10-year study on reclaimed mine emphasizes ability to persist in poor soil
When it comes to establishing prairies that support pollinators on reclaimed industrial land, a new study suggests native plant diversity matters less than seeding species with the ability to persist in poor soils.
Researchers found that flowering plants hardy enough to blossom and survive in about 6 inches of topsoil – including some non-native plants – were the best ecological bet for unmanaged plots designed to provide habitat for bees, butterflies, wasps and other pollinators for the long term.
The study produced a rare 10-year dataset on pollinator habitat plot experiments that Ohio State University scientists conducted at The Wilds, a conservation center in southeast Ohio located on the site of a former coal strip-mining operation.
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