Title: Biotechnological approach for ecosystem restoration of mine spoil dump in India

Authors: Asha A. Juwarkar, Santosh Kumar Yadav, Prashant R. Thawale

Addresses: Environmental Biotechnology Division, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nehru Marg, Nagpur 440 020, India. ' Environmental Biotechnology Division, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nehru Marg, Nagpur 440 020, India. ' Environmental Biotechnology Division, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nehru Marg, Nagpur 440 020, India

Abstract: Mine-degraded land (mine spoil dumps) has been restored through plantation in India by eco-friendly and cost-effective approach. This technology involves selection of suitable native plant species, isolation and inoculation of site-specific nitrogen-fixing microbial strains and nutrient mobilising vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal species in combination with organic amendments to control the limiting factors associated with mine degraded land and to build up functional ecosystem. Exhaustive lab-scale experiments to screen the plant species, microbial cultures and proper organic amendment through pot culture experiments has been carried out. The best treatment screened under pot culture experiment was successfully implemented at a field level. The approach improved the survival rate of the plants over 83–99% and attained the level of restoration to that in a productive soil. Results also indicated that the biodiversity of degraded land could be achieved within a short period of time through amendment and microbial intervention.

Keywords: biofertilisers; biodiversity; mine spoil dumps; organic amendment; vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizae; ecological restoration; biotechnology; bioremediation; plant species; microbial cultures; microbes; mining; India.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2010.035928

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2010 Vol.43 No.1/2/3, pp.251 - 263

Published online: 09 Oct 2010 *

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