Long‐term regeneration of a tropical plant community after sand mining

Abstract

Sandy coastal plant communities in tropical regions have been historically under strong anthropic pressure. In Brazil, these systems shelter communities with highly plastic plant species. However, the potential of these systems to regenerate without human assistance after disturbances has hardly been examined. We determined the natural regeneration of a coastal sandy plain vegetation (restinga) in Brazil, 16 years after the end of sand removal. We inventoried 38 plots: 20 within a sand‐mined site and 18 in an adjacent undisturbed site. We expected lower diversity values in the sand‐mined site compared to the undisturbed site, but similar species composition between the two sites due to the spatial proximity of the two sites and the high plasticity of restinga species. Species were ranked using abundance and importance value index in both sites, and comparisons were performed using Rényi entropy profiles, rarefaction curves, principal component analysis, and redundancy analysis. Species composition and dominant species differed markedly between the two sites. Bromeliads and Clusia hilariana, well‐known nurse plants, dominated the undisturbed site but were almost absent in the regenerating site. Species richness did not differ between both sites, but diversity was higher in the undisturbed site. Within‐site composition differences in the mined area were associated with field characteristics. Interestingly, species classified as subordinate or rare in the undisturbed site became dominants in the regenerating site. These newer dominants in the sand‐mined site are not those known as nurse plants in other restingas, thus yielding strong implications for restoration.

Survival, seedlings growth and natural regeneration in areas under ecological restoration in a sandy coastal plain (restinga) of southeastern Brazil

“…Several authors consider that passive regeneration, or reduction in land use and its abandonment, can enable vegetation recovery in tropical forests (Piotto et al 2009;Aronson et al 2011;de Rezende et al 2015;Strassbourg et al 2016;Lewis et al 2019). However, Garbin et al (2018) found that passive regeneration did not play an important role in a restinga area, even 16 years after the end of disturbance by sand mining. Nurse plants, such as Clusia sp.…”

Efficiency of biochar, nitrogen addition, and microbial agent amendments in remediation of soil properties and microbial community in Qilian Mountains mine soils

“…Mining activities in mountainous areas alter soil properties, nutrient availability, and microbial activity, posing environmental threats associated with land degradation, water and soil erosion, and loss of biodiversity (Ahirwal & Maiti, 2018; Garbin et al., 2018; Józefowska et al., 2017). Effective soil reclamation processes become urgent and arduous tasks aimed at recovery of the destroyed environment to a self‐sustaining state in opencast mining areas.…”

Efficiency of biochar, nitrogen addition and microbial agent amendments in remediation of soil properties and microbial community in mine soils

“…Mining activities in mountainous areas alters soil properties, nutrient availability, and microbial activity, posing environmental threats associated with land degradation, water and soil erosion, and loss of biodiversity (Józefowska et al ., 2017;Ahirwal and Maiti, 2018;Garbin et al ., 2018). Effective soil reclamation processes become urgent and arduous tasks aimed at recovery of the destroyed environment to a self-sustaining state in opencast mining areas.…”