Ecological recovery of vegetation at a former industrial sludge basin and its implications to phytoremediation

Examination of a former industrial sludge basin containing organic pollutants showed that the basin had undergone substantial ecological recovery through natural forces following the removal of surface water in 1982. Conventional phases of ecological recovery (plant invasion and succession) have occ...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental science and pollution research international 2000-01, Vol.7 (4), p.195-204
Main Authors: Olson, P E, Fletcher, J S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Contaminants
Drought
Environmental stress
Flowers & plants
Hazardous wastes
Herbivores
Industrial pollution
Industrial wastes
Invasive species
Owls
Phytoremediation
Plant communities
Plant species
Pollutants
Sludge
Surface water
Vegetation
Waste disposal sites
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Examination of a former industrial sludge basin containing organic pollutants showed that the basin had undergone substantial ecological recovery through natural forces following the removal of surface water in 1982. Conventional phases of ecological recovery (plant invasion and succession) have occurred, but the structure of the biodiverse plant community (51 species and 22 families) was different from that at a recovering non-polluted disturbed site. Three plant species (Bermuda grass, mulberry, and sunflower) believed to be early invaders of the basin still persist in large numbers indicating that these species are well suited to cope with normal environmental stresses at this area (i.e. seasonal drought and flood) as well as organic pollutants. There was an indication that early invaders of the site fostered disappearance of contaminants thereby creating more favorable conditions for a broader spectrum of plants to grow. Vegetation analyses of naturally vegetated hazardous waste sites hold promise as a screening device for identifying plant species and management practices worthy of further phytoremediation investigations.
ISSN:0944-1344
1614-7499
DOI:10.1007/bf02987348