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Revegetation of extremely acid mine soils based on aided phytostabilization: A case study from southern China
Sheng-Xiang Yang1, Bin Liao2, Zhi-Hui Yang3
1School of Metallurgy and Environment, Central South University, Changsha 410083, PR China; College of Bio-resources and Environmental Science and Hunan Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Control and Remediation of Heavy Metal Pollution from Mn-Zn Mining, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Manganese-Zinc-Vanadium Industrial Technology (the 2011 Plan of Hunan Province), Jishou University, Jishou 416000, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China.
Abstract:
Acidification is a major constraint for revegetation of sulphidic metal-contaminated soils, as exemplified by the limited literature reporting the successful phytostabilization of mine soils associated with pH<3 and high acidification potential. In this study, a combination of ameliorants (lime and chicken manure) and five acid-tolerant plant species has been employed in order to establish a self-sustaining vegetation cover on an extremely acid (pH<3) polymetallic pyritic mine waste heap in southern China exhibiting high acidification potential. The results from the first two-year data showed that the addition of the amendments and the establishment of a plant cover were effective in preventing soil acidification. Net acid-generating potential of the mine soil decreased steadily, whilst pH and acid neutralization capacity increased over time. All the five acid-tolerant plants colonized successfully in the acidic metal-contaminated soil and developed a good vegetation cover within six months, and subsequent vegetation development enhanced organic matter accumulation and nutrient element status in the mine soil. The two-year remediation program performed on this extremely acid metalliferous soil indicated that aided phytostabilization can be a practical and effective restoration strategy for such extremely acid mine soils.
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