Article
Ecology
Christian J. J. Thomas, Robert K. K. Shriver, Fabian Nippgen, Matthew Hepler, Matthew R. V. Ross
Summary: Mountaintop removal mining and other surface mining operations have significant impacts on Appalachia's communities and ecosystems. Despite legal mandates for restoration, the long-term outcomes of restoration efforts are uncertain. Research shows that post-mining forests are not recovering to a level consistent with unmined sites.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Rose M. Mueller
Summary: Previous research has found that coal-producing counties in Appalachia have higher morbidity and mortality rates compared to other regions in the United States. However, these studies have limitations such as using cross-sectional data, relying on single measures of mortality, and only considering mining activity within county boundaries. This study addresses these limitations by analyzing over three decades of data and finding that increased surface coal-mining activity is associated with higher mortality rates from cardiovascular disease among the population aged 65 and above. These findings emphasize the importance of expediting the transition away from coal production in the United States.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Thitinan Hutayanon, Komsoon Somprasong
Summary: Reclamation is an important process in mining, involving activities such as reforestation and land transformation. The monitoring and evaluation of reforested areas are currently done through manual field observation, which is time-consuming. This study used remote sensing techniques, including satellite images and multispectral UAV, to determine the most effective method for monitoring and evaluating the reforestation area. The results showed that the multispectral UAV method provided a %RSD of NDVI ranging from 16.58 to 40.75, and the regression modeling for each species had an R-2 ranging from 0.568 to 0.831, demonstrating the feasibility of the indirect monitoring scheme for reclamation.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Zhenqi Hu, Gensheng Li, Jianan Xia, Zhanjie Feng, Jiazheng Han, Zanxu Chen, Wenjuan Wang, Guodong Li
Summary: Mining-induced subsidence leads to farmland damage and ponding formation. Traditional mining and reclamation (TMR) has low reclamation rate and long-term farmland abandonment. In this study, two critical width models were proposed to protect farmland and increase the reclamation rate. Concurrent mining and reclamation (CMR) and TMR were simulated, and the advantages of CMR were discussed. The results show that CMR can prolong farmland life, increase reclamation rate and farmland area, and has long-term social and ecological benefits.
Article
Environmental Studies
Gensheng Li, Zhenqi Hu, Pengyu Li, Dongzhu Yuan, Wenjuan Wang, Kun Yang
Summary: This study analyzed the impact of coal mining on cropland and proposed key issues in optimizing coal mining and farmland protection. By examining the influences of various factors on surface ponding and cropland damage, recommendations to reduce mining width were suggested to achieve sustainable development.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Junling Hou, Chuiyu Li, Lin Yuan, Junbin Li, Fei Liu
Summary: Due to the depletion of shallow mineral resources, mines are now transitioning to deep mining. This study focuses on the green filling mining technology and application of a specific working face in Xieqiao coal mine. By selecting appropriate filling materials and designing a filling pipeline system, the stability of the surrounding rock in the goaf was effectively controlled. The results of this study have significant implications for the safe, efficient, and green mining of deep coal resources.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Gensheng Li, Zhenqi Hu, Pengyu Li, Dongzhu Yuan, Zhanjie Feng, Wenjuan Wang, Yaokun Fu
Summary: The integrated planning of mining and reclamation is important for reducing land degradation and addressing conflicts. This study adopted concurrent mining and reclamation technologies to divide the planning into four key steps and discussed the impacts of mining on reclamation. The requirements of reclamation for mining were also discussed. The results showed that integrated planning can reduce damage, reclaim land in a timely manner, and alleviate conflicts.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Gensheng Li, Zhenqi Hu, Dongzhu Yuan, Pengyu Li, Zhanjie Feng, Yibo He, Wenjuan Wang
Summary: This article investigates the impacts of coal mining-induced subsidence and land damage on land reclamation and proposes a method of concurrent mining and reclamation to optimize land reclamation strategies. The results show that the concurrent mining and reclamation scheme can increase the proportion of reclaimed land compared to traditional reclamation methods and no reclamation.
LAND DEGRADATION & DEVELOPMENT
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Marketa Braun Kohlova, Vojtech Maca, Jan Melichar, Petr Pavelcik
Summary: The research shows that the recreation value of successional forests increases with age and is not necessarily lower than replanted forests. It is demonstrated that succession can be a viable and low-cost reclamation practice for spoil heaps.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Philip-Mark Spanidis, Christos Roumpos, Francis Pavloudakis
Summary: The sustainable transformation of surface coal mines aims to recover geoenvironmental and socioeconomic factors related to extractive operations. Circular economy practices and methods are introduced for efficient and socio-environmentally friendly use of mining wastes and non-exploited resources. This paper provides a critical analysis and suggests a decision-making methodology for the selection of a strategy for sustainability with a case study of a closing surface lignite mine in Greece.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Marko Spasic, Ondrej Drabek, Lubos Boruvka, Vaclav Tejnecky
Summary: In this paper, the trends in recent research on reclaimed coal mining sites (RMS) are assessed by analyzing publications on Web of Science (WoS) between 2015 and 2020. The research is divided into six categories. The results show a rapid increase in research on carbon and its pooling, nutrients, vegetation, and microbiology, while research on RMS soil physical properties has significantly declined. The application of modern technologies is also discussed. China, the USA, and India are the leading countries in coal RMS research, with India slowly overtaking the US in recent years.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Carl Zipper, Jeff Skousen
Summary: Appalachian coal mining has been crucial for the energy supply of the expanding American industrial development, but now faces declining production levels. The legacy of coal mining is deeply imprinted on the landscapes and communities of Appalachia, impacting land, water, and residents.
EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES AND SOCIETY-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
Sijia Li, Jinman Wang, Min Zhang, Qian Tang
Summary: Coal mining activities can lead to large-scale and high-intensity ecological disturbances, affecting ecosystem and vegetation coverage. This study analyzed vegetation coverage changes in the North Shanxi coal base from 1987 to 2020 using remote sensing images and predicted future trends. The overall trend showed an increase in vegetation coverage, mainly concentrated in the southwest and southeast mountains, with future vegetation coverage showing strong randomness.
Article
Soil Science
Obinna T. Ezeokoli, Oluwatosin G. Oladipo, Carlos C. Bezuidenhout, Rasheed A. Adeleke, Mark S. Maboeta
Summary: This study assessed the potential ecosystem support and habitat functions of soils from stockpiles and post-mining reclamation areas of two coal mining sites using Eisenia andrei bioassays. The results showed that older reclaimed areas had better soil habitat function, with the avoidance test being the most sensitive indicator.
APPLIED SOIL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Yuhan Huang, Yingui Cao, Marcin Pietrzykowski, Wei Zhou, Zhongke Bai
Summary: This study quantifies the spatial distribution pattern and variation of RSBD on reclaimed land in the loess area of China using geostatistical spatial interpolation and multiple regression analysis. Factors such as topography, vegetation cover, soil particle size distribution, and soil erosion were found to affect the spatial variability of the RSBD. The boundary between the sunny slope and shady slope was considered to be key in dividing the RSBD, which was generally distributed in stripes and patches.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dean E. Fletcher, Angela H. Lindell, John C. Seaman, Paul T. Stankus, Nathaniel D. Fletcher, Christopher D. Barton, Richard A. Biemiller, J. Vaun McArthur
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY
(2019)
Article
Forestry
Kenton L. Sena, Jian Yang, Alysia J. Kohlbrand, Tyler J. Dreaden, Christopher D. Barton
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2019)
Article
Ecology
Ken M. Fritz, Gregory J. Pond, Brent R. Johnson, Chris D. Barton
Article
Forestry
Sarah L. Hall, Christopher D. Barton, Kenton L. Sena, Patrick Angel
Article
Forestry
Wesley T. Dement, Zachary J. Hackworth, John M. Lhotka, Christopher D. Barton
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
L. E. Castillo-Meza, C. A. Cravotta, T. L. Tasker, N. R. Warner, W. L. Daniels, Z. W. Orndorff, T. Bergstresser, A. Douglass, G. Kimble, J. Streczywilk, C. Barton, S. Fulton, A. Thompson, W. D. Burgos
APPLIED GEOCHEMISTRY
(2020)
Article
Forestry
Daniel Bowker, Jeffrey Stringer, Christopher Barton
Article
Ecology
Jacob M. Hutton, Steven J. Price, Simon J. Bonner, Stephen C. Richter, Christopher D. Barton
FRESHWATER SCIENCE
(2020)
Article
Forestry
Kenton Sena, Joshua Metzmeier, Brandon Smith, Beth Hansen, Chris Barton
Summary: The study suggests that loblolly pine may be a suitable pioneering tree species in the reforestation of reclaimed mine sites in Appalachia, potentially outcompeting invasive exotic understory plant species, while northern red oak struggles due to heavy vegetative competition from nonnative species.
JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY
(2022)
Article
Water Resources
Kenton L. Sena, Tanja N. Williamson, Christopher D. Barton
Summary: The University of Kentucky has conducted environmental experiments in Robinson Forest since 1923. Recently, data on precipitation and stream information from the forest have been compiled and made available for research use through a partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey. This data set serves as a valuable resource for studying water quality in minimally affected forests in the region.
HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Kenton L. Sena, Kevin M. Yeager, Christopher D. Barton, John M. Lhotka, William E. Bond, Kimberly J. Schindler
Summary: This study evaluated mine soil development on surface-mined sites reforested according to the Forestry Reclamation Approach, showing changes in soil characteristics over time, with some becoming more similar to forest soil while others remained distinct. Future surveys will provide more insight into longer-term soil development patterns and the time scales required for these soils to approximate forest soil conditions.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jacob M. Hutton, Steven J. Price, Stephen C. Richter, Christopher D. Barton
Summary: Changes in land use, such as mountaintop removal mining with valley fills, often lead to headwater streams with elevated specific conductivity (SC), which affects stream salamanders. Increased SC indirectly impacts stream salamander populations by altering the composition of their diet, reducing food availability and ultimately leading to reduced population occupancy and abundance.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Michaela Lambert, Andrea N. Drayer, Wendy Leuenberger, Steven J. Price, Christopher Barton
Summary: The study in the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia, USA showed that creating wetlands on reclaimed mines can help restore lost ecosystem functions within disturbed landscapes and provide suitable breeding habitats for amphibians affected by habitat loss. Wetland characteristics such as size, canopy cover, vegetation cover, distance to streams, and distance to forests varied significantly among different wetland age classes. The water quality in the study region was within normal parameters for both natural and created wetlands. Amphibian occupancy and abundance were influenced by factors such as wetland age, vegetation cover, wetland size, and distance to forests.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tanja N. Williamson, Kenton L. Sena, Megan E. Shoda, Christopher D. Barton
Summary: Hydrologic monitoring in Robinson Forest began in 1971, and the study evaluated the chemistry of stream-water and bulk-deposition from 1974 to 2013. The results showed decreases in sulfate and nitrate concentrations as well as expansion of surface mining in the area. The study also found that localized stressors, such as surface mining, can out-pace the benefits of national environmental policies.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tanja N. Williamson, Christopher D. Barton
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2020)