Chris Nash's Talk About Pachamama, A Land Restoration Project in South Africa
Camp Appalachian Renewal : Nearly 1.5 million acres of land in the Appalachian region has been disturbed by surface mining of coal. Reclamation laws lead to practices which stabilize ground conditions, including intense surface grading, heavy compaction of soils, and the establishment of ground covers that establish rapidly. However, the unintended environmental consequences of these practices are now widely observed including: High tree mortality and stunted tree growth A move away from forestry reclamation to hay/pasture land reclamation (due to tree mortality and to more quickly meet SMCRA bond release requirements) Broad introduction of fast growing non-native groundcovers that outcompete native plants leading to pastures overrun with invasive, exotic species Flooding as the result of reduced topsoil water infiltration rates and increased run-off Although stable, reclaimed Appalachian mine lands are mired in a state of arrested ecological succession, they maintain depleted levels o...