The dryland sodder strips the top layer of soil and vegetation (sod, soil, shrubs and small trees) from areas to be surface mined and places it intact over reshaped areas. The soil layer is scooped into the sodder and transported to the reclamation area. It is removed by tilting and shaking the bucket while slowly moving the loader backward... A conveyor system is being developed for the bottom of the dryland sodder to aid loading and unloading the sod strips...