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If we learnt more about the ecosystem restoration processes by which it is possible to effectively restore ecological functions to sites transformed by the industry, we could globally recover about 1% of the land which would serve the environment and offer ecosystem services for people.

As indicated by the results of the research conducted so far show, post-industrial sites including spoil heaps from coal mining which is the still main energy source in many region of the world are perceived as elements disturbing the landscape and negatively affecting the natural environment and people’s quality of life. At the same time, they hold a significant natural potential which may greatly support the ecosystem services provided to humans.

 

We have posed a specific research question: how the reclamation technology used, the type of vegetation cover and the resulting species diversity, as well as the functional diversity of plants and soil fauna and microorganisms, affect carbon sequestration and water retention in novel ecosystems developing in post-mining sites which mitigate the effects of transforming the environment and provide services for human population?
So far, many studies have focused on the technology of reclaim itself, the study of individual biotic elements and abiotic ecosystems, but there is still no comprehensive study in this field. This research is also important in the context of the growing amount of greenhouse gases, including CO2 in the Earth's atmosphere, and shrinking water resources.

 

Therefore, the aim of our project is to comprehensively determine the impact of various reclaim scenarios and types of vegetation on carbon sequestration and water retention of novel ecosystems along with the functional diversity of plants, microorganisms and soil fauna in mining spoil heaps.

With the use of geoinformation tools, spatial correlation between the applied reclamation scenarios of a selected post-industrial site with the potential of living organisms and the parameters of the substrate will be worked out. The obtained results will allow to learn about the determinants of carbon binding and water retention in spoil heaps which are very numerous in areas that are currently undergoing social and economic transformations, in line with the concept of green deal.

University of Agriculture in Krakow
University of Agriculture in Krakow
Faculty of Forestry
Al. 29-listopada 46
31-425
Kraków
12 662 50 01
wles[a]urk.edu.pl
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