Root colonisation effects on the key hydrogeological properties of a reclamation cover with an elevated water table

Abstract

ABSTRACT The performance of reclamation cover systems could be affected by the colonization of plant roots, which may modify the hydrogeological properties of the construction materials. A four-year field investigation was conducted using six experimental cells with various soil layering designs over AMD-generating tailings reclaimed with an oxygen-barrier cover combined with an elevated water table. Both herbaceous and woody vegetation were installed on top of the cells to compare the influence on the properties of the cover material. Consecutive and undisturbed cores were collected from the cover’s functional layer in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Root parameters, such as root length density, and hydrogeological properties were measured on the core samples to assess the possible relationships between the two categories of variables. Root observation trenches were also cut in each cell to better analyze the root density and occurrence profiles. Results showed that, within the four-year monitoring period of the study, both herbaceous and woody vegetation roots mostly colonized the top overburden layer of the cell (>86% visible roots) and barely occupied the functional layer of the reclamation cover (<10% visible roots). The observed maximum desorption rates for the functional layer were lower than the predicted values, which could be a short-term effect of the fine roots. No significant impact of roots on the main hydrogeological variables controlling the oxygen barrier efficiency were noted. At the end of the four-year study period, the hydrogeological behavior of the functional layer in all cells with/without vegetation/additional soil layers was found to be similar.