Five Tree Species Growth on Sierra Leone Rutile Mine Tailings

Eight 25x25 meter experimental plots in Sierra Leone measured the height growth of five tree species (Gmelina, mango, cashew, citrus, monkey apple) over 2.5 years. The study tested four planting hole treatments and four surface treatments to reclaim sand tailings from rutile mining. Data collection occurred between June 2007 and November 2009.

Use Cases

• Compare height growth across the five tree species (Gmelina, mango, cashew, citrus, monkey apple) under different reclamation treatments.
• Analyze the effect of planting hole treatments (compost, topsoil, mix, control) on tree growth rates in post-mining soil.
• Evaluate the impact of surface treatments (compost, mulch, top-soil, control) on the early establishment of the five planted species.
• Model tree survival and growth on sand tailings as a function of species selection and soil amendment type.

Strengths

• Controlled experimental design with eight distinct plots and replicated treatments.
• Includes five distinct tree species relevant to agroforestry and reclamation.
• Clear 2.5-year temporal coverage from June 2007 to November 2009.

Limitations

• Unknown sample size (number of individual tree measurements) limits statistical power assessment.
• Geographic scope is limited to a single mining concession area in Sierra Leone.
• Data is temporally stale, representing a specific historical experiment concluded in 2009.

Provenance

Source

Environmental Information Data Centre

Collection Method

Field measurements from eight purpose-planted experimental plots with controlled treatments.

Time Range

June 2007 to November 2009

Freshness

Dataset metadata was updated in March 2026, but the underlying experiment concluded in 2009.

Geography

Lanti South, Sierra Rutile Concession Area, Sierra Leone, West Africa