Carbon Sequestration on Surface Mine Lands Quarterly Report (open access)

Carbon Sequestration on Surface Mine Lands Quarterly Report

The 2002-2003 Department of Energy plantings amounted to 164 acres containing 111,520 tree seedlings in eastern and western Kentucky. Data gathered on these trees included an inventory to determine survival of all planted species. A sub-sample of seedlings was selected to assess the height and diameter of individual species of seedlings established. Additional efforts involved collection of soil sample and litter samples, analysis of herbaceous ground cover from vegetation clip plots and leaf area on each tree species, and development of tissue collections. All areas were sampled for penetration resistance, penetration depth (or depth to refusal), and bulk density at various depths. Rain fall events and flow rates were recorded. The water quality of runoff samples involved the determination of total and settleable solids and particle size distribution. A study was initiated that will focus on the colonization of small mammals from forest edges to various areas located on reclaimed surface mines. This effort will provide a better understanding of the role small mammals and birds have in the establishment of plant communities on mine lands that will be useful in developing and improving reclamation techniques.
Date: October 30, 2003
Creator: Graves, Donald H.; Barton, Christopher; Sweigard, Richard & Warner, Richard
System: The UNT Digital Library
Carbon Sequestration on Surface Mine Lands Quarterly Report (open access)

Carbon Sequestration on Surface Mine Lands Quarterly Report

The October-December Quarter was dedicated to analyzing the first two years tree planting activities and evaluation of the results. This included the analyses of the species success at each of the sites and quantifying the data for future year determination of research levels. Additional detailed studies have been planned to further quantify total carbon storage accumulation on the research areas. At least 124 acres of new plantings will be established in 2005 to bring the total to 500 acres or more in the study area across the state of Kentucky. During the first 2 years of activities, 172,000 tree seedlings were planted on 257 acres in eastern Kentucky and 77,520 seedlings were planted on 119 acres in western Kentucky. The quantities of each species was discussed in the first Annual Report. A monitoring program was implemented to measure treatment effects on above and below ground C and nitrogen (N) pools and fluxes. A sampling strategy was devised that will allow for statistical comparisons of the various species within planting conditions and sites. Seedling heights and diameters are measured for initial status and re-measured on an annual basis. Leaves were harvested and leaf area measurements were performed. They were then dried …
Date: February 25, 2005
Creator: Graves, Donald H.; Barton, Christopher; Sweigard, Richard & Warner, Richard
System: The UNT Digital Library
Carbon Sequestration on Surface Mine Lands Quarterly Report (open access)

Carbon Sequestration on Surface Mine Lands Quarterly Report

The April-June 2004 quarter was dedicated to the establishment of monitoring systems for all the new research areas. Hydrology and water quality monitoring continues to be conducted on all areas as does weather data pertinent to the research. Studies assessing specific questions pertaining to carbon flux has been established and the invasion of the vegetation by small mammals is being quantified. The approval of two experimental practices associated with this research by the United States Office of Surface Mining was a major accomplishment during this period of time. These experimental practices will eventually allow for tree planting on long steep slopes with loose grading systems and for the use of loose dumped spoil on mountain top removal areas with no grading in the final layer of rooting material for tree establishment.
Date: August 2, 2004
Creator: Graves, Donald H.; Barton, Christopher; Sweigard, Richard & Warner, Richard
System: The UNT Digital Library
Carbon Sequestration on Surface Mine Lands Quarterly Report (open access)

Carbon Sequestration on Surface Mine Lands Quarterly Report

A monitoring program to measure treatment effects on above ground, and below ground carbon and nitrogen pools for the planting areas is being conducted. The collection of soil and tissue samples from both the 2003 and 2004 plantings is complete and are currently being processed in the laboratory. Detailed studies have been initiated to address specific questions pertaining to carbon cycling. Examinations of decomposition and heterotropic respiration on carbon cycling in the reforestation plots were continued during this reporting period. A whole-tree harvesting method was employed to evaluate carbon accumulation as a function of time on the mined site. The trees were extracted from the sites and separated into the following components: foliage, stems, branches, and roots.
Date: November 30, 2004
Creator: Graves, Donald H.; Barton, Christopher; Sweigard, Richard & Warner, Richard
System: The UNT Digital Library
Carbon Sequestration on Surface Mine Lands Quarterly Report (open access)

Carbon Sequestration on Surface Mine Lands Quarterly Report

The October-December 2003 Quarter was dedicated to analyzing the first years tree planting activities and evaluation of the results. This included the analyses of the species success at each of the sites and quantifying the baseline data for future year determination of research levels of mixes. The small mammal colonization study of revegetated surface mines was also initiated and sampling systems initiated.
Date: January 30, 2001
Creator: Graves, Donald H.; Barton, Christopher; Sweigard, Richard & Warner, Richard
System: The UNT Digital Library
Carbon Sequestration on Surface Mine Lands Quarterly Report (open access)

Carbon Sequestration on Surface Mine Lands Quarterly Report

Over 160 acres of tree seedlings were planted during the last quarter. This quarter marked the beginning of the installation of new instrumentation and the inspection and calibration of previously installed recording devices. Sampling systems were initiated to quantify initial seedling success as well as height measurements. Nursery seedlings have been inoculated to produce mycorrhizal treated stock for 2004 spring plantings to determine the effects on carbon sequestration. All planting areas in western Kentucky have been sampled with the recording cone penetrometer and the nuclear density gauge to measure soil density.
Date: July 24, 2003
Creator: Graves, Donald H.; Barton, Christopher; Sweigard, Richard & Warner, Richard
System: The UNT Digital Library
Carbon Sequestration on Surface Mine Lands Quarterly Report (open access)

Carbon Sequestration on Surface Mine Lands Quarterly Report

Over 160 acres (64.8 ha) of tree seedlings have been planted in eastern and western Kentucky that depict a mixed stand similar to the native vegetation of the area. All these sites have been assessed and various instrumentation is or is planned for installation to monitor environmental conditions and changes on the areas. The environmental conditions include temperature, aspect, slope, rainfall, and other treatment or condition factors.
Date: June 24, 2003
Creator: Graves, Donald H.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Carbon Sequestration on Surface Mine Lands Quarterly Report (open access)

Carbon Sequestration on Surface Mine Lands Quarterly Report

The January-March 2004 Quarter was dedicated to tree planting activities in two locations in Kentucky. During year one of this project there was no available mine land to plant in the Hazard area so 107 acres were planted in the Martin county mine location. This year 120 acres was planted in the Hazard area to compensate for the prior year and an additional 57 acres was planted on Peabody properties in western Kentucky. An additional set of special plots were established on each of these areas that contained 4800 seedlings each for special carbon sequestration determinations. Plantings were also conducted to continue compaction and water quality studies on two newly established areas as well as confirmed measurements on the first years plantings. Total plantings on this project now amount to 357 acres containing 245,960 tree seedlings.
Date: May 19, 2004
Creator: Graves, Donald H.; Barton, Christopher; Sweigard, Richard & Warner, Richard
System: The UNT Digital Library
Carbon Sequestration on Surface Mine Lands Quarterly Report (open access)

Carbon Sequestration on Surface Mine Lands Quarterly Report

An authorized budget was unavailable during this first 3-month working period of this project. Our ability to use the $100K that DOE had dedicated to the project was frustrated by the internal problem of getting an account number issued to bill our expenses to. This has delayed the initiation of a portion of the tasks to be performed. However, enough has been accomplished to allow the project to meet the first years planting goals. This will also allow the initiation of several start-up activities that could not have been possible without established tree plantations.
Date: May 6, 2003
Creator: Graves, Donald H.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Carbon Sequestration on Surface Mine Lands Quarterly Report (open access)

Carbon Sequestration on Surface Mine Lands Quarterly Report

An area planted in 2004 on Bent Mountain in Pike County was shifted to the Department of Energy project to centralize an area to become a demonstration site. An additional 98.3 acres were planted on Peabody lands in western Kentucky and Bent Mountain to bring the total area under study by this project to 556.5 acres as indicated in Table 2. Major efforts this quarter include the implementation of new plots that will examine the influence of differing geologic material on tree growth and survival, water quality and quantity and carbon sequestration. Normal monitoring and maintenance was conducted and additional instrumentation was installed to monitor the new areas planted.
Date: June 22, 2005
Creator: Graves, Donald H.; Barton, Christopher; Sweigard, Richard & Warner, Richard
System: The UNT Digital Library