Table 4.— Basal area per acre of volunteer species, In square feet, (merchantable size versus unmerchantable size) 

 by plantation number 



Number 



DlaCK 



cherry 



Sugar 

 maple 



Red 

 maple 



Beech 



Aspen 



1 



ob/U 



2/0 







0/4 



o 



lt)/0 









4/0 



o 



O 



14/1 









2/0 



A 



4 



y/4 



0/1 



2/0 





1/0 



cr 

 



12/U 









3/1 



c 

 o 



Q /n 

 i5/U 



3/1 



1/0 





5/1 



n 

 1 



1 o /c 

 12/0 









1/4 



Q 



o 



2.0 1 6 











Q 











2/3 



1 n 



11/lz 









5/2 



11 



lo/o 



6j\J 



O / 1 o 



o/lo 





6/2 



12 



15/3 





12/12 





5/2 



13 



29/1 





5/3 





5/1 



14 



23/9 





8/4 





1/3 



15 



21/13 



4/6 



7/3 



3/1 



1/3 



16 



17/5 



10/14 



21/5 



1/0 



2/1 



17 



11/7 



6/17 



9/12 





5/2 



18 



7/4 









3/7 



19 



8/8 



3/8 



2/4 





1/6 



Soil Development 



A soil pit was dug in each plantation to examine and evalu- 

 ate soil development of the mine spoils. Litter depth and the 

 horizons of the profile were measured. Litter depths ranged 

 from 0.75 inch to 3 inches. In 90 percent of the sample 

 points, the depth was 2 inches or less; A and B horizons were 

 measurable at all 19 sample points. Evidence of leaching, 

 identified by streaking or color changes, was used to delin- 

 eate the horizons. In many instances, the definition between 

 horizons was only faintly expressed. Nevertheless, the 

 presence of measurable litter and of faint horizons shows 

 that soil profiles are developing under the plantations. At 

 two sample locations, development of a hardpan was noted 

 below the B horizons. At another location an accumulation 

 of clay was recorded in the B horizon. This might be another 

 hardpan developing. Identifiable topsoil was recorded in the 

 lower horizons at only one location. Table 5 shows the mea- 

 surements as taken in the field evaluations. 



Ground cover evaluations were different in both type and 

 density between lots. Types of ground cover included: ferns, 

 mosses, grasses, annual weeds, woody shrubs, and small hard- 

 wood seedlings. There was a slight correlation between 

 density of ground cover and litter depth. As density in- 

 creased, litter decreased. There were more grasses, annual 

 weeds, and woody plants in plantations with high propor- 

 tions of volunteer hardwood tree species. Ferns and mosses 

 were more common in the dense conifer plantations. 



Discussion 



The evaluation of old reclamation plantings on Tioga County 

 surface mine spoils clearly demonstrates the potential of 

 minesoil as a forest site. Most of the planted species have at- 

 tained merchantable sizes and volumes per acre large enough 

 to make commercial harvests. 



Pitch pine was the only species that was not found on all the 

 lots where it was planted. Over 3,000 pitch pine seedlings 

 were planted in 1919 and 1920. None were recorded in the 

 cruises of the plantations. A few pitch pine were recorded in 

 the plantations that had burned. 



A comparison of timber volumes on Tioga County minesoils 

 with those in plantations established on old fields in western 

 Pennsylvania shows that the minesoils have intermediate 

 productivity. Grisez (1968) reported on growth jmd develop- 

 ment of 37 plantations, 3 of which contained conifers; the 

 plantations ranged from 39 to 54 years old. The western 

 Pennsylvania plantations included the same species as those 

 in the Tioga County plantings. Mean annual increment in 

 board feet for the old field plantings ranged from to 394 

 (two plantations failed). On the minesoils, the range of mean 

 annual increment in bocurd feet was 32 to 254. Because of age 

 differences and differences in evaluation procedures, other 

 comparisons would not be meaningful. However, the annual 

 increments showed that growth on minesoils was within the 

 range of growth achieved on undisturbed soil. 



4 



