Selecting plant species for landfill revegetation: a test of 10 native species on reclaimed soils

Uhram Song

doi:10.1186/s41610-018-0089-9

Abstract

BackgroundRevegetating landfills can be a challenging task as the reclaimed soils are typically dry and have low nutrient content. Therefore, selecting suitable plant species is important for initial revegetation. The issue with current practices (in Korea) is that alien plant species have been typically selected for revegetation projects. In this context, this study selects and tests a set of native plant species for landfill revegetation, accompanied by the assessment of the landfill soils.ResultsThe soil of the landfill (landfill location) was in a very poor condition with high bulk density and low organic matter and nutrient contents. Among 10 tested species, only Brassica campestris showed high coverage and a sufficient number of individuals in study quadrats sown with seeds. Results suggest that plant species with heavy seeds are the only ones that can adapt to the environment of a typical landfill due to the site’s aridity and low nutrient content. The reason is due to such species’ superior wind resistance and the capacity to provide sufficient energy for the initial growth of the plants for survival in such landfill environment.ConclusionsThis study recommends selecting plant species (1) with arid-adapted features and (2) whose seed weight is sufficiently heavy for survival at landfills or areas with a similar condition for future revegetation.

Highlights

Revegetating landfills can be a challenging task as the reclaimed soils are typically dry and have low nutrient content
As in the case of the Sudokwon Landfill in South Korea, the largest sanitary landfill in the world, it collects the soil for reclamation by digging up soils from adjacent areas up to 100 m depth
The bulk density was close to a hazardous level (1.6 g/cm3), indicating soil was too compact for plants to grow

Summary

Introduction

Revegetating landfills can be a challenging task as the reclaimed soils are typically dry and have low nutrient content. The issue with current practices (in Korea) is that alien plant species have been typically selected for revegetation projects. The resulting soil often has poor nutrient contents (~ 0.01% N) and low moisture, which may limit plant growth (Song and Lee 2010) after the waste reclamation. Previous studies on the Sudokwon Landfill found almost no seed inside the soil to restore vegetation to the Landfill site (Song 2010). Another natural revegetation process, seed dispersal from nearby areas, can be highly limited when the size of the landfill is very large

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