Tripathi, N. and Singh, R.S. (2008) Ecological restoration of mined-out areas of dry tropical environment, India. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment , 146. pp. 325-337. ISSN 0167-6369

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Abstract

The objective of the present study was to evince the long-term changes after natural revegetation and experimental revegetation of the coal mine spoils with respect to total plant biomass, available plant nutrients, nitrogen transformation and microbial biomass N (MBN) in dry tropical environment of India. Total plant biomass (above- and belowground), plant available nitrogen, soil nitrogen mineralization and microbial biomass N (MBN) were studied for 2 years in 5 and 10 years old naturally vegetated and revegetated coal mine spoils, and dry tropical forest ecosystem of India. In forest ecosystem, the above ground biomass values ranged from 3,520 to 3,630 kg ha−1 and belowground from 6,280 to 6,560 kg ha−1. Plant available nitrogen ranged from16.76 to 23.21 μg g−1, net N-mineralization from 9.8 to 48.53 μg g−1 month−1 and MBN from 26.4 to 80.02 μg g−1. In naturally revegetated mine spoil, the above ground biomass values ranged from 1,036 to 1,380 kg ha−1 and belowground from 2,538 to 3,380 kg ha−1. Plant available nitrogen ranged from 7.33–17.14 μg g−1, net N-mineralization from 3.1 to 12.46 μg g−1 month−1 and MBN from 14.2 to 35.44 μg g−1. In revegetated mine spoil, the above ground biomass values ranged from 1,224 to 1,678 kg ha−1 and belowground from 2,870 to 4,130 kg ha−1. Plant available nitrogen ranged from 9.4 to 18.83 μg g−1, net N-mineralization from 4.2 to 16.2 μg g−1 month−1 and MBN from 21.6 to 42.6 μg g−1. The mean plant biomass values in 5 and 10 years mine spoils was lower compared to forest ecosystem by 2.5 and 2 times, respectively. N-mineralization value in 5 year mine spoil was 3.5 times lower and in 10 years mine spoil 2 times lower compared to forest ecosystem. The MBN value was about 2 times lower in both 5 and 10 year mine spoils compared to native forest. MBN was positively related to the re vegetation age of the mine spoil.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Mineral-N . Nitrification .N-mineralization . Microbial-N . Naturally vegetated mine spoil . Revegetated mine spoil . Forest ecosystem
Subjects:	Envieronmental Management Group
Divisions:	UNSPECIFIED
Depositing User:	Dr. Satyendra Kumar Singh
Date Deposited:	19 Nov 2011 10:17
Last Modified:	19 Nov 2011 10:17
URI:	http://cimfr.csircentral.net/id/eprint/60

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