Transcript Succession on a coal mining spoil heap

Succession
Click the next button to view the ‘Succession on
coal mining spoil heaps’
Succession On Coal Mining Spoil Heap
This Powerpoint activity allows you to view the regeneration of
plant cover on three spoil heaps of different ages. The spoil
heaps are in Pwlldu near Abergavenny.
Task
Your task is to analyse the abiotic and biotic data on the three
coal mining spoil heaps of different ages. You will then
summarise the differences, and describe the changes as
succession takes place.
Click the information button for more detailed information about
the task.
This map shows 3 spoil heaps
at Pwlldu , A, B and C.
The waste was dumped at
different times in the past, and
the age of each is shown in
the key.
Click on a thumbnail at the
top of the screen to see more
detail of the area.
A
B
C
Click on each of the spoil heaps (A, B, C) in turn to analyse the area in detail.
Click on the information button to get full instructions.
Click Home to return to this page.
Click on the soil data button to see the abiotic data.
A
B
Soil data
Soil data
Key to species
32 years old
Quadrat 1
Click on thumbnails
Soil data
Key to species
32 years old
Quadrat 2
Click on thumbnails
Soil data
Key to species
32 years old
Quadrat 3
Click on thumbnails
Soil data
Key to species
32 years old
Quadrat 4
Click on thumbnails
Soil data
Key to species
32 years old
Quadrat 5
Click on thumbnails
Soil data
Key to species
60 years old
Quadrat 1
Click on thumbnails
Soil data
Key to species
60 years old
Quadrat 2
Click on thumbnails
Soil data
Key to species
60 years old
Quadrat 3
Click on thumbnails
Soil data
Key to species
60 years old
Quadrat 4
Click on thumbnails
Soil data
Key to species
60 years old
Quadrat 5
Click on thumbnails
Soil data
Key to species
145 years old
Quadrat 1
Click on thumbnails
Soil data
Key to species
145 years old
Quadrat 2
Click on thumbnails
Soil data
Key to species
145 years old
Quadrat 3
Click on thumbnails
Soil data
Key to species
145 years old
Quadrat 4
Click on thumbnails
Soil data
Key to species
145 years old
Quadrat 5
Click on thumbnails
Sheep’s fescue
Soil data
Heather
Soil data
Cross-leaved heath
Soil data
Sphagnum
Soil data
Soft rush
Soil data
Reindeer moss
Soil data
Bilberry without leaves
Soil data
Bilberry with leaves
Soil data
Instructions
Soil data
1. Use the 5 quadrats at each spoil tip site to make estimates of
percentage cover of each plant, of plant cover in general, and
‘bare ground’.
2. Record your results for percentage cover on the table provided.
Finally, by clicking on the soil data button you can see some
information about the soils on each tip.
3. Use the combined information, this presentation and any
additional slides with text and visuals (e.g. graphs and
diagrams) you wish to create to summarize the changes to
vegetation on the soil tips over time.
4. You should answer the question ‘What are the likely changes
and timeline for natural restoration of coal mining spoil tips?’
Soil data
Site
B
C
32
60
145
6
5
5
dish (g)
134
134
176
dish plus soil (g)
324
318
262
soil wet (g)
190
184
86
dish plus soil dry (g)
302
286
213
soil dry (g)
168
152
37
water loss (g)
22
32
49
% water content
13
19
29
9.44
9.32
10
12.69
10.94
11.73
3.25
1.62
1.73
12.35
10.94
11.35
0.34
0.38
0.38
10.46
23.46
21.97
Age (years)
pH
A
Soil water content
A
Soil organic content
crucible (g)
crucible plus soil dry (g)
soil (g)
crucible plus ash (g)
humus (g)
% organic content
B
C