XVI International Botanical Congess

A 31-year-old revegetated site on coal mine spoil and a nearby 47-year-old bare spoil area were assessed for seed bank composition and soil chemistry. A comparison of tree density on the revegetated site was also made between trees planted in 1966 and trees present in 1997. Relative tree density (>100%, 50-100%, and <50%) was represented by four, six, and four species, respectively. Ten volunteer tree species were found on the revegetated site. Percent similarity between the seed bank and aboveground vegetation from spring and summer soil collections was 9.8% and 8.2%. No seeds or vegetation were found on the bare spoil area. Significant differences (P<0.05) between the revegetated site and the bare spoil area were found for all soil analyses.