Inorganic soil amendments alter seedling performance of native plant species in post-mining arid zone rehabilitation

• Published in: Journal of environmental management Vol. 241; pp. 179 - 186
• Main Authors: Bateman, Amber M., Erickson, Todd E., Merritt, David J., Muñoz-Rojas, Miriam
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2019
• Subjects: arid lands; arid zones; Drylands; greenhouse experimentation; gypsum; indigenous species; Land degradation; landscapes; microbial activity; mining; mortality; nitrogen; organic carbon; Pilbara; Plant growth; seed germination; seedling emergence; seedling growth; Seedling recruitment; seedlings; soil amendments; soil profiles; Soil quality; species recruitment; topsoil; urea; wastes; Western Australia; Western Australia; Soil quality; Plant growth; Land degradation; Drylands; Pilbara; Seedling recruitment

Rehabilitation of degraded drylands is challenged by environmental and anthropogenic constraints, such as limited availability of locally-sourced topsoil and poor quality alternative soil substrates. Current rehabilitation practices, at times, utilise inorganic soil amendments to improve the physico...