesoils,” Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 48, No. 3, 1984, pp. 607-612. doi:10.2136/sssaj1984.03615995004800030028x
R. I. Barnhisel and J. M. Hower, “Coal Surface Mine Reclamation in the Eastern United States: The Revegetation of Disturbed Lands to Hayland/Pasture or Cropland,” Advances in Agronomy, Vol. 61, 1997, pp. 233-275. doi:10.1016/S0065-2113(08)60665-3
A. Bradshaw, “Restoration of Mined Lands—Using Natural Processes,” Ecological Engineering, Vol. 8, No. 4, 1997, pp. 255-269. doi:10.1016/S0925-8574(97)00022-0
R. Lal, J. M. Kimble and R. F. Follett, “Land Use and Soil Carbon Pools in Terrestrial Ecosystems,” In R. Lal, J. M. Kimble and R. F. Follett, Eds., Management of Carbon Sequestration in Soils, CRC Lewis Publisher, Boca Raton, 1998, pp. 1-10.
S. J. Indorante, I. J. Jansen and C. W. Boast, “Sorface Mining and Reclamation: Initial Changes in Soil Character,” Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, Vol. 36, No. 6, 1981, pp. 347-351.
P. J. Thompson, I. J. Jansen and C. L. Hooks, “Penetrometer Resistance and Bulk Density as Parameters for Predicting Root System Performance in Mine Soils,” Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 51, No. 5, 1987, pp. 1288-1293. doi:10.2136/sssaj1987.03615995005100050035x
R. I. Barnhisel, “Fertilization and Management of Reclaimed Lands,” In R. L. Hosner, Ed., Reclamation of Surface- Mined Lands, CRC Press, Boca Raton, 1988, pp. 1-15.
M. K. Shukla, R. Lal, J. Underwood and M. Ebinger, “Physical and Hydrological Characteristics of Reclaimed Minesoils in Southeastern Ohio,” Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 68, No. 4, 2004, pp. 1352-1359. doi:10.2136/sssaj2004.1352
R. E. Dunker and R. I. Barnhisel, “Cropland Reclamation,” In R. I. Barnhisel, R. G. Darmody and W. L. Daniels, Eds., Reclamation of Drastically Disturbed Lands, Soil Science Society of America, Madison, 2000, pp. 323-369.
J. L. Powel, “Revegetation Options,” In L. R. Hossner and L. R. Hossner, Eds., Reclamation of Surface Mined Lands, CRC Press, Boca Raton, 1988, pp. 49-91.
W. A. Dick, R. L. Blevins, W. W. Frye, S. E. Peters, D. R. Christenson, F. J. Pierce and M. L. Vitosh, “Impacts of Agricultural Management Practices on C Sequestration in Forest-Derived Soils of the Eastern Corn Belt,” Soil & Tillage Research, Vol. 47, No. 3-4, 1998, pp. 235-244. doi:10.1016/S0167-1987(98)00112-3
G. B. Triplett, Jr. and W. A. Dick, “No-Tillage Crop Production: A Revolution in Agriculture!” Agronomy Journal, Vol. 100, No. 3, 2008, pp. S153-S165. doi:10.2134/agronj2007.0005c
R. Lal, A. A. Mahboubi and N. R. Fausey, “Long-Term Tillage and Rotation Effects on Properties of a Central Ohio Soil,” Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 58, No. 2, 1994, pp. 517-522. doi:10.2136/sssaj1994.03615995005800020038x
J. Six, E. T. Elliott, and K. Paustian, “Soil Macroaggregate Turnover and Microaggregate Formation: A Mechanism for C Sequestration under No-Tillage Agriculture,” Soil Biology & Biochemistry, Vol. 32, No. 14, 2000, pp. 2099-2103. doi:10.1016/S0038-0717(00)00179-6
V. A. Akala and R. Lal, “Soil Organic Carbon Pools and Sequestration Rates in Reclaimed Minesoils in Ohio,” Journal of Environmental Quality, Vol. 30, No. 6, 2001, pp. 2098-2104. doi:10.2134/jeq2001.2098
E. S. Bendfeldt, J. A. Burger and W. L. Daniels, “Quality of Amended Mine Soils after Sixteen Years,” Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 65, No. 6, 2001, pp. 1736-1744. doi:10.2136/sssaj2001.1736
D. A. N. Ussiri, R. Lal, and P. A. Jacinthe, “Post-Reclamation Land Use Effects on Properties and Carbon Sequestration in Minesoils of Southeastern Ohio,” Soil Science, Vol. 171, No. 3, 2006, pp. 261-271. doi:10.1097/01.ss.0000199702.68654.1e
U. Fettweis, O. Bens and R. F. Huttl, “Accumulation and Properties of Soil Organic Carbon at Reclaimed Sites in the Lusatian Lignite Mining District Afforested with Pinus Sp,” Geoderma, Vol. 129, No. 1-2, 2005, pp. 81-91. doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2004.12.034
R. K. Shrestha and R. Lal, “Ecosystem Carbon Budgeting and Soil Carbon Sequestration in Reclaimed Mine Soil,” Environment International, Vol. 32, No. 6, 2006, pp. 781- 796. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2006.05.001
M. Sperow, “Carbon Seqnestration Potential in Reclaimed Mine Sites in Seven East-Central States,” Journal of Environmental Quality, Vol. 35, No. 4, 2006, pp. 1428- 1438. doi:10.2134/jeq2005.0158
P.-A. Jacinthe and R. Lal, “Carbon Storage and Minesoil Properties in Relation to Topsoil Applications Techniques,” Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 71, No. 6, 2007, pp. 1788-1795. doi:10.2136/sssaj2006.0335
D. A. N. Ussiri, R. Lal and P. A. Jacinthe, “Soil Properties and Carbon Sequestration of Afforested Pastures in Reclaimed Minesoils of Ohio,” Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 70, No. 5, 2006, pp. 1797-1806. doi:10.2136/sssaj2005.0352
H. Insam and K. H. Domsch, “Relationship between Soil Organic Carbon and Microbial Biomass on Chronosequences of Reclamation Sites,” Microbial Ecology, Vol. 15, No. 2, 1988, pp. 177-188. doi:10.1007/BF02011711
R. K. Shrestha, D. A. N. Ussiri and R. Lal, “Terrestrial Carbon Sequestration Potential in Reclaimed Mine Ecosystems to Mitigate Greenhouse Effect,” In R. Lal and R. F. Follet, Eds., Soil Carbon Sequestration and Greenhouse Effect, Soil Science Society of America, Madison, 2009, pp. 321-346.
P. D. Stahl, S. E. Williams and M. Christensen, “Efficacy of Native Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi after Severe Soil Disturbance,” New Phytologist, Vol. 110, No. 3, 1988, pp. 347-354. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.1988.tb00271.x
D. L. Mummey, P. D. Stahl and J. S. Buyer, “Microbial Biomarkers as an Indicator of Ecosystem Recovery Following Surface Mine Reclamation,” Applied Soil Ecology, Vol. 21, No. 3, 2002, pp. 251-259. doi:10.1016/S0929-1393(02)00090-2
D. L. Mummey, P. D. Stahl and J. S. Buyer, “Soil Microbiological Properties 20 Years after Surface Mine Reclamation: Spatial Analysis of Reclaimed and Undisturbed Sites,” Soil Biology & Biochemistry, Vol. 34, No. 11, 2002, pp. 1717-1725. doi:10.1016/S0038-0717(02)00158-X
USDA-NRCS, “Soil Survey of Tuscarawas County, Ohio,” USDA-NRCS, Washington, 1986.
R. B. Grossman and T. G. Reinsch, “Bulk Density and Linear Extensibility,” In J. H. Dane and G. C. Topp, Eds., Methods of Soil Analysis: Part 4: Physical Methods, Soil Science Society of America Inc., Madison, 2002, pp. 201- 225.
R. E. Yoder, “A Direct Method of Aggregate Analysis of Soils and a Study of the Physical Nature of Erosion Losses,” Journal of American Society of Agronomy, Vol. 28, No. 5, 1936, pp. 337-351.
J. R. Nimmo and K. S. Perkins, “Aggregate Stability and Size Distribution,” In J. H. Dane and G. C. Topp, Eds., Methods of Soil Analysis. Part 4: Physical Methods, Soil Science Society of America Inc., Madison, 2002, pp. 317- 328.
E. D. Vance, P. C. Brookes, and D. S. Jenkinson, “An Extraction Method for Measuring Soil Micribial Biomass C,” Soil Biology & Biochemistry, Vol. 19, No. 6, 1987, pp. 703-707. doi:10.1016/0038-0717(87)90052-6
W. R. Horwarth and E. A. Paul, “Microbial Biomass,” In G. T. Weaver, J. A. Angle and P. S. Bottomley, Eds., Methods of Soil Analysis. Part 2. Microbiological and Boichemical Properties, Soil Science Society of America, Madison, 1994, pp. 753-773.
C. Varela, C. Vazquez, M. V. Gonzalezsangregorio, M. C. Leiros and F. Gilsotres, “Chemical and Physical Properties of Opencast Lignite Minesoils,” Soil Science, Vol. 156, No. 3, 1993, pp. 193-204. doi:10.1097/00010694-199309000-00009
D. A. N. Ussiri and R. Lal, “Carbon Sequestration in Reclaimed Minesoils,” Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences, Vol. 24, No. 3, 2005, pp. 151-165. doi:10.1080/07352680591002147
A. J. Franzluebbers, F. M. Hons and D. A. Zuberer, “Tillage-Induced Seasonal Changes in Soil Physical Properties Affecting Soil CO2 Evolution under Intesive Cropping,” Soil & Tillage Research, Vol. 34, No. 1, 1995, pp. 41-60. doi:10.1016/0167-1987(94)00450-S
B. D. Kay and A. J. VandenBygaart, “Conservation Tillage and Depth Stratification of Porosity and Soil Organic Matter,” Soil & Tillage Research, Vol. 66, No. 2, 2002, pp. 107-118. doi:10.1016/S0167-1987(02)00019-3
J. M. Tisdall and J. M. Oades, “Organic Matter and Water-Stable Aggregates in Soils,” Journal of Soil Science, Vol. 33, No. 2, 1982, pp. 141-163. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2389.1982.tb01755.x
P. Loveland and J. Webb, “Is There a Critical Level of Organic Matter in the Agricultural Soils of Temperate Regions: A Review,” Soil & Tillage Research, Vol. 70, No. 1, 2003, pp. 1-18. doi:10.1016/S0167-1987(02)00139-3
J. Balesdent, A. Mariotti and D. Boisgontier, “Effects of Tillage on Soil Organic Carbon Minrealization Estimated from C-13 Abundance in Maize Fields,” Journal of Soil Science, Vol. 41, No. 4, 1990, pp. 587-596. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2389.1990.tb00228.x
D. A. Angers, R. P. Voroney and D. Cote, “Dynamics of Soil Organic Matter and Corn Residues Affected by Tillage Practices,” Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 59, No. 5, 1995, pp. 1311-1315. doi:10.2136/sssaj1995.03615995005900050016x
J. D. Anderson, L. J. Ingram and P. D. Stahl, “Influence of Reclamation Management Practices on Microbial Biomass Carbon and Soil Organic Carbon Accumulation in Semiarid Mined Lands of Wyoming,” Applied Soil Ecology, Vol. 40, No. 2, 2008, pp. 387-397. doi:10.1016/j.apsoil.2008.06.008
R. F. Turco, A. C. Kennedy and M. D. Jawson, “Microbial Indicators of Soil Quality,” In J. W. Doran, et al., Eds., Defining Soil Quality for a Sustainable Environment, Soil Science Society of America, Madison, 1994, pp. 73-90.
P.-A. Jacinthe and R. Lal, “Tillage Effects on Carbon Sequestration and Microbial Biomass in Reclaimed Farmland Soils of Southwestern Indiana,” Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 73, No. 2, 2009, pp. 605-613. doi:10.2136/sssaj2008.0156