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Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación: 15.000€
Desde 01/02/2011 hasta 31/01/2013
Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena
Evaluation of the limitant factors which control plant establishment in mine tailings under semiarid climate.
The presence of mining wastes in semiarid areas of Southeast Spain is considered an important environmental concern due to the risk of metal transfer to the biota and human population. The revegetation or phytostabilization of these areas has been proposed as an effective measure to avoid
soil erosion and thus the spread of pollutants via wind or run-off water. In order to achieve the establishment of a suitable vegetation cover, these techniques must involve a complete understanding of different abiotic (topography, climate, edaphic properties, economic resources) and biotic (locally adapted plant species, plant stress factors) parameters. This integrated approach to the revegetation of polluted areas has been recently incorportated into phytoremediation schemes and, defined as phytomanagement, is being successfully applied in the restoration of metal- polluted sites around the world. In the case of the semiarid areas affected by mining activities in South Spain, many limiting factors for plant growth such as drought, low soil fertility, low organic matter content, salinity, extreme pHs and phytotoxic soil metal concentrations make difficult the selection of suitable plant species and the establishment of stable and selfsustaining plant communities. Numerous scientific studies have revealed the great potential that the study of native metal tolerant plant species may hold to carry out low cost restoration projects and to improve fundamental research in plant resistance-tolerance mechanisms to phytotoxic stresses. The main goal of the proposed research line was to characterize soil-water-plant relationships in plant species potentially useful for revegetation of semiarid mining areas, focusing on the physiological aspects of the combined stress caused by diverse growth-limiting factors (water, nutrients, metals, salinity) and their spatial variability.
-JCR articles:
Parraga-Aguado, I., Álvarez-Rogel, J., González-Alcaraz, M.N., Conesa, H.M. 2017. Metal mobility assessment for the application of an urban organic waste amendment in two degraded semiarid soils. Journal of Geochemical Exploration. 173:92-98
Parraga-Aguado, I., López-Orenes, A., Ferrer-Ayala, M.A, González-Alcaraz, M.N., Conesa, H.M. 2016. Evaluation of the environmental plasticity in the xerohalophyte Zygophyllum fabago L. for the phytomanagement of mine tailings in semiarid areas. Chemosphere. 161: 259-265.
Párraga-Aguado, I., González-Alcaraz, M.N., Schulin, R., Conesa, H.M. 2015. The potential use of Piptatherum miliaceum for the phytomanagement of mine tailings in semiarid areas: role of soil fertility and plant competition. Journal of Environmental Management.158:74-84.
Párraga-Aguado, I., González-Alcaraz, M.N., Álvarez-Rogel, J., Conesa, H.M. 2014. Assessment of the employment of halophyte plant species for the phytomanagement of mine tailings in semiarid areas. Ecological Engineering. 71:598-604
Conesa, H.M., María-Cervantes, A., Álvarez-Rogel, J., González-Alcaraz, M.N. 2014. Role of rhizosphere and soil properties for the phytomanagment of a salt marsh polluted by mining wastes. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology. 11:1353–1364
Párraga-Aguado, I., Querejeta, J.I., González-Alcaraz, M.N., Jiménez-Cárceles, F.J., Conesa, H.M. 2014. Usefulness of pioneer vegetation for the phytomanagement of metal(loid)s enriched tailings: grasses vs. shrubs vs. trees. Journal of Environmental Management. 133:51-58
Párraga-Aguado, I., Querejeta, J.I., González-Alcaraz, M.N., Jiménez-Cárceles, F.J., Conesa, H.M. 2014. Elemental and stable isotope composition of Pinus halepensis foliage along a metal(loid) polluted gradient: implications for phytomanagement of mine tailings in semiarid areas. Plant and Soil. 379: 93-107.
Párraga-Aguado, I., Querejeta, J.I., González-Alcaraz, M.N., Conesa, H.M. 2014. Metal(loid) allocation and nutrient retranslocation in Pinus halepensis trees growing on semiarid mine tailings. Science of the Total Environment. 485-486:406-414
Párraga-Aguado, I., González-Alcaraz, M.N., Álvarez-Rogel, J., Jiménez-Cárceles, F.J., Conesa, H.M. 2013 Assessment of metal(loid)s availability and their uptake by Pinus halepensis in a Mediterranean forest impacted by abandoned tailings. Ecological Engineering. 58:84-90
Párraga-Aguado, I., González-Alcaraz, M.N., Álvarez-Rogel, J., Jiménez-Cárceles, F.J., Conesa, H.M. 2013. The importance of edaphic niches and pioneer plant species succession for the phytomanagement of mine tailings. Environmental Pollution. 176:134-143.