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The impacts of reclamation history on the abiotic and biotic ecological properties of recovering mine land

Starkey, Anna N
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1682031993555763

Abstract Details

2023, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology.
Restoration is a global priority that aims to reinstate ecosystem function. One key metric of ecosystem function is species interactions. However, the species interactions that promote function can be influenced by land-use legacy, the lasting impact of land-use on the ecosystem. Surface mining is an example of an intensive land-use practice that dramatically alters the abiotic environment, potentially causing an array of legacy effects. Reclamation standards, such as those specified in the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA), have been introduced over time to mitigate the damage of surface mining. Areas mined prior to SMCRA were reclaimed with few requirements and little consistency, while SMCRA mandated topsoil replacement, contouring, and revegetation. It is unknown if different reclamation techniques have different legacy effects. The overarching goal of this study was to determine if species interactions differ between surface mine reclamation histories. First, to characterize the abiotic differences between reclamation histories, I measured the soil quality of five sites mined pre-SMCRA and five sites mined post-SMCRA in Eastern Ohio. To investigate how reclamation history affects a mutualistic belowground interaction, I planted legumes for eight weeks and observed plant growth and colonization by rhizobia. I also studied an antagonistic aboveground interaction, insect herbivory, by sampling these same plants for foliar damage to determine herbivore preference for plants grown in either reclamation history. I found that pre-SMCRA soils had significantly higher nitrogen, and that nitrogen availability drove plant survival and plant growth. Despite pre-SMCRA sites having higher soil nitrogen content, and previous studies showing stronger associations with microbes in nutrient poor-soils, pre-SMCRA plants had greater rhizobia colonization, suggesting that the increased mutualism in pre-SMCRA sites may be driven by another environmental factor. Plants ultimately did not differ morphologically between reclamation histories, but plants in pre-SMCRA sites did have higher nitrogen content than plants from post-SMCRA sites. Although plants were more nutrient-rich in pre-SMCRA sites, insect herbivores more frequently visited plants in post-SMCRA sites. By measuring the abiotic and biotic qualities of the two reclamation histories, I discovered that above and below-ground species interactions differ between areas mined pre-and post-SMCRA. To determine why insect herbivory was higher in post-SMCRA sites, I investigated two possible drivers of herbivory: differences in the insect communities and plant chemistry. I measured the total phenolic concentration in Lotus corniculatus leaves and found that phenolic concentrations did not differ between reclamation histories. Through characterizing the vegetation cover and insect herbivore communities in the pre and post-SMCRA sites, I found that herbivores were similarly abundant in both reclamation histories, but vegetation richness and bare ground differed between reclamation histories and these differences in vegetation drove differences in their insect communities. These results suggest that the vegetation communities, more so than the vegetation quality, drive differences in insect communities, and potentially insect herbivory, across reclaimed mine land. Furthermore, the composition of the vegetation communities at both permits closely resembled that of which was planted during reclamation over five decades prior to this study, suggesting a lack of succession in either history since reclamation. While my results support the use of reclaimed land for insect conservation, they suggest that reclaimed mine land can have increased benefits for both insects and plants if actively managed for greater vegetation cover and richness.
Karen Goodell (Committee Member)
Frances Sivakoff (Advisor)
Andy McCall (Committee Member)
101 p.
Ecology
reclamation; surface mining; plant-insect interactions; plant-microbe interactions; insect herbivores

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Starkey, A. N. (2023). The impacts of reclamation history on the abiotic and biotic ecological properties of recovering mine land [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1682031993555763

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Starkey, Anna. The impacts of reclamation history on the abiotic and biotic ecological properties of recovering mine land. 2023. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1682031993555763.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Starkey, Anna. "The impacts of reclamation history on the abiotic and biotic ecological properties of recovering mine land." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2023. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1682031993555763

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1682031993555763
103
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.