New paper! Effects of reclamation and deep ripping on soil bulk density and hydraulic conductivity at legacy surface mines

New paper alert! Cuyahoga Valley National Park is pock-marked by reclaimed surface mines, but the park can’t get trees to grow on these sites to achieve true restoration. In this paper, we investigate what’s up with the soil physical and hydrologic properties and how a deep-ripping process might help the current reforestation effort be a success.

This work encompasses results from undergraduate research by Mike Back and MS research by Caytie Ruhm. It’s great to see it in print!

Back, M.P., Jefferson, A.J., Ruhm, C.T., Blackwood, C.B. 2024. Effects of reclamation and deep ripping on soil bulk density and hydraulic conductivity at legacy surface mines in northeast Ohio, USA. Geoderma, 442, 116788. dot: 10.1016/j.geoderma.2024.116788

Heavy machinery drives through a field

Deep ripping in action in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, September 2017