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Reclaiming Poor Sites

Iceland Example

Your content here # Restoration of Mined lands - AKA land reclamation or soil reclamation - Reclamation -- return to useful purpose - Rehabilitation -- repair, relative to functions and services - Replacement -- adapt for new purpose - Remediation -- repairing contaminated soil - Reconstruction, re‐creation -- actions following severe disturbance - mine reclamation enhances habitats for wild ungulates in west Alberta - save topsoil - recommendations - apply peat‐mineral mix - fertilize with P and K - don't add N - results - Reclaimed soils have much greater organic matter content (10‐15%) than mineral soils in natural forests (2‐3%) - conclusions - 1. There is more organic matter in the soils of reclaimed sites than in the natural forests. 2. Organic matter is accumulating in upper 10 cm of soil at reclaimed deciduous and grassland sites. 3. SOM is accumulating quickest in deciduous sites, moderately in grassland sites, and slowly in spruce sites.

  • Recommendations
  1. Clearly articulate the duties or services that the ecosystem is expected to provide
  2. Design structures such as swales to convey surface runoff to receiving areas
  3. Make the surface rough to increase water infiltration and decrease runoff
  4. Avoid compacting the soil
  5. Layer soils to provide the optimal balance of water storage and drainage
  6. Salvage and re‐apply topsoil
  7. Stockpile soil for as short of time as possible ‐ progressive restoration is preferable
  8. Actively revegetate stockpiles to establish propagule banks and keep soil biota active
  9. If fresh topsoil is not available, inoculate surface with soil or forest floor material
  10. Apply organic amendments if SOM and fertility levels are inadequate for plant growth
  11. Revegetate sites as soon as possible
  12. Use a cover crop to hold soil in place and begin building SOM and soil biota
  13. Include broadleaf species as these accumulate soil organic matter faster than conifers
  14. Include nitrogen‐fixing plants on sites with adequate P but insufficient N
  15. Maintain connectivity with surrounding landscape to foster migration
  16. Assist migration of keystone soil species through specific inoculation
  17. Create a diversity of sites and habitats at the landscape level
  18. Consider leaving or creating special habitat for rare species