Abstract
Revegetation is essential to improve the quality of constructed soils. This study investigated effects of perennial grasses on total organic carbon (TOC) stock, organic matter (OM) fractions and on quality of a recently constructed soil, after coal mining. Soil samples were collected from the 0.00-0.03 m layer two years after the beginning of the experiment. The treatments consisted of Cynodon dactylon cv vaquero (T1); Urochloa brizantha (T2); Panicum maximun (T3); Urochloa humidicola (T4); Hemarthria altissima (T5); Cynodon dactylon cv tifton (T6); bare constructed soil (T8); and natural soil (T9). The treatments with grass species increased the TOC stock by 57 % and increased the OM lability in comparison with T8. Higher C accumulation in the coarse and free light fractions and a higher C management index were observed in T2 and T3, indicating greater suitability of these species for the initial recovery of OM of the constructed soil.
Highlights
The greatest coal reserves of Brazil, of about 12.3 billion tons, are located in Candiota, Rio Grande do Sul (RS) (Santucci, 2009)
This study investigated effects of perennial grasses on total organic carbon (TOC) stock, organic matter (OM) fractions and on quality of a recently constructed soil, after coal mining
The experiment was designed as a long-term project and the soil will not be tilled because the planted species are perennial, so that the TOC stocks are expected to increase gradually in the surface layer over time
Summary
The greatest coal reserves of Brazil, of about 12.3 billion tons, are located in Candiota, Rio Grande do Sul (RS) (Santucci, 2009). This is the municipality with the largest coal seam of the country (Mina de Candiota), where deposits of around 1 billion tons can be surface mined (CRM, 2015). This mine is operated by the Companhia Riograndense de Mineração (CRM), and supplies the thermoelectric power plant Presidente Médici. Due to the movement of the surface horizons during soil withdrawal (pre-extraction of coal), storage and subsequent deposition as surface layer of the constructed soil, these soils usually have high degradation and compaction levels, low fertility and a poor quality of organic matter (OM), hampering the recovery of soil quality (Corrêa, 2009; Stumpf et al, 2014a; Leal et al, 2015a; Miola et al, 2015)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
