Revegetation status of reclaimed abandoned mined land in western North Dakota

Abstract In western North Dakota an abandoned coal strip mine was revegetated following use by a heavy‐equipment operator training school. This study was done to determine which plant species could be used successfully to vegetate the semiarid site and whether a top dressing of fertilizer would be beneficial. A seed mixture containing six species was drilled into the recontoured soil, followed by a single top dressing of NPK. Although the NPK treatment failed to increase plant production in the year of application (1981), it significantly increased grass production in 1983. Plant production differed each year of the study. In 1981, most plant production came from weedy forbs, whereas most production came from Melilotus officinalis in 1982 and from grasses in 1983. By 1983, the species with greatest survival and plant density was Elymus trachycaulus.