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Mining activities take a direct impact on the environment, particularly when this activity is focused on metal-ore exploitation. Abandoned metal mine areas contain different types of residues from ore-processing operations that are typically characterized by high concentrations of heavy metals. One consequence is the generation of acid-mine drainage, caused by the oxidation and hydrolysis of metal...
The Punakaiki Coastal Restoration Project (PCRP) is a case study in partnership and collaboration, which outlines how a consultative approach to mine closure can deliver shared benefits and create new endeavors that advance conservation, knowledge of biodiversity, and a broader understanding of the role of multi-sector partnerships. In 2000, Rio Tinto acquired 114ha of coastal land at Punakaiki on...
We studied the spontaneous development of understory vegetation in a reclaimed fly ash landfill. Plots were reclaimed 11years earlier with sewage sludge, and boulder clay mixed with fly ash, and then afforested. Additionally, fertilisation with different doses of NPK was used. The treatments resulted in differences in the success of afforestation and in the spontaneous development of understory vegetation...
Hybrid giant Napier (HGN) grass was used to examine its phytoextraction potential for removing heavy metal(oid)s from contaminated tailings. Following a two-year cultivation of HGN, the amount of heavy metal(oid)s Zn, Mn, Cu, Pb, Cd, Cr and As removed ranged from 12% to 26% in the tailings and 16% to 74% in the control soil. The root distribution profile and chemical analysis of the plant in the growth...
The potential change in rainfall erosivity, the R-factor in the RUSLE model was investigated under three future climate change scenarios A1FI, A1B and B1 in the New River basin of East Tennessee. Data from Community Climate System Model (CCSM) global circulation model (GCM) was used for spatial–temporal statistical downscaling to the study site. R-factors for future dates were estimated by spatial...
The effects of rainfall intensity, slope gradient and vegetation cover on the intensity of runoff and rate of soil erosion were examined with simulated rainfall. All five affected soil erosion in experimental soil boxes containing Vitex negundo var. heterophylla (VN), VN with litter (VN-L), Broussonetia papyrifera (BP), BP with litter (BP-L), and a control with bare land (BL). The presence of the...
Suspended sediment dynamics were investigated in the Loushui River basin, a secondary tributary of the Yangtze River in southern China. The variations of suspended sediment transport were analyzed at different time scales (among different years, monthly and seasonal, and within-flood event) based on 25-year hydrological data from the outlet hydrometric station, and explained by the contribution of...
Understanding the responses of soil erosion processes to land cover changes would benefit catchment ecological management. Landsat thematic mapper images in 1987, 1995, and 2007 were collected to obtain the historical normalized difference vegetation index and land cover data of the Beiluo River basin, one of the catchments in the Loess Plateau. The sediment load data of five subcatchments were collected...
Soil nutrient loss through erosion depletes farmland productivity and environmental quality. Polyacrylamide (PAM) is often applied to control soil erosion from water but its effectiveness on different nutrients is not clear. This study tested the influence of PAM application rate, PAM molecular weight, and soil slope gradient on K+ and N losses as well as their interactive effects under simulated...
Roads play a significant role in altering hydrological processes. Roads cause more erosion to be generated from the hillslope for both road-concentrated flow and rainfall. In this study, six treatments (Natural Restoration, Grass, Grass & Shrub, Sodded Strip, Grass & Farmland, and Farmland) were used to recolonize hillslope plants on a newly built unpaved road. Rainfall simulation (rainfall...
This study aims at extensively defining serpentinite quarry soils and analysing their content and distribution of heavy metals using chemical sequential extraction. The association with the different geochemical phases of the soil was verified using TOF-SIMS and SEM-EDS techniques. Seven soils were chosen in two serpentinite quarries located in Moeche (M) and Silleda (C) (Galicia, northwest of Spain)...
P is an essential and commonly limiting element for plants. P losses from agricultural production systems are known to contribute to accelerated eutrophication of natural waters. In this study, soil total phosphorus (STP) concentration and STP mass were estimated from a soil survey of a small watershed of the Dan River, China, after which the spatial heterogeneity of STP distribution and impacts of...
Technosols formed from mineral processing wastes such as tailings are of growing importance worldwide due to the increasing demand for mineral and energy resources. The construction and nature of tailings and capping materials in tailing storage facilities are likely to influence soil formation rates; however, these have not been evaluated to date. This study used bauxite residue (alumina refining...
Rills are commonly found on the sloped farm fields in the loess regions worldwide, especially on Chinese Loess Plateau. The erosion process along a rill provides information for understanding the rill erosion mechanism. This study uses a volume replacement method to estimate the rill erosion processes by refilling the eroded rill segments. The sediment concentration was calculated by summering the...
Climate variability and human activities have received significant attention in recent years. We assessed streamflow record in the Luan River basin in the period 1956–2000 in response to climate variation and anthropogenic factors. Analyses of annual and seasonal series showed that the streamflow had a significant decreasing trend, with an abrupt change point in 1979. Human activity had more effects...
Knowledge of soil moisture dynamics within soil profiles can improve hydrologic process modeling. The heterogeneity of environmental factors (e.g., topographic attributes, soil properties, land use types and antecedent precipitation) influences soil moisture dynamics. In this study, we measured the soil moisture content at 10-cm depth intervals between the soil surface and the soil–bedrock boundary...
A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the potential use of Nerium oleander, Cistus albidus and Pistacia lentiscus for phytostabilization of acidic mine soils. The selected species were grown in mine tailing soil, unamended (TS) and amended with calcium carbonate and pig manure (ATS), and in a reference unpolluted substrate for control (CT); plant growth, root characterization, soil...
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