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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fayetteville, Arkansas » Poultry Production and Product Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #395620
Research Project: Developing Best Management Practices for Poultry Litter to Improve Agronomic Value and Reduce Air, Soil and Water Pollution

Location: Poultry Production and Product Safety Research

Title: Monitoring and assessment of reclamation at tar creek superfund site using timeseries satellite imagery

Author
item Smith, Harrison
item Ashworth, Amanda
item KING, SUMMER - Quapaw Nation Environmental Office

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2022
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Harmful effects of mining wastes on human and ecosystem health make reclamation of former mine sites a priority of environmental management. However, the factors affecting post-reclamation vegetative recovery, a critical component of the reclamation process, are not well understood. Here, we examine the Tar Creek Superfund Site as a case study for understanding vegetation recovery after mine site reclamation. Broadly we seek to understand what factors affect how quickly vegetation recovers after reclamation at the landscape scale. To accomplish this we conducted a time series analysis of Landsat imagery using the LandTrendr algorithm. This method allows us to easily calculate vegetative recovery magnitude, duration, and rate, and to perform an analysis of management strategies and site factors. We found that the use of phosphate amendments to bind heavy metals significantly increased recovery rate, and that sites managed by the Quapaw Environmental Office met or exceeded other agencies in terms of recovery magnitude and rate, demonstrating the effectiveness of tribal leadership in cleanup efforts. These results demonstrate a strong potential for remote sensing methods in tracking and explaining vegetation recovery after reclamation, and could represent a cost-effective approach for analyzing reclamation efforts and outcomes through time.