Soil attributes in coal mining areas under recovery with bracatinga ( Mimosa scabrella )

Abstract

The coal reserves in the south of Brazil were intensely exploited at the time of great demand for such fuel. This resulted in changes in the environment, mainly in the chemical, physical and biological characteristics of the soil. Due to the potential to control erosive processes, increase soil quality and restore biological diversity, revegetation is a promising alternative to recover those impacted areas. In that respect, bracatinga is a pioneering tree species that easily grow in different environments and has being planted as vegetation cover in areas under recovery. Therefore, the objective of this work was to characterize the chemical features and to evaluate the soil microbiological attributes in areas degraded by coal mining and under recovery using bracatinga as cover plant. In the bracatinga canopy projection area, soil samples were collected in the environmental restoration areas that have been, at the time of collecting, under a regime of 2, 4, 6 and 12 years of restoration. In addition an area with natural occurrence of bracatinga was used as control. Microbial biomass nitrogen, microbial biomass carbon and microbial biomass respiration increase in average 281, 230 and 157% respectively, when the 12‐year‐old areas were compared to the 2‐year‐old‐areas. Likewise, a decrease in qCO2 in the order of 60% was observed for that same comparison. The 12‐year‐old areas reached the same values of qCO2 found in the reference area. The data suggest an improvement in the microbiological attributes of the soil with the increase in recovery time for the studied areas. Significance and Impact of the Study In coal mining areas under recovery with typically acid soils, the use of the current recovery strategies (revegetation mainly) has been efficient to increase the quality of soils, especially in the environmental restoration areas. Soil microbiological attributes such as microbial biomass nitrogen, microbial biomass carbon, microbial basal respiration and metabolic quotient (qCO2) are dynamic and highly sensitive. These parameters have the potential to be adopted together with conventional attributes, such as floristic composition indices and species diversity indices, to evaluate the degree of any particular environmental recovery process being conducted at previously explored mining areas.

Molecular Ecological Network Complexity Drives Stand Resilience of Soil Bacteria to Mining Disturbances among Typical Damaged Ecosystems in China

“…For example, Xiao et al [54] have reported that soil microbial activity was affected by soil factors to different degrees, and that soil microbes played a critical role in the recycling of soil nutrients and soil fertility. Pille Da Silva et al [55] found that soil microbiological attributes affected microbial biomass carbon and microbial basal respiration. The microorganism could increase soil quality and restore biological diversity in the coal-mining area.…”

Health and germination of Mimosa scabrella seeds submitted to treatment with essential oils

“…A bracatinga é pouco exigente em relação às condições físicas e químicas do solo e, dessa forma, é amplamente utilizada em programas de recuperação de ambientes degradados (Silva et al, 2019). O principal uso da bracatinga é a madeira para geração de energia, porém é também utilizada na produção de celulose e painéis, além de apresentar potencial para uso ornamental, forrageiro, melífero e medicinal (Avrella et al, 2019).…”

Influence of fluorescent Pseudomonas on the growth of Mimosa scabrella seedlings

“…Mimosa scabrella is a perennial plant and a facilitating species. It contributes in recovering degraded areas, minimizing in a few months the effects of weathering, avoiding the leaching and erosion processes and contributing to the incorporation of high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus (Saturno & Andrade, 2015;Silva et al, 2019).…”