Abstract
In the present study tailing dam rehabilitation (revegetation)of De Beers operated diamond mines in South Africa was investigated by doing pot and field trials. Since the reclamation of mine tailings is a challenging task, the type and optimum concentration of organic materials and chemical ameliorants to be applied for the rehabilitation process was evaluated. Further the grass species most effective for rehabilitation was also investigated. In both the pot and field trials Cenchrus ciliaris and Cynodon dactylon were the most successful species, although their densities were low. The field amelioration that has shown the best results was a 60 tons ha-1 vermicompost application with a fertiliser treatment of CaNO3 (25 kg ha-1) and MgNO3 (12.5 kg ha-1). Overall the results indicate that initial vegetation establishment during the first six months on the co-disposed material was slow even under large applications of organic fertilisers, but it is clear that without proper seeding of the plots no vegetation will establish on the co-disposed material.
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Van Rensburg, L., Maboeta, M.S. & Morgenthal, T.L. Rehabilitation of Co-disposed Diamond Tailings: Growth Medium Rectification Procedures and Indigenous Grass Establishment. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution 154, 101–113 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:WATE.0000022943.27442.2a
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:WATE.0000022943.27442.2a