Natural succession on strip-mined lands in northwestern New Mexico

Abstract

Plant species composition and diversity were compared on mined and unmined areas at the McKinley Coal mine in New Mexico by a reconnaissance survey. Mined sites sampled date from 1961 to 1972. The unmined sites were adjacent to the mined sites. Vegetation was surveyed with respect to life forms and relative importance of each floristic element. The data show the slow rate of recovery of untreated mined lands within this semi-arid sagebrush/pinyon-juniper plant community. Mined sites of all ages are considered to be in a similar phase of early primary succession as shown by dominance of annual and short-lived perennial taxa in a region naturally dominated by woody taxa. No significant differences in species diversity was found between mined sites of different ages. Greater species diversity was found in unmined areas.