MAMMAL DIVERSITY ASSOCIATED WITH FORMER SURFACE MINES IN THE VIRGINIA COALFIELDS.

Surface coal extraction and subsequent reclamation activities alter habitat availability for Appalachian wildlife, although broad surveys of mine-associated taxa are still largely lacking from the Virginia coalfields. We utilized game cameras to survey the mammal diversity of three habitat types - mined and reclaimed scrub/shrub habitat, mined and reclaimed scrub/shrub habitat associated with constructed wetlands, and unmined reference forests - at a reclaimed surface mine in Wise County, Virginia. We encountered 14 mammal species at this site, with the highest mammal diversity at mined wetlands and in unmined reference forests. Mammal diversity was substantially lower on reclaimed upland scrub-shrub habitats, echoing past findings for other taxa regarding decreased wildlife diversity on former surface mines. Our data provide a preliminary comparison of mammal diversity across three habitats associated with a former surface mine in the Virginia coalfields and highlight several key recommendations for land managers charged with maintaining wildlife diversity on formerly mined sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]