Effect of Soil Amendments on Short-Term CO2 Fluxes in Revegetation Mine Soil

Author

• Wilson W. Zoogah
• Abdullah Al Moinee
• Kwame Awuah-Offei, Missouri University of Science and TechnologyFollow
• Mariam K. Al-Lami
• Joel G. Burken, Missouri University of Science and TechnologyFollow

Abstract

Soil CO2 flux serves a critical indicator of ecosystem function and carbon cycling in disturbed landscapes. This study measured and quantified temporal patterns and environmental drivers of soil respiration across fifteen revegetated treatment plots over a 12-week period (July-October 2025). Utilizing automated CO2 flux measurements, we investigated differences between treatments and quantified their relationships with soil temperature, moisture, and atmospheric pressure. One-way ANOVA revealed significant treatment effects on CO2 flux (F4, 442 =14.1, p < 0.001, η²=0.113), with amended plots exhibiting 40-50% higher mean fluxes than control plots. Weekly temporal analysis demonstrated distinct temporal patterns, with peak fluxes registering in mid-August before a gradual decline. Multiple regression analyses showed that soil temperature (β=0.043, p < 0.001) and moisture (β=2.31, p < 0.001) are the primary flux drivers, together accounting for 18.2% of total variability (adjusted R²=0.182). Atmospheric pressure had a moderate effect (β=1.13, p < 0.001), detectable only in multivariable analysis. Variance partitioning indicated that environmental factors explained more variability (18.7%) than treatment effect (10.5%), with approximately 71% of flux variability attributed to finer spatial or temporal variability. These results demonstrate that revegetation amendments enhance soil biological activity and impact geochemical cycling, and that temperature and moisture are dominant controls on respiration dynamics in reclaimed mine soils. The findings provide quantifiable benchmarks for ecosystem recovery through altering soil biology and geochemistry and for quantifying carbon sequestration potential in post-mining landscapes.

Recommended Citation

W. W. Zoogah et al., "Effect of Soil Amendments on Short-Term CO2 Fluxes in Revegetation Mine Soil," Minexhange 2026 2026 SME Annual Conference and Expo, article no. 26-028, Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration, Jan 2026.

Department(s)

Mining Engineering

Second Department

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering

Keywords and Phrases

ANOVA; arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; biochar; carbon cycling; mine reclamation; soil respiration

Document Type

Article - Conference proceedings

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2026 Society for Minine, Metallurgy and Exploration, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Jan 2026