The Use of Metal Tolerant Plant Populations for the Reclamation of Metalliferous Wastes

Smith, R. A. H.; Bradshaw, A. D.

doi:10.2307/2402534

Cited by 190 publications

(97 citation statements)

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“…The results presented here suggest that higher extractable Pb, lower nutrients (especially P and N) and organic C may be the main factors that affect plant growth on Site B. It has been indicated that high concentrations of toxic metals are the major cause of sparse vegetation cover of metalliferous mine waste and phosphorus concentrations are the immediate determinant, firstly because P is an important nutrient, and secondly it acts as a complexing agent for heavy metals and reduce their toxicity (Smith and Bradshaw, 1979).…”

Section: General Properties Of Tailings and Soilsmentioning

confidence: 75%

“…Nutrient deficiency is common in mine spoils (Smith and Bradshaw, 1979;Pichtel et al, 1994;Shu, 1997), making plant establishment difficult. Organic matter not only acts as a reservoir of essential macro-nutrients, but also provides a food resource for invertebrates and microorganisms that support the decay process and thus help nutrient recycling (Johnson et al, 1994).…”

Section: General Properties Of Tailings and Soilsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evaluation of major constraints to revegetation of lead/zinc mine tailings using bioassay techniques

Shu²,

Zhang³

et al. 2002

Chemosphere

191

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The residues from the extraction of lead/zinc (Pb/Zn) ores of most Pb/Zn mines are permanently stored in tailings ponds, which require revegetation to reduce their environmental impact. This can only be done if the main constraints on plant establishment are evaluated. This can readily be done by field and greenhouse studies.To test this, the properties of different tailings from Lechang Pb/Zn mine located at the north of Guangdong Province in southern China have been studied. Physical and chemical properties including concentrations of metals (Pb, Zn, Cd and Cu) in the tailings and soils collected from different sites have been measured. The results showed that tailings contain low nitrogen (0.016-0.075%), low-organic matter (0.58-1.78%), high salt (3.55-13.85 dS/m), and high total and diethylene-tetramine-pentaacetic acid (DTPA)-extractable metal concentrations (total: 1019-1642 lg g À1 Pb, 3078-6773 lg g À1 Zn, 8-23 lg g À1 Cd, and 85-192 lg g À1 Cu; DTPA-extractable: 59-178 lg g À1 Pb, 21-200 lg g À1 Zn, 0.30-1.5 lg g À1 Cd, and 4.3-12 lg g À1 Cu). Aqueous extracts of tailings/soils (10%, 20% and 30%, w/v) from different sites were prepared for testing their effects on seed germination and root elongation of a vegetable crop Brassica chinensis and a grass species Cynodon dactylon. It was found that root elongation provided a better evaluation of toxicity than seed germination. The ranking of toxicity using root elongation was: high-sulfur tailings > tailing dam > sparsely vegetated tailings > densely vegetated tailings > mountain soil for both plants. This order was consistent with DTPA-extractable Pb contents in the tailings and soils. B. chinensis seedlings were then grown in the mixtures of different proportions of tailings and farm soil for 4 weeks, and the results (dry weights of seedlings) were in line with the root elongation test. All these demonstrated that heavy metal toxicity, especially available Pb, low content of nutrient, and poor physical structure were major constraints on plant establishment and colonization on the Pb/Zn mine tailings. Ó

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Section: General Properties Of Tailings and Soilsmentioning

confidence: 75%

Section: General Properties Of Tailings and Soilsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of major constraints to revegetation of lead/zinc mine tailings using bioassay techniques

Shu²,

Zhang³

et al. 2002

Chemosphere

191

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Studies on metal-tolerant grasses in the area are well documented (Gemmell, 1977;Smith & Bradshaw, 1979;Bradshaw & McNeilly, 1981). The Minera site contains large areas of sparsely vegetated spoil, colonized by Betula and Salix spp., with small numbers of other tree species including A. pseudoplatanus.…”

Section: Study Sitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Survival of Acer pseudoplatanus L. (sycamore) seedlings on metalliferous soils

Turner

Dickinson

1993

New Phytologist

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SUMMARYSeeds and seedlings of Acer pseudoplatanus L. (sycamore) were collected at sites contaminated by metals, originating either from mining spoil or from aerial deposition from metal processing industry, and at a number of relatively uncontaminated sites. Seedling growth was examined in relation to site of origin, both in nutrient solutions with elevated metal concentrations and in reciprocal transplant experiments in soils from the sites. Metal tolerance was not detected and there was no significant difference between plants from the different sites of origin. It was found, however, that roots could proliferate in uncontaminated zones of the soil and that, even in contaminated soils, most seedlings used in growth tests survived for at least three years despite impaired growth. Seedlings growing at the contaminated sites showed phytotoxic symptoms associated with high metal levels, but apparently healthy seedlings and saplings of different ages were also found. Some form of low level innate tolerance may be involved but it is suggested that phenotypic plasticity is more important than previously thought, potentially allowing survival until favourahle conditions are encountered either temporally or spatially.

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“…Proctor, 1971;Goodwin-Huenneke e( a/., 1990), Bailey, Woodell & Loughman, 1992;Nagy & In this paper we report an experiment at Meikle Proctor, 1997), but they are unlikely to explain the Kilrannoch designed as a direct test of the hypothesis low plant cover since the indigenous (tolerant) plants that low nutrients rather than metal toxicities cause should be able to colonize the site in the absence of low plant cover. Nutrient addition experiments have other constraints (Proctor, 1992), In a similar way been criticized as usually failing to analyse causes Smith & Bradshaw (1979) have shown that the and effects (Fitter & Hay. 1987), In the present growth of the tolerant races of Agrostis capillaris on paper this criticism is partly countered by the highly metal toxic mine spoils was greatly increased inclusion of a study of the cover, population dynamics, life history and phytochemistry responses • To whom correspondence should be addressed.…”

Section: Introduction Fellfieids Cannot Be Ascribed To Toxicity Genermentioning

confidence: 99%

Plant growth and reproduction on a toxic alpine ultramafic soil: adaptation to nutrient limitation

Nagy

Proctor

1997

New Phytologist

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SUMMARYThe ultramafic sites at Meikle Kilrannoch, Scotland, have small sparsely colonized patches with soils which have highly toxic (to many non-indigenous plants) concentrations of Mg and Ni. These toxic metals are unlikely to be the main cause of the open vegetation as the indigenous plants are at least partially tolerant of them. The hypothesis that low soil nutrients were a likely cause of the open vegetation was tested by a fertilization experiment in which major nutrients and Ca were added in August 1991 and July 1992 to replicated quadrats which initially had 5-3-6-6% plant cover. There was a large increase in plant cover on major nutrient addition. The increase in rosette size, flowering, seed production, and recruitment of the dominant semelparous Cochlearia pyrenaica DC. ssp, alpina (Bab.) Dalby was studied in detail. The increased growth of Cochlearia (and some other native species at the site) on nutrient addition strengthens the argument that a major nutrient deficiency rather than a metal toxicity limits plant growth at Meikle Kilrannoch and shows that at least some stress tolerators respond with rapid growth and reproduction when nutrient limitation is removed. A small-scale experiment set up in June 1993, in which the major nutrients were added separately, suggested that P and not N, or K was the limiting element. The effects of P seem to be unrelated to any possible reduction in the availability of the toxic ions Mg^* and Ni*^, Key words: Cochlearia pyrenaica, fertilizer addition, functional type, P, population dynamics, ultramafic (serpentine).by P fertilization. The low vegetation cover of INTRODUCTION fellfieids cannot be ascribed to toxicity generally The ultramafic sites at Meikle Kilrannoch in Angus, since they often lack elevated metal concentrations. Scotland have an unusual flora whose presence and Nutrient addition experiments made on ultramafic local pattern are at least partly related to the effects sites in the field have shown a marked response, of Mg and Ni toxicities (Nagy & Proctor, 1997). The which could be ascribed to P in those cases where the distinctive feature of the vegetation as a whole is the added nutrients were studied separately, but in none low plant cover in which it resembles that found in of these cases were the soils so toxic as those at other habitats including metal mine spoil heaps and Meikle Kilrannoch (Ferreira & Wormell, 1971; fellfieids (Spence, 1957). Metal toxicities in Meikle Turitzin, 1982; Carter, Proctor & SUngsby, 1987a; Kilrannoch soil have been demonstrated for non- Hobbs et al., 1988;Looney & Proctor, 1989; indigenous plants (e.g. Proctor, 1971; Goodwin-Huenneke e( a/., 1990), Bailey, Woodell & Loughman, 1992;Nagy & In this paper we report an experiment at Meikle Proctor, 1997), but they are unlikely to explain the Kilrannoch designed as a direct test of the hypothesis low plant cover since the indigenous (tolerant) plants that low nutrients rather than metal toxicities cause should be able to colonize the site in the absence of low plant cov...

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The Use of Metal Tolerant Plant Populations for the Reclamation of Metalliferous Wastes

Cited by 190 publications

References 0 publications

Evaluation of major constraints to revegetation of lead/zinc mine tailings using bioassay techniques

Evaluation of major constraints to revegetation of lead/zinc mine tailings using bioassay techniques

Survival of Acer pseudoplatanus L. (sycamore) seedlings on metalliferous soils

Plant growth and reproduction on a toxic alpine ultramafic soil: adaptation to nutrient limitation

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