Each year in West Virginia, thousands of acres of forests are disturbed through the processes of logging, development, and extractive industries such as coal and natural gas. Land impacted by surface coal mining, by law, must be reclaimed.

Research to date has focused on the replacement of soils and planting of vegetation at reclamation sites. The biology of the soils at these reclaimed sites remains relatively under-studied even though microorganisms in soils are crucial for plant productivity and ecological functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. Bacteria, archaea, fungi, and other microbes that decompose organic materials have roles in mineral nutrient cycles, infl uence soil structure, and break down toxins—all processes that are important to plant growth and ecosystem productivity.

Research at WVSU is focusing on fi eld studies, greenhouse experiments, and molecular techniques to better understand the soil microbial communities at these disturbed sites and to identify factors that may positively infl uence their diversity and abundance.