Mining companies worldwide have an increasing interest in restoring
indigenous ecosystems following mining. Low levels of plant nutrients and
organic matter, pH extremes, heavy metals, physically challenging media, and
difficult climatic conditions all hinder revegetation of steep rockdump slopes.
Our techniques use colonising pioneer plants to accelerate natural soil
development and plant succession processes on minesites that are difficult to
revegetate with locally sourced plants by traditional techniques.
Suitable treatments and pioneer species must first be identified for each
rocktype. Field trials at the Stockton Coal Mine in Buller have shown that
successful acceleration of moss and pioneer plant establishment is possible.
Best plots showed a mean of 15 per cent moss cover and 3.3 per cent vascular
cover after 12 months compared with 0.1 per cent and nil respectively for
controls. Techniques have been extended to field-scale trials, using
hydroseeders and dryblowers. These techniques show potential for practical land
rehabilitation, whilst conserving local biodiversity.