Abstract
Remediation methods are gaining acceptance as effective and inexpensive techniques used in the reclamation of degraded areas. The reclamation of post-mining sites has become important for the conservation of soil and vegetation. An assessment of potential productivity of plants based on the depth of their root zone is crucial for the validation of properties of post-mining soils. Our aim was to present soil productivity parameters that would facilitate assessment of various post-mining objects. Soil productivity index (SPI) was calculated to assess soil quality, mainly in areas degraded by hard coal mining. It is based on an equation determining the relationship between the productivity index and the physical, chemical, and hydrological properties of soil. Our study demonstrated the positive effects of enriched sewage sludge with amendments on newly formed soil and plants. The soil productivity index was 0.81, demonstrating the suitable condition of the initial soil resulting from reclamation. This parameter might be important for post-industrial reclamation, such as wasteland intended to be transformed into woodland. Considering the composition of sewage sludge amendments, it can be successfully used as an effective method of restoring and improving both the physical and chemical properties of soils, thus effectively replacing mineral fertilisers. The use of sewage sludge in soil reclamation will be an important method of managing this waste material in post-mining areas.
Highlights
Modern bioremediation offers a number of solutions for effective soil reclamation (Wadgaonkar et al 2018)
Eight years of reclamation with sewage sludge enriched with amendments was long enough to improve the physical properties of post-industrial soils
It is necessary to consider dynamic changes in the properties that are manifested during the reclamation procedure
Summary
Modern bioremediation offers a number of solutions for effective soil reclamation (Wadgaonkar et al 2018). Healthy soil should be present in reclaimed areas, as this is important for maintaining the management of the degraded areas (Acton et al 2011; Gomes 2012; Avera et al 2015; Thijs et al 2017). This is vital for vascular plants covering those areas (Skubała 2011). The assessment of soil organic carbon (SOC) and development of grasses (Wu et al 2010) in soil productivity studies (Klatka et al 2014), as well as filtration coefficient and bulk density (Bi et al 2014), are indispensable parameters for the evaluation of reclamation activities (Liu et al 2012)
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