Abstract
In this first scenario chapter, we describe how our five-step adaptive procedure applies to the restoration of waste-rock landscapes created by hard-rock mining. Our aim is to illustrate that by putting our procedure and its principles into practice, these highly disturbed landscapes can be successfully restored. We use the termhard-rockmining to cover all those operations around the globe that extract valuableminerals such as gold, silver, lead, zinc, copper, nickel, tin, and uranium from ore bodies composed of rock having low weathering rates. Within these ore bodies, waste rock is the material that has no commercial mineral content.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Gillison, A. N., and K. R. Brewer. 1985. The use of gradient directed transects or gradsects in natural resource surveys. Journal of EnvironmentalManagement 20:103–27.
Hollingsworth, I. 2010. Mine landform design using natural analogues. PhD diss., University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Loch, R. 1997. Landform design: Better outcomes and reduced costs by applying science to above and below ground issues. In Proceedings, 22nd Annual National Environmental Workshop 550–63. Adelaide, Australia:Minerals Council of Australia.
Ludwig, J. A., N. Hindley, and G. Barnett. 2003. Indicators for monitoring mine site rehabilitation: Trends on waste-rock dumps, northern Australia. Ecological Indicators 3:143–53.
Tongway, D. J., and J. A. Ludwig. 2006. Assessment of landscape function as an information source formine closure. In Proceedings, First International Seminar on Mine Closure, ed. A. Fourie and M. Tibbett, 21–29. Perth, Australia: Australian Centre for Geomechanics.
Vasey, A., R. Loch, and G. Willgoose. 2000. Rough and rocky landforms. In Proceedings 25th National Environmental Workshop 244–59. Perth, Australia: Minerals Council of Australia.
Willgoose, G., and S. Riley, 1998. The long-term stability of engineered landforms of the Ranger Uranium Mine, Northern Territory, Australia: Application of a catchment evolution model. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 23:237–59.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2011 David J. Tongway and John A. Ludwig
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Tongway, D.J., Ludwig, J.A. (2011). Restoration of Mine-Site Waste-Rock Dumps. In: Restoring Disturbed Landscapes. The Science and Practice of Ecological Restoration. Island Press, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.5822/978-1-61091-007-1_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5822/978-1-61091-007-1_6
Publisher Name: Island Press, Washington, DC
Online ISBN: 978-1-61091-007-1
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)
