Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment

Evaluation of different herbaceous species used for revegetation of a limestone quarry with a thin topsoil layer in the Mediterranean region

Author(s):

Apostolos P. Kyriazopoulos ¹*, Eleni M. Abraham ², Zoi M. Parissi ², Constantinos N. Tsiouvaras ²

Recieved Date: 2012-01-20, Accepted Date: 2012-05-02

Abstract:

Quarrying contributes significantly to the economy of a country. However, it entails the destruction of the natural vegetation, the removal of the surface soil and the deposition of inactive materials. The lack of fertile topsoil in these disturbed areas is usually a problem for the plant cover establishment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of the establishment of ten herbaceous plant species to inactive quarries with the use of limited amount of topsoil. The research was conducted in a quarry of a cement manufacture company 12 km northwest of Thessaloniki, Greece. On a terrace of the quarry a layer of 2 cm of fertile soil was placed. The grasses Lolium rigidum, Festuca arundinacea, Bromus inermis, Agropyrum desertorum, Phalaris aquatica, Dactylis glomerata cv. Palestina and the forbs Medicago sativa, Medicago lupulina, Sanguisorba minor and Phacelia tanacetifolia, were seeded separately in early October 2007. Plant cover, survival and density were measured for two consecutive years. The results indicated that among the tested species Dactylis glomerata and Phacelia tanacetifolia had the highest establishment capability as they had the highest plant cover (82%, 84% and 73%, 78%, respectively) and the highest plant density in both years of the experiment. Their establishment capability is probably related to their drought resistance. Additionally, F. arundinacea and S. minor performed relatively well as they had high survival and plant cover.

Keywords:

Mining, restoration, grasses, legumes, establishment, degraded areas

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Journal: Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment
Year: 2012
Volume: 10
Issue: 2
Category: Environment
Pages: 1152-1155

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