Species richness and phytoremediation potential of mine wastelands-native trees across the Zambian Copperbelt Region

Matakala, Nalukui; Chirwa, Paxie W.; Mwamba, Theodore M.; Syampungani, Stephen

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13585

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…Biologically essential elements (P, Ca, K, Mg, Na, S, Cu, Fe, Mo, Se, and Zn) are selectively taken up by vegetation. Beneficial and non-essential elements including those that are potentially toxic are also taken up and may closely reflect the composition of the soil and regolith [14,[100][101][102]. Cu is an essential plant micronutrient forming part of the protein structure for a range of enzymes that drive electron transport and redox reactions in plant organelles, including mitochondria, chloroplasts, cell walls and the cytoplasm of plant cells [83,103].…”

Section: Vegetation Geochemistry and Its Use As A Sampling Mediummentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the Central African Copperbelt, several Cu and Co indicator species have been identified from ecological restoration studies [13,22,102,110]. Despite the reported metal uptake and speciation in plants, the independent geological and phytogeochemistry variables that underpin the relationship between plant species and mineralized areas have not been fully described.…”

Section: Vegetation Geochemistry and Its Use As A Sampling Mediummentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Aeolanthus biformifolius 3920 2820 [27] Annona senegalensis 2889 2650 [102] Ascolepis metallorum 1200 - [21] Buchnera henriquessi 3520 2435 [106] Bulbostylis mucronata 7783 2130 [13] Becium homblei 2051 - [105] Crotalaria cobalticola -3010 [6] Guternbergia cupricola 5095 2309 [107] Haumaniastrum Katangese 8356 2240 [84] Haumaniastrum robertii 8500 4000 [122] Haumaniastrum rosulatum 1089 - [19] Ipomoea alpina 12,300 - [27] Lupinus perennis 9322 2300 [101] Rendlia cupricola 1560 - [65] Parinari curatellifolia [102] Experimental work has supplemented some of the field ecological studies in which two-month-old plants collected from seeds were exposed to soluble Cu and Co salts mixed with soil and used in simulating natural conditions [27]. The results of these experiments suggest that H. robertii may be tolerant to soil Cu and Co concentrations of up to 8500 mg•Kg −1 and 4000 mg•Kg −1 , respectively [19].…”

Section: Cu Co Referencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…While Becium Homblei has been associated with elevated soil Cu concentrations and stunted vegetation, commonly referred to as "copper clearings" in Zambia [1,124,125], geochemical exploration campaigns have not targeted sampling and analysis of these plant species. In addition, Matakala et al [102] highlight Annona senegalensis, Parinari curatellifolia and Dombeya rotundilifolia as the native tree species in the ZCB with the ability to accumulate Cu and Co in their shoot tissues. Nonetheless, to employ phytogeochemistry in mineral exploration, there should be a clear geochemical footprint in the plants representing ore forming processes and possible orebody preservation [5] but information of such relationships that would be useful in phytogeochemistry application is currently limited.…”

Section: Cu Co Referencementioning

confidence: 99%

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Geochemistry of Terrestrial Plants in the Central African Copperbelt: Implications for Sediment Hosted Copper-Cobalt Exploration

Mukube,

Hitzman,

Machogo-Phao

et al. 2024

Minerals

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Mineral exploration has increasingly targeted areas covered by in situ or transported overburden for shallow to deep-seated orebodies. It remains critical to develop better means to detect the surficial chemical footprint of mineralized areas covered by thick regolith. In such settings, plant geochemistry could potentially be a useful exploration tool, as different plant species have varying degrees of tolerance to metal enrichment in the soil. This review provides insights into the geological and geochemical controls on metal accumulation patterns in soil–plant systems of the Central African Copperbelt. In addition, it highlights the opportunities for integrating the geochemistry of terrestrial plants in emerging exploration technologies, identifies research gaps, and suggests future directions for developing phytogeochemical sampling techniques. This review was conducted using reputable online scholarly databases targeting original research articles published between January 2005 and March 2023, from which selected articles were identified, screened, and used to explore current advances, opportunities, and future directions for the use of plant geochemistry in sediment hosted Cu–Co exploration in the Central African Copperbelt. Various plant species are recognized as ore deposit indicators through either independent phytogeochemistry or complementary approaches. In the Central African Copperbelt, the successful application of hyperaccumulator species for phytoremediation provides the basis for adopting phytogeochemistry in mineral exploration. Furthermore, current advances in remote sensing, machine learning, and deep learning techniques could enable multi-source data integration and allow for the integration of phytogeochemistry.

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