| The unavoidable disruption of soil and rock profiles during mining suspends physical and biochemical processes essential to the operation of the soil system and the growth of plants. The knowledge that vegetation is the foundation of soil development has led to the assumption that if it's green it's reclaimed. The coal-mining region of South Wales is testimony to the temporary nature of “stable and permanent” revegetation.; The study examines physical and chemical properties, site conditions and plant characteristics on a degrading 50-year-old reclaimed surface-mine on the eastern end of the South Wales Coalfield. The investigation contributes to a larger study designed to show that planting trees is a cost-effective way to reclaim surface-mined land permanently.; Although there are conspicuous differences above ground, analyses of 8 physical characteristics and 11 chemical properties show that the soil at the study site does not differ greatly from plot to plot, and there is more variability within plots than between them. There are significant differences between plots only in moisture content, pH, and total carbon. Trees planted at the study site have deep and wide-ranging root systems, despite high bulk densities, high gravel and stone content, intermittent drought and waterlogging, and chemical characteristics generally considered limiting to plants and their roots. At Varteg, roots of alders excavated for the study grew deeper than the height of the trees above ground, and a pine sent sturdy lateral roots ranging wider than its height.; Left in place to mature and reproduce, forest trees can become self-sustaining. On the other hand, sustainable reclamation succeeds only if sustained. The prospect of soil improvement through tree fallowing offers owners of low-value land a low-maintenance and cost-effective way to maintain and improve their holdings.; In a wider geographical context, it is apparent that recovering the surface involves not only initial reclamation practices but issues of mining company responsibility, post-mining land use, and actual land value. To be successful, mined-land reclamation planning must consider the interests of local people and their ability to maintain the newly made land, as well as the concerns of mine operators and reclamationists. |
