| Assessments of large-scale surface mining practices are typically studied at a fine-grained, plant community scale. This paper attempts to assess mine reclamation at three different scales to evaluate landscapes affected by large-scale surface mining practices. Six post-mining sites in south-central West Virginia were selected for study. All mine sites had been revegetated with herbaceous legumes, grasses and woody species and ranged in age from 2 to 12 years of growth. At the intermediate-scale, study of these mines showed repeating landform patterns present. At a fine-scale, field sampling provided evidence that particular vegetation patterns exist for the mine-site landforms. At the largest scale, land cover patterns existed within the sampled landscapes, with large surface mines fragmenting 11% of the region's forests. Assessment of reclamation outcomes at landform, vegetation and landcover levels has provided a way to identify the sensitivity of particular landscape components to the effects of surface mining and reclamation. |
