Research Progress Report, No. 27

Many mined lands or other disturbances are being reclaimed to wildlife habitat, especially moose browse. However, little information has been available on expected growth rates of woody plant species used for moose browse on mined land sites, their tolerance ranges for soil physical or chemical properties, and the biological potential of soils for natural regeneration of forbs and grasses, and mycorrhizal fungal inoculum. Mycorrhizae are mutualistic symbioses between plants and fungi in which the fungi increase absorption of soil moisture and nutrients for the plant and, in turn, receive carbon substrates from the plant to produce energy. The potential for natural regeneration and mycorrhizal colonization will depend on vegetation already growing on the soils. This study was designed to determine: 1. Survival and growth of seven woody species on soils from three different vegetation types and overburden. 2. Species of plants which colonize a site from propagule banks in these disturbed soils. These data were needed for reclamation planning for the Wishbone Hill Coal Project as well as other mines