Success in restoring native plant communities on kimberlite mining dumps in the Afro‐alpine Drakensberg region of Lesotho
Abstract Rehabilitation strategies for degraded mine dumps have generally seen limited success due to different complications associated with mining biophysical disturbance. In this study, we tested a combination of two methods to expedite revegetation of kimberlite tailings at Letseng Diamond Mine...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11022 |
| _version_ | 1797244906374168576 |
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| author | B. R. Ntloko T. M. Mokotjomela S. P. Mphafi S. J. Siebert |
| author_facet | B. R. Ntloko T. M. Mokotjomela S. P. Mphafi S. J. Siebert |
| author_sort | B. R. Ntloko |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Rehabilitation strategies for degraded mine dumps have generally seen limited success due to different complications associated with mining biophysical disturbance. In this study, we tested a combination of two methods to expedite revegetation of kimberlite tailings at Letseng Diamond Mine (i.e., in the Afro‐alpine areas of Lesotho). We ran trials on different growth media located on fine and coarse kimberlite tailings (i.e. sites) mixed with different substrate combinations and topsoil and sowing a seed mix comprised of native plant species. Overall, as predicted, fine kimberlite tailings displayed significantly higher plant abundance than coarse kimberlite tailings, and sown seeds performed significantly better than spontaneous colonisation by emerging species. Kimberlite tailings mixed with topsoil (100 mm) showed significantly greater plant abundance, and similarly, when coarse kimberlite tailings were introduced to fine tailings. Physicochemical analyses of growth media components suggested that topsoil provided additional nutrients and that plants could readily access available nutrients in the fine kimberlite tailings. We noted a gradual significant increase in plant abundance over 5 years, enhanced by new plant species emerging from the topsoil seed bank or by natural seed dispersal. Although plant abundance differed significantly, both fine and coarse kimberlite tailings displayed high plant species diversity (H = 3.4 and D = 0.95 and H = 3.5 and D = 0.95, respectively). Out of 36 emerging plant species, 15 species spontaneously colonised both growth media. The significant variation in abundance among plant species between treatments was mostly attributed to dominant forb species, namely Chrysocoma ciliata, Glumicalyx montanus, Oxalis obliquifolia, Senecio inaequidens and Trifolium burchellianum. We have identified suitable growth media for plant community restoration on kimberlite tailings in the Drakensberg alpine area using a seed mix of native plant species in combination with natural seed dispersal from the surrounding pristine environment. We provide evidence for using two complementary approaches to optimise native plant community development during restoration in the Drakensberg alpine area. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T19:18:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-451a864b316f4dc9aef3e5e8264284ea |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T19:18:27Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-451a864b316f4dc9aef3e5e8264284ea2024-03-26T04:26:58ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582024-03-01143n/an/a10.1002/ece3.11022Success in restoring native plant communities on kimberlite mining dumps in the Afro‐alpine Drakensberg region of LesothoB. R. Ntloko0T. M. Mokotjomela1S. P. Mphafi2S. J. Siebert3Letšeng Diamonds Cnr Kingsway and Old School Road Maseru LesothoSouth African National Biodiversity Institute Free State National Botanical Garden Bloemfontein South AfricaLetšeng Diamonds Cnr Kingsway and Old School Road Maseru LesothoUnit for Environmental Sciences and Management North‐West University Potchefstroom South AfricaAbstract Rehabilitation strategies for degraded mine dumps have generally seen limited success due to different complications associated with mining biophysical disturbance. In this study, we tested a combination of two methods to expedite revegetation of kimberlite tailings at Letseng Diamond Mine (i.e., in the Afro‐alpine areas of Lesotho). We ran trials on different growth media located on fine and coarse kimberlite tailings (i.e. sites) mixed with different substrate combinations and topsoil and sowing a seed mix comprised of native plant species. Overall, as predicted, fine kimberlite tailings displayed significantly higher plant abundance than coarse kimberlite tailings, and sown seeds performed significantly better than spontaneous colonisation by emerging species. Kimberlite tailings mixed with topsoil (100 mm) showed significantly greater plant abundance, and similarly, when coarse kimberlite tailings were introduced to fine tailings. Physicochemical analyses of growth media components suggested that topsoil provided additional nutrients and that plants could readily access available nutrients in the fine kimberlite tailings. We noted a gradual significant increase in plant abundance over 5 years, enhanced by new plant species emerging from the topsoil seed bank or by natural seed dispersal. Although plant abundance differed significantly, both fine and coarse kimberlite tailings displayed high plant species diversity (H = 3.4 and D = 0.95 and H = 3.5 and D = 0.95, respectively). Out of 36 emerging plant species, 15 species spontaneously colonised both growth media. The significant variation in abundance among plant species between treatments was mostly attributed to dominant forb species, namely Chrysocoma ciliata, Glumicalyx montanus, Oxalis obliquifolia, Senecio inaequidens and Trifolium burchellianum. We have identified suitable growth media for plant community restoration on kimberlite tailings in the Drakensberg alpine area using a seed mix of native plant species in combination with natural seed dispersal from the surrounding pristine environment. We provide evidence for using two complementary approaches to optimise native plant community development during restoration in the Drakensberg alpine area.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11022grasslandsmining end‐land userehabilitation |
| spellingShingle | B. R. Ntloko T. M. Mokotjomela S. P. Mphafi S. J. Siebert Success in restoring native plant communities on kimberlite mining dumps in the Afro‐alpine Drakensberg region of Lesotho Ecology and Evolution grasslands mining end‐land use rehabilitation |
| title | Success in restoring native plant communities on kimberlite mining dumps in the Afro‐alpine Drakensberg region of Lesotho |
| title_full | Success in restoring native plant communities on kimberlite mining dumps in the Afro‐alpine Drakensberg region of Lesotho |
| title_fullStr | Success in restoring native plant communities on kimberlite mining dumps in the Afro‐alpine Drakensberg region of Lesotho |
| title_full_unstemmed | Success in restoring native plant communities on kimberlite mining dumps in the Afro‐alpine Drakensberg region of Lesotho |
| title_short | Success in restoring native plant communities on kimberlite mining dumps in the Afro‐alpine Drakensberg region of Lesotho |
| title_sort | success in restoring native plant communities on kimberlite mining dumps in the afro alpine drakensberg region of lesotho |
| topic | grasslands mining end‐land use rehabilitation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11022 |
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