Survival And Early Growth Of Planted Forest Trees On Strip Mine Spoils In The Anthracite Region

S2In 1961 the Northeastern Forest Experiment Station, in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Power and Light Company, began a research program on revegetation-primarily reforestation-of the coal-mine spoils of Pennsylvania's Anthracite Region. The first two studies were of survey type. Frank (1964) classified and mapped all the area disturbed by anthracite mining, which he found in 1962 to total 112,000 acres. Of this acreage, 76 percent was due to strip-mining; and more than half of the disturbed land was still practically devoid of tree cover. Czapowskyj and McQuilkin (1966) reported on a 1962 survey of all tree plantings made on anthracite spoils up to and including 1955 (plantings 7 or more years old). They also offered a tentative classification of anthracite strip-mine spoils as media for tree growth. Because those early tree-planting efforts were small trials made without benefit of formal experimental design, the results were no more than indicative of survival and growth that might be expected from the various species. Therefore, in 1963 a designed planting experiment, involving 11 coniferous and 3 hardwood species, was established across a broad spectrum of strip-mine spoil types and grading conditions. This paper presents the 5-year results from those plantings. S3.

S2In 1961 the Northeastern Forest Experiment Station, in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Power and Light Company, began a research program on revegetation-primarily reforestation-of the coal-mine spoils of Pennsylvania's Anthracite Region. The first two studies were of survey type. Frank (1964) classified and mapped all the area disturbed by anthracite mining, which he found in 1962 to total 112,000 acres. Of this acreage, 76 percent was due to strip-mining; and more than half of the disturbed land was still practically devoid of tree cover. Czapowskyj and McQuilkin (1966) reported on a 1962 survey of all tree plantings made on anthracite spoils up to and including 1955 (plantings 7 or more years old). They also offered a tentative classification of anthracite strip-mine spoils as media for tree growth. Because those early tree-planting efforts were small trials made without benefit of formal experimental design, the results were no more than indicative of survival and growth that might be expected from the various species. Therefore, in 1963 a designed planting experiment, involving 11 coniferous and 3 hardwood species, was established across a broad spectrum of strip-mine spoil types and grading conditions. This paper presents the 5-year results from those plantings. S3.