Pioneer Mediterranean Shrub Species Revegetating Soils Developed on Mining Soils/Spoils

Abstract

Spontaneous and autochthonous species of plants growing on degraded and contaminated soils/spoils that survive in such environments show, in general, no symptoms of toxicity. This study compares concentrations of chemical elements in different leaves maturation and in different seasons of several native species in a massive sulphide in an abandoned mine area. The objective is to evaluate if these species can play an important role on the stabilization of degraded soils and mine spoils. Total concentrations of chemical elements were great in soils. However, in general, only <1% of the total concentration was extracted by DTPA or ammonium acetate solutions. Total and available fraction of the chemical elements has similar behaviour between soil sites. Mature leaves have higher concentrations of As, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn than younger ones. An opposite behaviour occurs with S. Winter and spring variations in most chemical elements concentrations in the plant leaves are not significantly different, except for As. Elemental concentrations of plant leaves are independent of the same elements concentrations (total and available fraction) in soils where plants have grown. The concentrations of As, Cu and Pb in plant leaves were below the level of risk to be ingested by grazing animals, although soils are above the reported thresholds. Therefore, all studied plant species can be considered for phytostabilization programmes, but the use of the land for pasture may not be a solution considering that animals ingest soil along with herbage. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Cistus monspeliensis L. as a potential species for rehabilitation of soils with multielemental contamination under Mediterranean conditions

“…In general, concentrations of metal(loid)s in the total and available fractions as well as other chemical properties of the soils are in agreement with the range of values obtained in previous studies performed in the same areas (Abreu et al 2008 , 2012a , b ; Alvarenga et al 2012 ; Batista et al 2017 ; Ferreira da Silva et al 2005 ; Freitas et al 2004 ; Pérez-López et al 2014 ; Santos et al 2012 , 2014 , 2016c ).…”

“…Nevertheless, it is not uncommon that Technosols developed on some types of mining wastes from the PIPB are colonised by autochthonous plant species (e.g. genus Cistus , Lavandula and Erica ), which grow spontaneously without any visual signs of toxicity despite the multielemental contamination in soils and relative high concentrations of some metal(loid)s in their roots and shoots (Abreu et al 2008 , 2012a , b ; Batista et al 2017 ; Freitas et al 2004 ; Márquez-García and Córdoba 2009 ; Pérez-López et al 2014 ; Santos et al 2012 , 2014 , 2016b , c ). These plants provide important contributions for natural rehabilitation of the contaminated soils, decreasing the elements spreading by leaching and erosion (Abreu and Magalhães 2009 ; Tordoff et al 2000 ).…”

“…Also, the establishment of a self-sustaining vegetation, principally with pioneer species, contributes to the ecological succession. In general, several Cistus species growing in soils developed on mine wastes from the IPB present adequate ecological behaviours to the rehabilitation of these materials (Abreu et al 2012a , b ; Batista et al 2017 ; Alvarenga et al 2004 ; Freitas et al 2004 ; Santos et al 2009 , 2012 , 2014 ).…”

Vegetation community composition along disturbance gradients of four typical open‐pit mines in Yunnan Province of southwest China

“…During surface mining, 2–11 times more land area could potentially be destroyed than that caused by underground mining (Miao & Marrs, ). In these mine areas, some environmental problems and ecological issues, such as water pollution, biodiversity loss, and land degradation, are very common (Batista, Gonzalez‐Fernandez, Abreu, Queralt, & Carvalho, ; Harantová et al, ).…”

Farmers' perceptions and adaptation behaviours concerning land degradation: A theoretical framework and a case‐study in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau of China

“…Moreover, to achieve sustainable remediation of contaminated agricultural land, it is imperative to prevent further contamination by using cleaner production approaches and to avoid irrigation with contaminated wastewater by farmers. It is also important to involve farmers in the decontamination process as they are the most familiar with land characteristics, especially when such remedies involve planting (Chi, Zuo, & Liu, ; Lin et al, ) and the use of biological waste (Batista, Gonzalez‐Fernandez, Abreu, Queralt, & Carvalho, ; Glenn, Jordan, & Waugh, ). In China, it is often the case that most contaminated agricultural sites are due to large‐scale practices, such as farmland irrigation with contaminated wastewater or surface runoff from mining sites, which can affect hundreds or thousands of hectares.…”