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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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Mine tailings can have a specific assemblage of plant species due to their unique physicochemical properties, and this process can be important in developing ecological theory and restoration practice. Physicochemical properties and natural colonization of plants on five lead/zinc (Pb/ Zn) mine tailings in southern China were investigated. The tailings studied included Fankou and Lechang in Guangdong Province, and Huangshaping, Shuikoushan, and Taolin in Hunan Province. Physicochemical properties of the tailings varied greatly both among and within tailings ponds, but in general, all contained high concentrations of heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, and Cd) and low concentrations of N, P, and organic matter. Toxic levels of heavy metals and deficiency of major nutrients appeared to be the major constraints for colonization of plants on these Pb/Zn tailings and were reflected in the metal concentration of the plant tissues. The natural colonization of plants on these tailings was limited, with only some small patches distributed mainly on the edge of tailing ponds and even fewer patches on the center of the ponds. In total 54 plant species belonging to 51 genera and 24 families were recorded on the five tailings ponds, of which the 13 species belonging to Gramineae were major components of the tailings' flora. Species establishing on the tailings at the initial colonization phase greatly depended on their seeddispersal capacity. Further establishment and growth were then dependent on at least one of the three ecological strategies: (1) microsite (avoidance) strategy: plant establishment on tailings depended on dispersing onto microsites of relatively favorable edaphic conditions; (2) tolerance strategy: plant establishment was a result of evolving metal-tolerant ecotypes or constitutional metal tolerance; and (3) rhizome strategy: plant establishment on tailings depended on clonal growth by rhizomatous extension.

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To investigate the effects of bacteria (Burkholderia cepacia) on metal uptake by the hyperaccumulating plant, Sedum alfredii, a hydroponic experiment with different concentrations of Cd and Zn was conducted. It was found that inoculation of bacteria on S. alfredii significantly enhanced plant growth (up to 110% with Zn treatment), P (up to 56.1% with Cd treatment), and metal uptake (up to 243% and 96.3% with Cd and Zn treatment, respectively) in shoots, tolerance index (up to 134% with Zn added treatment), and better translocation of metals (up to 296% and 135% with Cd and Zn treatment, respectively) from root to shoot. In the ampicillin added treatment with metal addition, stimulation of organic acid production (up to an increase of 133% of tartaric acid with Cd treatment) by roots of S. alfredii was observed. The secretion of organic acids appears to be a functional metal resistance mechanism that chelates the metal ions extracellularly, reducing their uptake and subsequent impacts on root physiological processes.

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