Minimising Coal Mining’s Impact on Biodiversity: Artificial Soils for Post-Mining Land Reclamation

Coal mining and the energy industry generate large amounts of solid waste, which must be disposed in landfills lead to numerous environmental problems. This paper presents a method for creating artificial soil mixtures based on an EU-funded international research project called RECOVERY. The main idea behind proposed solution is safe use coal combustion by-products (energetic slag decarbonation lime), waste (aggregate sealing material) spent mushroom compost as components soils. Laboratory tests substitutes showed low concentrations heavy metals high macronutrient content, adequate proper plant growth. As result two-year study application cover 4000 m2 testing ground, species characteristics mesotrophic, dry meadow, ruderal segregated vegetation were found. In second year situ study, apparent reduction salinity was observed. principal component analysis confirmed that decreasing positively affected meadow species. contrast, levels no adverse effect mesotrophic vegetation. results demonstrated applying covers elaborated from industrial valuable recovering high-acidity mine heaps.