Developing Diverse, Effective, and Permanent Plant Communities on Reclaimed Surface Coal Mines: Restoring Ecosystem Function

Abstract

Surface coal mine disturbances affect vegetation, soil chemical/physical properties, bedrock, and landforms. The scope of this article focuses on lands to be reclaimed back to rangelands (post-mine land use) similar to the pre-mine ecosystem in terms of plant composition/diversity, structure, and ecosystem function. Reclamation programs that solely emphasize plant community composition and structure rather than effectively repairing disturbed or altered ecological processes ignores the foundation upon which the sustainability of reconstructed plant communities depends. Reclamation success may be improved by addressing primary ecological processes driving ecosystem function as part of the reclamation process. Altered primary processes require repair of the physical system in conjunction with adding seeds or plants. Land-form design strategies, which are designed to capture, store, and release water effectively into reconstructed watersheds is the foundation of successfully reclaimed ecosystems. Because plant functional groups can differ in their spatial and temporal acquisition of resources, improving functional diversity may be a method to more fully utilize soil nutrients in reclaimed soils and improve resilience to weed invasion. Strategically combining species with different seed/seedling traits in seed mixtures can increase chances of achieving adequate plant establishment during revegetation. Monitoring program design should be an integral part of the reclamation planning process, and indicators reflecting landscape-scale processes can be adapted to monitor reclamation project success. Effective reclamation plans are process-oriented, seek to initiate self-repair, and address landscape interactions. The probability of achieving successful reclamation is enhanced by pursuing a broader goal of improving ecosystem vigor, organization and resilience utilizing novel assemblages of species that perform desired functions and produce a range of ecosystem goods and services. Reclaiming mined land requires realistic objectives that consider the ecological potential of the site, land-use goals, and socioeconomic constraints. Additional

Case Study: Early Outcomes and Lessons Learnt From a Recently Translocated Woodland Ecosystem

“…Invasive alien and native plants have become a global problem in the conservation of natural ecosystems (Keller et al, 2015) and are also a significant impediment in the successful management and restoration of native ecosystems (Shelly et al, 1996). Vasquez and Shelly (2018) reminded us of the importance and effectiveness of proactively managing invasive plants on active and restored mine sites, rather than more costly and often fewer effective measures when reacting to infestations at a later time. Depending on the dominance of the non-woodland flora and the effect they have on plant growth resources (light, nutrient and water), without intervention they could alter the direction of future vegetation/woodland development.…”

Enhanced wheat productivity in saline soil through the combined application of poultry manure and beneficial microbes

“…Excessive Na + in the soil competes with potential nutrients (such as K + ), making them unavailable for plant uptake [ 9 ]. Therefore, ever-increasing soil salinity reduces aggregate formation, microbial biomass, water infiltration, and soil aeration that impairs plant physiology by changing osmotic potential and stomatal behaviors [ 10 ]. Moreover, lesser adsorption of sodium ions on soil particles causes sodium dominance in the soil solutions leading to soil dispersion, deficiency of divalent cations, and eventually to soil clogging upon drying [ 11 ].…”

Міжнародні Екологічні Проекти Кафедри Ботаніки Та Екології Криворізького Державного Педагогічного Університету

“…Збереження бiорiзноманiття є глобальною проблемою, яка має виняткове значення для такого антропогенно навантаженого регiону як Криворiжжя [5,12,16,17]. Руйнацiя природних ландшафтiв внаслiдок гiрничо-видобувної дiяльностi зумовлює докорiнну перебудову, трансформацiю флори i фауни, зникнення або зменшення чисельностi окремих видiв або їхнiх представникiв та становить 61 серйозну загрозу бiорiзноманiттю [13,21,25,31]. У таких умовах створення окремих локусiв (оселищ) iснування видiв флори i фауни з подальшим прогнозованим поширенням на прилеглi територiї кар'єру дозволить пiдвищити рiвень бiорiзноманiття, а участь в реалiзацiї таких дiй рiвень екологiчного виховання, фаховостi та екологiчної обiзнаностi учнiвської, студентської молодi, пересiчних громадян [2,8,10,14].…”

“…Екологiчна освiта. Проведено екологiчнi семiнари з учителями бiологiї та екологiї, учнями та студентами закладiв середньої i професiйно-технiчної освiти: [7,15,19,26,27]. Вiдiбранi 8 видiв (снiжноягiдник бiлий, керрiя японська, бирючина звичайна, бруслина європейська, спiрея японська, жимолость татарська, бузок Звегинцова, ялiвець козацький) показали високий рiвень приживання.…”