Nutritive Levels in Plants from Stripmined Areas in Eastern Ohio

The effects of soil substrates altered by stripmining on the nutritive Quality of vegetation growing on such a substrate were investigated. From 1972-73, data were taken from two sites in Ohio, one having generally acidic spoil banks and the other having calcareous spoils. Grasses, forbs, and woody plants were analyzed for water, ash, crude protein, ether extract, cell-wall constituents, and nitrogen-free extracts. Few differences in these parameters were noted between plants growing on undisturbed VS. Stripmined land. Concentrations of six essential elements in the plants were analyzed by emission spectrography. Plants from control plots had significantly higher phosphorus concentrations. Acid mined plots had plants with much higher manganese levels (sometimes exceeding 600 ppm), while alkaline plots had plants with higher calcium levels and plants growing in control plots had significantly higher potassium levels. Levels of magnesium and iron are also reported. Nutrient levels in plants were never low enough to cause deficiencies.