Natural colonization of vegetation under twenty years restoration of ex-cement mining

Abstract

Biodiversity loss can be drastically aggravated by mining activities. Opened pit mining removes all material, including vegetation, above the ore deposit. Cement industries always implement opened mining as they process all rocks into cement. Restoration is known as the best human interference to drive the damaged ecosystem to recover. This study aimed to observe vegetation that was naturally grown under Pinus sp after 20 years of planting on ex-cement mining. The study was conducted in Sukabumi District, in three sites that were distributed in Cicantayan (2 sites) Sub District and Cibadak Sub District. Each location disses ivided into three points to conduct analysis vegetation in transects, for trees 2 units (10 x 10 m), shrubs 4 units (5 x 5 m), and grasses 5 units (1x1 m). The study resulted after 20 years of planting with Pinus (3 x 3 m) the sites recorded have been inhabited by 13 new species. They are 4 woody trees species, 4 species of shrubs, and 5 species of under-story (grasses). Tree stratum new inhabitants are Ficus spp, Macaranga gigantea, Schima wallichii, and Hibiscus tilliaceus, with the important value index (IVI) 57.83%; 53.67%; 33.17 %, 26.5%; respectively. Shrub’s stratum is inhabited by Mimosa invisa (IVI 76.66%); Eupatorium odoratum (IVI 76.66 %); Melastoma malabathricum (IVI 73.83%); and Clibadium suninamensis (IVI 72.837%). Whereas grasses stratum inhabited by Imperrata cyllindrica (IVI 98.77%); Brachiaria decumbens (IVI 98.60%); Themedia gigantea (IVI 43.11%); Setaria spp (IVI 31.83%), Cymbophogon citratus (IVI 27.69%). Shortly, restoration has encouraged natural colonization even acid mine drainage on the body waters remains occurred.