Manganese concentrations in silver birch leaves were studied in the Ore Mountains and several reference localities in Czechia, both mountainous (up to 950 m MSL) and lowland (ca. 300 m MSL). The studied mountainous areas have been seriously damaged by acid rains in the last decades and forests there have still not recovered from that crisis. The aim of this study was to identify the major controls on the foliar Mn concentration variability, which was more than one order of magnitude, from 200 mg kg -1 (10th percentile) to 2000 mg kg -1 (90 th percentile) in the mountainous sites, that is, under uniform environmental conditions and for the same emission history of mountainous forests. The foliar Mn concentrations in the highest 5% samples were >3000 mg kg -1 which can be close to toxicity for persistent tree growth and thus indicate actual local geochemical stress in plants. Manganese uptake by plants has been enhanced by acid rain in the last decades, inferred from low foliar Mg (ca. 0.15%) and soil acidity (soil pH down to 4.0 in aqueous extracts). Certain bedrocks in the Ore Mountains, particularly local granitic porphyry and mafic lavas, have elevated Mn concentrations; however, in the mafic lavas, the soil Mn excess is compensated by elevated concentrations of soil Mg and pH. The highest foliar Mn concentrations were found in specimens growing in soils on granitic porphyry and on certain granites. The Mn concentration in birch leaves could be proposed as a proxy for the impact of soil acidification in central European mountain forests.

In a specific area of the Krušné Hory Mts. (Ore Mountains), Czech Republic, branches and leaves of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) were collected during the growing seasons in 2010-2016 on the low-pH soil (2.77-3.62) with a high total content of manganese (490-6277 mg kg dwt.). Mn content in leaves occurred in a wide range (274-11,159 mg kg) and was markedly increased during the growing season with the exception of year 2015, when the leaves dried out early due to the precipitation deficit. New leaves exhibited the Mn content corresponding to the beginning of the growing season. Mn content in branches was comparable both in the years of collection (including 2015) and in the respective growing seasons (2062-3885 mg kg). The content of manganese in bilberry leaves was dependent on the cumulated amount of precipitation (p < 10; r = 0.4962) and on the cumulated amount of water in the soil captured in lysimeters (p = 0.00003; r = 0.4520).Hyperaccumulation of manganese in bilberry was confirmed as well as its continuous increase during the vegetation seasons. The manganese content in leaves of bilberry showed positive correlation with soil moisture. For the assessment of bilberry condition (nutrition), the collection of samples should be made towards the end of the growing season, closely before the onset of senescence.

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Coal mining has an impact on the countryside and landscape where the exploitation of the mineral occurs, particularly with regard to the way it is mined, the technology used, the surface area, and the shape of the coalfield and extent of mining. The impact of mining, which is predominantly negative, is gradually being eliminated today in accordance with applicable laws by applying knowledge and experience and with the help of a variety of reclamation and revitalization activities. The newly created landscape gives the area new value and opportunity for use. The process of restoring a landscape after coal mining should be primarily guided by the principle of sustainable development to ensure that a balance of the social, economic and environmental aspects is achieved. This article discusses the theoretical basis of the individual possibilities for restoring the landscape in such a way that the anthropogenic formations caused by coal mining are best incorporated into the surrounding landscape and likewise meet the social and economic needs of society. A model area can be found in the northern part of the Czech Republic that has been scarred by coal strip mining for nearly 200 years, but the adverse effects on the landscape have been successfully smoothed over by reclamation methods.

The need to achieve the sustainability goals and to reduce the continuous exploitation of the limited urban areas increases requests for the regeneration of brownfields. The current study aims to review the state of brownfields in the Northern Czech Region and neighboring German (Saxony) and Polish (Silesian) Regions which share a common geological background and environmental problems. The peculiarities of the brownfield’s properties related to the term, classification, legislative framework, access to available data, degree of contamination, and remediation methods were the focus of this review. It was established that the state with brownfield identification and transformation is better in the Czech Republic, followed by Germany, with lower awareness in Poland. The relevant examples of successful brownfield revitalization and the importance of educational components were introduced. A prospective application of the phytotechnology with the second-generation crops for the remediation of brownfields was discussed. The utilization of Miscanthus spp. for marginal lands with low contamination can provide an economic return by having biomass converted into energy or bioproducts and the utilization of the accompanied waste as carbon-rich biochar which can indeed support phytoremediation, enhance plants’ growth and serve as a medium for carbon sequestration. The next steps in the research have to concentrate on comparison of the rehabilitation methods introduced for the targeted regions with the global approach in brownfield redevelopment along with the practical ensuring the phytotechnology potential at the selected brownfields.