Recovery of native plant communities after mining

Coal surface mining and mine reclamation have had a significant impact on the landscape throughout the Appalachian region, including southwestern Virginia's coalfields. This fact is recognized by the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA), which states that mining operations shall establish "a diverse, effec-tive, and permanent vegetative cover of the same seasonal variety and native to the area . . . and capable of self-regeneration and plant succession ... " [Section 515(b) 19], unless introduced species are necessary to achieve the post-mining land use. Restoring the native hardwood forest is the most direct and comprehensive way of meeting this premise of SMCRA in Appalachian landscapes. Re-establishment of this self-sustaining ecosys-tem on reclaimed mines can aid in maintaining native wildlife populations while providing other valuable ecosystem services, such as erosion con-trol, carbon sequestration, wood production, water-quality improvement, and watershed pro-tection. Re-establishment of native hardwood-for-est ecosystems also contributes to the natural beauty of the Appalachian region.

This publication summarizes research on the impacts of reclamation practices on re-establish-ment of native Appalachian forest ecosystems, and describes practices that may be used during reclamation to encourage re-establishment of native hardwood forest plant communities.