Download or read book Evaluating Stream and Wetland Restoration Success on Surface Mines in Southern Illinois written by Blair Michael Borries and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 550 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Wetlands and streams provide many ecosystem services, yet many of these services have been lost during the process of surface mining. It is often not practical to avoid wetlands and streams, and newer technologies such as large draglines have made it possible to mine through large perennial streams and their associated riparian wetland systems. Laws such as the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act and Clean Water Act require the restoration of these systems in approximately the same location and configuration as before mining, but do not address the long-term replacement of function. In Perry County, Illinois, three stream segments of Bonnie Creek, Galum Creek, and Pipestone Creek and their associated riparian wetland systems were among the largest ever restored following surface mining. The research objective was to determine whether or not function was restored in the three aforementioned streams and riparian wetlands following surface mining reclamation. Wetland soil properties, vegetation, and hydrology at study sites along Bonnie and Galum Creeks were compared to that of nearby natural wetlands and across a chronosequence of soil age. Water quality was assessed [alkalinity, chloride (Cl), fluoride (Fl), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), nitrate (NO 3 ), sulfate (SO4 ), total dissolved solids (TDS), and total suspended solids (TSS)] in the three restored streams for post restoration trends over time and along the length of the restored channels. Deep basins, called incline pits, were located inline of all three restored channels and are unique to streams restored on surface mines. Stream samples were collected above and below incline pits during storm events to evaluate their ability to reduce sediment concentrations. Assessment of the water chemistry of the restored streams showed that for some parameters, water quality remained stable or improved with distance or time along the restored streams. However, along Bonnie and Galum Creek, a significant positive trend was seen by length of relocated channel in SO 4, Fe, Mn, Zn, TDS, conductivity, and Cl. On the other hand, at Pipestone Creek, significant negative trends were evident in TDS, Mn, water temperature, conductivity, and SO4 levels over time or along the length of the relocated channel. Trends along the length of the Pipestone Creek were only found in monitoring conducted twenty years after the channel relocation was complete. Sediment concentration above and below the incline pits inline of Bonnie and Galum Creek were not significantly different based on the sampling of two storm events. An additional input from an agricultural drainage ditch to the Bonnie Pit increased sediment concentrations at the downstream sample point counteracting the reductions that were seen in the Galum pit. Research on the mined stream and riparian systems indicated that reclamation of wetlands and streams to a stable or condition similar to a natural system is possible and sets a standard for future mining operations to follow. However, several shortcomings were identified. Reduced levels of SOM and soil N in the MPWs in the surface 15 cm of the lower sample points may have been the result of longer periods of inundation that reduced nitrification and vegetation recruitment. SOM, soil N, and the C/N ratio in the 15-30 cm depth were lower in the mined wetlands suggesting that these properties take longer to recover at deeper depths, but the significant linear trend in pH show that soil in the deeper strata is changing with time. Invasion by P. Australis reduced taxa richness suggesting that invasive plants are still a problem even more than twenty years after restoration. In addition, the increase in conductivity and SO4 downstream of a visible seep in Bonnie Creek highlight the potential for contaminated groundwater to affect surface water. More consideration should be given to reclaiming not just the surface and subsoils, but also the deeper water bearing strata to ensure that surface water chemistry is not impacted by mining.
Download or read book Preliminary Evaluation of Stream Restoration and Passive Treatment Technologies for the Improvement of Water Quality on a Surface Mine in Eastern Kentucky written by Courtney Bishop Mastin and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Wetland Creation and Restoration written by Karen Schneller-McDonald and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This report provides a hard copy of the bibliographic information contained in the digital Wetland Creation/Restoration Data Base. One thousand one hundred data base records are included; each of these represents one article, report, or other publication dealing with the creation or restoration of wetlands. Information in the records is ... accessible via a cross-referenced index divided into four sections (Location Index, Plant Genus Index, Wetland Type Index, and Subject Index."--Page 1 Abstract.
Download or read book Evaluating the Potential for Created Wetland Establishment on Restored Surface Mine Sites written by John Cairns and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 183 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystems written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1992-01-01 with total page 580 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Aldo Leopold, father of the "land ethic," once said, "The time has come for science to busy itself with the earth itself. The first step is to reconstruct a sample of what we had to begin with." The concept he expressedâ€"restorationâ€"is defined in this comprehensive new volume that examines the prospects for repairing the damage society has done to the nation's aquatic resources: lakes, rivers and streams, and wetlands. Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystems outlines a national strategy for aquatic restoration, with practical recommendations, and features case studies of aquatic restoration activities around the country. The committee examines: Key concepts and techniques used in restoration. Common factors in successful restoration efforts. Threats to the health of the nation's aquatic ecosystems. Approaches to evaluation before, during, and after a restoration project. The emerging specialties of restoration and landscape ecology.
Download or read book Biological Report written by and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page 768 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Restoration of Riparian Buffer Function in Reclaimed Surface Mine Soils in Southern Illinois written by Nathan Rahe and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Riparian buffers have been proven to reduce nutrient and sediment transport to streams in agricultural watersheds. Southern Illinois offers a unique opportunity to study functions of riparian buffers in reclaimed mine soils. In Perry County, Illinois three stream segments of Bonnie Creek, Galum Creek and Pipestone Creek were restored to their approximate original position following mining. Between 1980 and 2000, as part of the restoration, vegetative buffers of grasses and trees were planted along the streams to minimize nutrient and sediment inputs from adjacent restored agricultural land. Our research objective was to determine whether riparian soil function was being restored in the vegetated buffers by comparing multiple soil properties to the adjacent reclaimed soils in agricultural production. Four transects were established on each study site through the buffer and agricultural field. Ten one meter plots were evenly spaced along each transect in each of the land uses. In summers 2010 and 2011, water infiltration rates, bulk density, total carbon concentration, total nitrogen concentration, and C:N ratio measurements were made to assess the restoration of soil function. Soil water infiltration was significantly higher and bulk density was significantly lower in the riparian buffers compared to the adjacent agricultural fields. In the riparian buffer, roots likely helped to break up the soil adding pore space, which reduced the bulk density and increased the water infiltration rates. Soil total carbon, total nitrogen, and C:N ratio were significantly higher in the riparian buffers than the agricultural fields. The additional organic matter inputs from the roots of the riparian vegetation along with incorporation of litter from the soil macrofauna likely helped to increase the soil carbon and nitrogen levels compared to the agricultural fields. Even though the soil C:N ratio was significantly higher in the riparian buffers than the agricultural fields, more time is needed to restore the ratio to levels where nitrogen will be immobilized not mineralized in the riparian soils. Soil function in the riparian areas should continue to develop at a faster rate compared to the agricultural fields due to the impact of the perennial vegetation. Restoration of landscapes is not estimated by the return of structure alone, it also includes the re-establishment of function such as soil quality improvement, water quality improvement, and wildlife habitat restoration.
Download or read book Some Effects of Routing a Stream Through a Surface Mine Lake written by Michael J. McElligott and published by . This book was released on 1984 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book An Assessment of Surface Mine Reclamation and the Market Potential for Future Coal Mining and Agriculture written by Kemar S. Jones and published by . This book was released on 2023 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Coal has been an important economic driver in many communities throughout the state of Illinois. The exploitation of this fossil fuel resource has left 1,230 previously surface mined locations across the state. The surface mining technique employed to remove overburden, has disturbed land with agricultural value and lands that are currently under agricultural production. Despite the increase in renewable energy dependence, the likelihood exists that surface mining may continue. Therefore, this study was carried out to assess the conditions of reclaimed mines and to better define the tradeoffs between surface mining and agriculture. To accomplish this assessment, post-mining land use from remotely sensed data were evaluated to determine which mined areas returned to agricultural production upon cessation of mining activities. This assessment was undertaken to inform how much of future surface mined areas may be reclaimed and be put back into agricultural production in the future. Potential future mine areas were quantified in this study to evaluate the tradeoff between the onetime economic benefit of coal extraction and the value of continuously farming the land at least 150-years into the future without surface mining the coal. The value of coal was assessed by using the estimated coal reserve calculated by the Illinois Geologic Survey and then monetizing the market value of the reserve using projections from the United States Department of Commerce. The value of the agricultural lands which overly areas that could be surface mined in the future were assessed using the average value of the corn and soybeans produced on these lands. Comparison of the value of coal which could be surface mined from these agricultural lands with the value of the corn and soybean crops these lands could produce were used to inform the potential tradeoff between keeping these lands in agricultural production verses surface mining these areas. The assessment of mined and mineable areas revealed that 8% (1,182,400 ha) of Illinois has been surface mined with an additional 2% (295,800 ha) available for future utilization. The land cover analysis indicates that most reclamation surface mines (84%) are in non-agricultural land use. This suggests once an area is surface mined, they are not usually put back into agricultural production. Of the 295,800 ha of surface mineable coal reserves remaining in Illinois, 52% (151,000 ha) is currently in agricultural land use. The other surface mineable areas have forest, grassland, or open space land covers. The future surface mineable coal reserves in Illinois are estimated to be about 9 billion metric tons, worth $351 billion (2018 dollars). When taking on a profit perspective, I estimated annual revenue from surface coal mining in Illinois to be ~ $350 million annually where corn and soybeans would be between $157 and $183 million annually. These results suggest coal mining would be approximately double agricultural profits on an annual basis and consequently, the extraction of coal through surface mining in these areas would have more economical value for the current generation of landowners. However, over the long-term (>150 year using 2018 estimates of coal reserves and agricultural production) the agricultural production from these lands would surpass the current value of the coal, suggesting not strip mining these lands could provide greater value to future generations of Illinoisans.
Download or read book Stream Corridor Restoration written by and published by National Technical Info Svc. This book was released on 1998 with total page 648 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This document is a cooperative effort among fifteen Federal agencies and partners to produce a common reference on stream corridor restoration. It responds to a growing national and international interest in restoring stream corridors.
Download or read book Wetlands and the Surface Mining of Coal written by Milady A. Cardamone and published by . This book was released on 1985 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Restoration Management Notes written by and published by . This book was released on 1988 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book An Economic and Spatial Model for Evaluation and Comparison of Public Surface mine Land Reclamation Projects in Illinois written by C. Lee Rogers and published by . This book was released on 1975 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Ecology Abstracts written by and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 730 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Coverage: 1982- current; updated: monthly. This database covers current ecology research across a wide range of disciplines, reflecting recent advances in light of growing evidence regarding global environmental change and destruction. Major ares of subject coverage include: Algae/lichens, Animals, Annelids, Aquatic ecosystems, Arachnids, Arid zones, Birds, Brackish water, Bryophytes/pteridophytes, Coastal ecosystems, Conifers, Conservation, Control, Crustaceans, Ecosyst em studies, Fungi, Grasses, Grasslands, High altitude environments, Human ecology, Insects, Legumes, Mammals, Management, Microorganisms, Molluscs, Nematodes, Paleo-ecology, Plants, Pollution studies, Reptiles, River basins, Soil, TAiga/tundra, Terrestrial ecosystems, Vertebrates, Wetlands, Woodlands.
Download or read book In Search of Swampland written by Ralph W. Tiner and published by Rutgers University Press. This book was released on 2005 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Search of Swampland introduces readers to the ecology and natural beauty of the wetlands, one of our most important natural resources. It provides an overview of wetland ecology with emphasis on factors important to wetland identification and recognition. Designed for readers with little or no training in wetland science, this heavily illustrated field guide serves as a valuable resource for the scientist or amateur naturalist. (Midwest).
Download or read book Wetland Creation and Restoration written by Jon A. Kusler and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a preliminary evaluation of the status of the science of wetland creation and restoration in the United States. It contains a series of regional reviews. Each review summarizes wetland creation and restoration experiences in broadly defined wetland regions (e.g. Pacific coastal wetlands, wooded wetlands of the Southeast). It also includes a series of theme papers, covering a wide range of topics of general application to wetland creation and restoration (hydrology, management techniques, planning).
Download or read book Riparian Areas written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2002-10-10 with total page 449 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Clean Water Act (CWA) requires that wetlands be protected from degradation because of their important ecological functions including maintenance of high water quality and provision of fish and wildlife habitat. However, this protection generally does not encompass riparian areasâ€"the lands bordering rivers and lakesâ€"even though they often provide the same functions as wetlands. Growing recognition of the similarities in wetland and riparian area functioning and the differences in their legal protection led the NRC in 1999 to undertake a study of riparian areas, which has culminated in Riparian Areas: Functioning and Strategies for Management. The report is intended to heighten awareness of riparian areas commensurate with their ecological and societal values. The primary conclusion is that, because riparian areas perform a disproportionate number of biological and physical functions on a unit area basis, restoration of riparian functions along America's waterbodies should be a national goal.
