Abstract
The revegetation of areas impacted by iron mining may be hampered by a series of chemical and physical impediments exhibited by those areas. Physical problems, such as penetration resistance and steep slopes, may outweigh the chemical problems, such that both should be considered for soil recovery. This study aimed to evaluate the main soil attributes that are directly related to plant growth on areas affected by iron mining activities discussing possible solutions. For this purpose, chemical and physical attributes including penetration resistance on open pit mines, waste piles and native forest in Carajás Mineral Province were analysed. The results show that the open pits had low to medium levels of P and low levels of organic matter and of the micronutrients B, Zn and Cu. In the waste piles, the chemical parameters were less hindering than in the open pits. Soil penetration resistance in open pits was higher than in the waste piles and the forest; however, there was a reduction of up to 69% in soil resistance in open pits in the rainy season. The principal chemical problems observed in mine pits can be easily corrected, although the inclination of open pit slopes in combination with elevated soil density increase the risks of losses of fertilizers and seeds by runoff. Penetration resistance is the most serious problem for the development of plants in mine pits, although the use of irrigation water can help to maintain tolerable levels of resistance in soil for proper root growth of native species.
Highlights
Mining, essential to human development, is an activity that causes major changes in the environment and landscape due to vegetation suppression and excavations for mineral extraction (Gomes et al 2019)
The K concentrations in the pits did not exceed 11 mg kg-1, and the highest values were found in forest areas; when compared to the levels recommended for soils in the region, these levels were lower by up to 91% on the slopes of pits and 80% lower on waste piles
Ca and Mg levels were low in both open pits and waste piles and were 82 to 97% and 30 and 60%, respectively, below the recommended values. Other elements, such as Al, which was within the tolerable limits for plants, and S and Mn, which exceeded the recommended levels, did not represent a limitation for the revegetation process of these areas
Summary
Essential to human development, is an activity that causes major changes in the environment and landscape due to vegetation suppression and excavations for mineral extraction (Gomes et al 2019). There may be physical problems such as high bulk density, high stoniness, low porosity and low water retention, in addition to high penetration resistance (Asensio et al 2013; Mohieddinne et al 2019). These factors may impede the development of the plants used for revegetation of the impacted areas, as they hinder root development and prevent the access of plants to water at greater depths, which is key for their survival during periods of low rainfall (Colombi et al 2018)
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