Interactions between soil covers and rainfall affect post-mining plant restoration in a semi-arid Banded Iron Formation

Abstract Soil moisture and physical characteristics strongly influence plant-available water and surface crust strength, which affect seedling emergence. We test interactions between rainfall amount and topsoil and waste rock blends and their impact on restoration outcomes in a semi-arid environment. Seedling emergence was evaluated in eight species across three winter rainfall treatments (low (ambient) 68 mm, equivalent to 1st decile; median 144 mm; and high 182 mm, 8th decile) and three soil cover treatments (topsoil, waste rock and topsoil+waste rock blend (3:1)) to assess the effect of rainfall amounts, soil cover blend, and their interactions on plant recruitment in restoration. Seedling emergence for all species was