Effect of Planting Method on the Growth of Alnus glutinosa and Quercus petraea in Compacted Opencast Coal‐Mine Spoils, South Wales
Land degradation on officially ‘reclaimed’ opencast coal‐mine sites is a widespread problem in South Wales. This project explores methods suitable for use by community volunteers seeking to effect local environmental improvement by restoring geoecological self‐sustainability on lands that are commonly affected by extreme auto‐compaction and low soil nutrient status. This paper describes a formally established 7‐year experiment designed to assess the effect of three alternative tree planting strategies used in the forestation of such lands. These are notch planting (e.g.