Ecosystem Development on Naturally Colonized China Clay Wastes: I. Vegetation Changes and Overall Accumulation of Organic Matter and Nutrients

Physico-Chemical Characterization and Mine Soil Genesis in Age Series Coal Mine Overburden Spoil in Chronosequence in a Dry Tropical Environment

“…Increase in organic carbon was found to be correlated with the increase in clay fraction in ecologically disturbed lands [35,36]. According to Marshman and Marshall [37], clay acts as an absorption sink for organic material.…”

“…Dancer et al [59] have suggested that 700kg ha -1 of N accumulation in soil is critical for the establishment of a substantial self-sustaining ecosystem in disturbed lands. Roberts et al [35] and Dancer et al [59] have identified accumulation of nutrients as an important feature of ecosystem development in naturally colonized spoils. The increase in soil N can be attributed to the input from the growing plant species, i.e.…”

Phytosociological studies on natural establishment of vegetation in an unreclaimed limestone mining

“…Organic matter was accumulating during soil and vegetation development what collaborates to better conditions of the soil. For example, Roberts et al (1981) found significant relationships between organic matter and other nutrient contents of the ecosystem and age of the waste material. Similar results were found by other authors (Andrew and Rhoades, 1947;Richardson and Evans, 1987;Dias et al, 1994;Bell, 2001).…”

“…After the time, it was observed that the pioneer community didn't persist for a long time. Developed community was composed with a little species (Humphries 1980;Lima 1986;Roberts et al, 1981;Aide et al, 1996). Sites 1 and 2 could be considered at the initial stages of development, because plant species that occurred there, were considered pioneers (Lorenzi, 2000), with exception for the site 3 where three strata: the herbaceous, shrubs and trees were observed (Soave, 1992).…”

“…Their advantages are: defined boundaries, low density, limited competition and known history (Bradshaw, 1983). In despite continued attempts at artificial revegetation, little is known about the processes that accompany result natural revegetation of mined sites with pioneer plants, which represent a important knowledge about reclamation of the mining (Roberts et al 1981;Kimmerer, 1984;Greller et al, 1990;Dias et al 1994;Gisler, 1995). There are no studies from the phytosociological angle, particularly in tropical region (Simões et al, 1978;Griffith, 1980;Porto, 1989;Motta Netto et al, 1994).…”