Restoration Planning of Mining Wastelands : A Case Study

Source:
By:Author(s)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30564/jbr.v5i1.5479

Abstract:

Mining plays an important role in the economic development of a country. But the consequences of the mining can be seen in the form of degradation of soil, water, and native vegetation, which ultimately results in the disturbance of the local ecosystem. The ecological restoration of such disturbed ecosystems involves the reclamation of soil, conservation of water, erosion control, and re-vegetation of native vegetation. This can be achieved by improving the physical properties of soil, enhancing the nutrient status of soil, selecting appropriate plant species for re-vegetation, providing provision of irrigation facilities for re-vegetated mining wasteland, and so on. The present study was conducted in the Kota district of Rajasthan, where stone mining is one of the major industrial activities. The paper provides a scientific assessment of the existing vegetation of limestone mining wastelands through field surveys and physicochemical analysis of soil and water. Loss of natural vegetation and excessive stoniness of the substratum were major hurdles that restrict the easy recovery of vegetation on mining wastelands but there is almost no negative impact on the water quality. The study summarizes the holistic technology including the vegetational approach to the restoration of mining wastelands and puts forward some existing problems and their solutions.

References:

[1] SER, 2004. The SER Primer on Ecological Restoration, Version 2. Society for Ecological Restoration, Science and Policy Working Group [Internet]. Available from: https://www.ser-rrc.org/resource/the-ser-international-primer-on/ [2] Matthews, J.W., Endress, A.G., 2010. Rate of succession in restored wetlands and the role of site context. Applied Vegetation Science. 13(3), 346-355. [3] Aronson, J., Le Floc’h, E., 1996. Vital landscape attributes: Missing tools for restoration ecology. Restoration Ecology. 4(4), 377-387. [4] Ruiz-Jaen, M.C., Mitchell Aide, T., 2005. Restoration success: How is it being measured? Restoration Ecology. 13(3), 569-577. [5] Urbanska, K.M., Webb, N.R., Edwards, P.J., (editors.), 1997. Restoration ecology and sustainable development. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. [6] Benayas, J.M.R., Newton, A.C., Diaz, A., et al., 2009. Enhancement of biodiversity and ecosystem services by ecological restoration: A meta-analysis. Science. 325(5944), 1121-1124. [7] Menon, S., Gil Pontius Jr, R., Rose, J., et al., 2001. Identifying conservation-priority areas in the tropics: A land-use change modeling approach. Conservation Biology. 15(2), 501-512. [8] Reese, H., Nilsson, M., Pahlen, G.T., et al., 2003. Country wide estimates of forest variables using satellite data and field data from the National Forest Inventory. Ambio. 32, 542-548. [9] Angelstam, P., Donz-Brcuss, M., Roberge, J.M., (editors.), 2004. Targets and tools for the maintenance of forest bio-diversity. Oikos Editorial Office: Sweden. pp. 11-24. [10] Felix, A.B., Campa, H.III., Millenbah, K.F., et al., 2004. Development of landscape scale habitat-potential models for forest wildlife planning and management. Wild life Society Bulletin. 32(2), 795-806. [11] Bouyoucos, G.J., 1962. Hydrometer method improved for making particle size analysis of soil. Agronomy Journal. 54, 464-465. [12] Walkley, A.J., Black, I.A., 1934. Estimation of soil organic carbon by the chromic acid titration method. Soil Science. 37, 29-38. [13] Olsen, S.R., Cole, C.V., Watanabe, F.S., et al., 1954. Estimation of available phosphorus in soil by extraction with sodium bicarbonate. US Department of Agriculture: USA. pp. 939. [14] Hanway, J.J., Heidel, H., 1952. Soil analysis methods as used in Iowa State College Soil Testing Laboratory. Iowa State College of Agriculture Bulletin. 57, 1-31. [15] Lindsay, W.L., Norvell, W.A., 1978. Development of aDTPA soil testing of Zinc, Iron, Mangnese and Copper. Soil Science Society of America Journal. 42, 421-448. [16] Muller-Dombois, D., Ellenberg, H., 1974. Aims and methods of vegetation ecology. John Wiley and Sons. Inc.: New York. [17] Magurran, A.E., 1988. Ecological diversity and its measurement. Princeton University Press: Princeton, NJ. [18] Jaiswal, P., 2011. Studies on mechanism of eco-restoration of stone mines in Ramganjmandi and its neighbourhood [PhD thesis]. Kota: University of Kota. [19] Mehta, P.K., 2002. Greening of the concrete industry for sustainable development. Concrete International. 24(7), 23-28. [20] Reddy, D.V., 1993. Deforestation: Its impact on Indian 4 environment with special reference. Advances in Environmental Sciences. 43. [21] Majumdar, R.B., 1971. Synoptic flora of Kota division (S. E. Rajasthan). Bulletin of the Botanical Survey of India. 13, 105-146. [22] Sharma, S., Tyagi, B., 1979. Flora of north-west Rajasthan. Kalyani Publisher: New Delhi. [23] Sharma, N.K., 2003. Rare and threatened plants of Hadoti Plateau-Rajasthan. Environmental scenario for 21st century. APH Publishing Corporation: New Delhi, India. pp. 201-215. [24] Scholes, R.J., Biggs, R., 2005. A biodiversity intactness index. Nature. 434(7029), 45-49. [25] State of Environment Report India (2009): Ministry of Environment & Forest. Government of India. 50-72 [Internet]. Available from: http://indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/StateofEnvironmentReport2009.pdf [26] Wong, M.H., Bradshaw, A.D., 2003. The restoration and management of derelict land: Modern approaches. World Scientific Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd.: Singapore. pp. 3-6. [27] Dobson, A.P., Bradshaw, A.D., Baker, A.J.M., 1997. Hopes for the future: Restoration ecology and conservation biology. Science. 277, 515-522. [28] Agele, S.O., 2003. Degraded Opencast Minelands in Tropical Environments: Their Peculiar Features In Revegetation Efforts to Restore Functional Ecosystems. XII World Forestry Congress: Quebec city, Canada. Available from: https://www.fao.org/3/XII/0079-B1.htm [29] Lal, R., 2006. Land area for establishing biofuel plantations. Energy for Sustainable Development. 10(2), 67-79. [30] Bungart, R., Bens, O., Hüttl, R.F., 2000. Production of bioenergy in post-mining landscapes in Lusatia: Perspectives and challenges for alternative land use systems. Ecological Engineering. 16(1), 5-16. [31] Sharma, S., Kumar, A., 2003. Greening of wastelands using laticiferous plants. Nature Environment and Pollution Technology. 2(3), 333-336. [32] Kumar, A., 1994. Laticiferous plants as potential bioremediation for wasteland restoration. Journal of Environment and Pollution. 4, 101-104. [33] Abubacker, M.N., Rao, G.R., 1999. Four potential biofuel crops for tropics. Journal of Environmental Study and Policy. 2(2), 125-133. [34] TERI, 2001. Tata Energy Research Institute Report No. 2001 EE42 [Internet]. Overview of Mining and Mineral Industry in India. 67-78. [accessed on 2021 Jul 20]. Available from: https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=Overview+of+Mining+and+Mineral+Industry+in+India.&btnG= [35] Pandey, D.N., Chaubey, A.C., Gupta, A.K., et al., 2005. Mine spoil restoration: A strategy combining rainwater harvesting and adaptation to random recurrence of droughts in Rajasthan. International Forestry Review. 7(3), 241-249. [36] Smyth, C. 1984. The ecology and biology of some high elevation native legume species. Proceedings of the 8th Annual British Columbia Mine Reclamation Symposium, Victoria, BC [Internet]. Technical and Research Committee on Reclamation. BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, Victoria, BC. Available from: https://open.library.ubc.ca/media/download/pdf/59367/1.0042095/1 [37] Khater, C., Martin, A., Maillet, J., 2003. Spontaneous vegetation dynamics and restoration prospects for limestone quarries in Lebanon. Applied Vegetation Science. 6(2), 199-204. [38] Banerjee, S.K., Williams, A.J., Biswas, S.C., et al., 1996. Dynamics of natural ecorestoration in coal mine overburden of dry deciduous zone of M. P., India. Ecology, Environment & Conservation. 2, 97-104. [39] Parrotta, J.A., Knowles, O.H., Wunderle, J.M., 1997. Development of floristic diversity in 10-year-old restoration forests on a bauxite mined site in Amazonia. Forest Ecology and Management. 99, 21-42. [40] Parrotta, J.A., Knowles, O.H., 1999. Restoration of tropical moist forests on bauxite-mined lands in the Brazilian Amazon. Restoration Ecology. 7(2), 103-116. [41] Pandey, D.N., 1996. Beyond vanishing woods: Participatory survival options for wildlife, forests and people. C S D & Himanshu Publishers: New Delhi. pp.222. [42] Singh, A.N., Raghubanshi, A.S., Singh, J.S., 2004. Impact of native tree plantations on mine spoil in a dry tropical environment. Forest Ecology and Management. 187, 49-60. [43] Hall, A.R., du Preez, D.R., Campbell, E.E., 2003. Recovery of thicket in a revegetated limestone mine. South African Journal of Botany. 69(3), 434-445.