Comparison of Morphological, Physical, and Chemical Properties of a Minesoil and a Natural Soil of Southeast Kansas

Morphological, physical and chemical properties of minesoil were determined and compared to natural soil in southeast Kansas. The morphological and physical properties of the minesoil were less favorable for plant growth than those of the natural soil and probably would be major limiting factors in the establishment and growth of plants on minesoil. The minesoil lacked well-developed and contrasting horizons and contained shale fragments ranging in amounts from less than 5 to 25 percent. The structure of the minesoil was mostly clods, varying in shape and size, with many open voids in the subsoil. The average coarse-fragment (> 2 mm) content of the minesoil was 15 percent compared to less than 2 percent for the natural soil. The minesoil contained more material in the sand-size ranges of the fine-earth (