Appropriate technologies and the geosocial evolution of informal, small-scale gold mining in Madre de Dios, Peru

Leiva, J.

doi:10.1016/j.exis.2022.101165

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…The gold deposits in Madre de Dios are classified as secondary deposits or placer deposits because they were formed by the weathering and erosion of hard rock ores in the Andes, which produced fine grains of gold that were then carried down rivers to the lowlands of Madre de Dios. These fine gold particles settle in deposits along the inside of river meanders and have formed near-surface deposits in the floodplains of these rivers over time due to changes in river geomorphology and seasonal inundation [7].…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, mining-related activities cause large-scale disturbance and fragmentation when original habitats are removed, excavated, or buried by the deposition of sterile material [3,4]. Even though mining-related activities take part only in less than 1% of the earth's land surface [1], they are a major cause of environmental degradation [5,6], serious health issues in local communities [7], and a threat to tropical ecosystems [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Influence of Distance from Forest Edges on Spontaneous Vegetation Succession Following Small-Scale Gold Mining in the Southeast Peruvian Amazon

Garate-Quispe,

Velásquez Ramírez,

Becerra-Lira

et al. 2023

Diversity

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Few studies describe the factors that influence the natural regeneration in abandoned gold mining areas in the Amazon. Here we focus on the influence of the distance to the forest edge and abandonment time in a spontaneous succession of degraded areas by gold mining in the southeastern Peruvian Amazon. We assessed woody species composition (DBH ≥ 1 cm) and forest stand structure across a chronosequence (2–23 years). A total of 79 species belonging to 30 families were identified. The natural regeneration was dominated by Fabaceae, Malvaceae, and Urticaceae. Together, they represented 60% of the importance index. Cecropia membranacea and Ochroma pyramidale were the dominant pioneer species at the initial successional stage. The basal area and species diversity were directly related to time after abandonment and inversely related to the distance to forest edges. The distance-based redundancy analysis showed that more of the variation in species composition was explained by distance to the forest edge than the abandonment time. Our study revealed that regeneration was relatively slow and provided evidence that the distance to the forest edge is important for natural regeneration in areas degraded by gold mining.

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Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of Distance from Forest Edges on Spontaneous Vegetation Succession Following Small-Scale Gold Mining in the Southeast Peruvian Amazon

Garate-Quispe,

Velásquez Ramírez,

Becerra-Lira

et al. 2023

Diversity

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“…These were carried down the rivers to the lowlands of Madre de Dios, forming placer deposits. These fine gold particles settle in river meanders and form near-surface deposits in floodplains due to changes in river geomorphology and seasonal flooding [52].…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In highly mechanized mining the gold particles are extracted by excavation using heavy machinery such as front loaders, excavators, and dump trucks for sediment transportation to a sluice box [53,54] (Figure 1C). For this reason, heavy machinery mining causes more deforestation and environmental damage than suction pumping [52]. After mining activities, these areas are abandoned without any strategy for soil or vegetation recovery.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Resilience of Aboveground Biomass of Secondary Forests Following the Abandonment of Gold Mining Activity in the Southeastern Peruvian Amazon

Garate-Quispe,

Herrera-Machaca,

Pareja Auquipata

et al. 2024

Diversity

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Amazon rainforests are critical for providing a wide range of ecosystem services. In the Southeastern Peruvian Amazon; however, goldmining activities are causing severe soil degradation and forest loss. We analyzed aboveground biomass (AGB), forest structure, and species diversity recovery during secondary succession in 179 forest plots. Our study provides the first field-based quantification of AGB recovery following the abandonment by two types of goldmining (heavy machinery and suction pumping) in Madre de Dios (Peru). We found that successional secondary forests in areas subjected to suction pumping were more resilient than those in areas subjected to heavy machinery. After 20 years, mean AGB in suction pumping mining areas had reached 56% of reference forest AGB, while in areas of heavy machinery mining it was only 18%. Mining type, stand age, and distance from the forest edge had a significant effect on AGB. The influence of the distance from the forest edge on AGB varies according to mining type because the effects of species diversity on AGB are mediated by the distance from the forest edge. Our results clearly showed the dynamics of AGB recovery across a secondary succession after goldmining, and the contrasting responses of AGB between the two mining types. Our study disentangles the importance of key factors in forest recovery after mining and improves understanding of the resilience of biomass accumulation in these highly degraded ecosystems.

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“…La evolución tecnológica en la explotación minería de oro en Madre de Dios no se ha desarrollado apropiadamente, sino que tienen impactos ambientales significativos por la tecnología que no se ajustan a la realidad de los mineros y no necesariamente son sostenibles (LEIVA, 2022). El crecimiento de la minería de oro en la MAPE en países en desarrollo, y la necesidad de formalizar estas operaciones esta centrado en tres pilares que para mejorar las prácticas en las operaciones formalizadas en el Perú; se destaca la importancia de las estrategias posteriores a la formalización orientados a planes efectivos a desarrollar en el proceso (MARTINEZ; SMITH; MALONE, 2023).…”

Section: Minería a Pequeña Escalaunclassified

Expansión De La Minería Aurifera Artesanal en La Selva Amazónica Del Sur Del Perú

Arizaca,

Tumy,

Huisa

et al. 2023

Amazônia: Tópicos Atuais Em Ambiente, Saúde E Educação - Volume 3

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El crecimiento exponencial de la minería a pequeña escala en la selva alta peruana se debe al aumento del precio del oro, pero los impactos ambientales se observan por los métodos que se usan y la falta de control. Objetivo: Analizar la expansión de la minería informal y sus efectos en los recursos hídricos, centrándose en la proximidad de los operadores mineros a la red hídrica del río Inambari, que abarca las provincias de Sandia y Carabaya. Métodos: Evaluar la distancia de las operaciones a 50, 100, 250, 500 y 1000 metros de los cursos de agua mediante el uso de aprendizaje no supervisado con algoritmos de clasificación K-medias y herramientas como ArcGIS 10.8. Se utilizaron datos del Ministerio de Energía y Minas, que cuenta con el registro nacional de formalización minera. Resultados: En la cuenca del río Inambari hay 3289 mineros registrados, de los cuales 419 están involucrados en actividades de beneficio que utilizan mercurio para la amalgamación. Se identificaron 309 operadores mineros que se encuentran dentro de los 50 metros de los cuerpos de agua, de los cuales 39 son plantas de beneficio que generan impactos significativos. Conclusión: La minería informal tiene un impacto negativo en los cuerpos de agua en la cuenca del río Inambari, siendo las operaciones mineras de mayor riesgo las que se encuentran más cerca de los cuerpos de agua, lo que sugiere la necesidad de revisar el proceso de formalización de estas actividades para reducir los impactos ambientales.

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Appropriate technologies and the geosocial evolution of informal, small-scale gold mining in Madre de Dios, Peru

Cited by 4 publications

References 21 publications

Influence of Distance from Forest Edges on Spontaneous Vegetation Succession Following Small-Scale Gold Mining in the Southeast Peruvian Amazon

Influence of Distance from Forest Edges on Spontaneous Vegetation Succession Following Small-Scale Gold Mining in the Southeast Peruvian Amazon

Resilience of Aboveground Biomass of Secondary Forests Following the Abandonment of Gold Mining Activity in the Southeastern Peruvian Amazon

Expansión De La Minería Aurifera Artesanal en La Selva Amazónica Del Sur Del Perú

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