Ohio Strip Mine Spoils: Physico-Chemical and Microbiological Characterization and Changes Due to Liming and Organic Additions

Author Institution: Department of Zoological and Biomedical Sciences, Ohio UniversitySoutheastern Ohio strip mine spoils and garden soil were characterized physico-chemically and microbiologically. Spoils, limed spoils and garden soil that had been sterilized were amended with cellulose or sucrose and some minerals, including ammonium-nitrogen. The samples were inoculated with microbes from a garden compost infusion and incubated for 3 wk at 25 C. Soil water content was held at 80% field capacity. Changes in microbial populations, nitrate concentration and soil aggregation were followed for 3 wk. Microbial populations and soil aggregation increased mostly during the first week in all samples. Molds predominated in acid spoils while bacteria and actinomycetes declined. In limed spoils and garden soil bacteria and actinomycetes outgrew the molds. In spite of the inoculation with nitrifying bacteria, nitrification did not occur in acid spoils but continued for 3 wk in the other samples. It was shown that liming and proper amendments did improve the characteristics of acid spoils