Restoration of grasslands in shell quarries in the talares of the east of Buenos Aires: A case study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25260/EA.23.33.2.0.1949Keywords:
Celtis tala forest, functional groups, native species, exotic species, grazing, miningAbstract
The addition of topsoil to ecosystems affected by mining can improve soil conditions and contribute to the seed bank, favoring the recovery of vegetation, but grazing can negatively affect this process. The ‘talares’ develop on the shell banks in the east of Buenos Aires and constitute a combination of forests dominated by Celtis tala and grasslands with species typical of the Pampa ecoregion. These ecosystems are affected by shell quarries. The effect of grazing exclusion with or without topsoil addition in an abandoned quarry was evaluated. The herbaceous cover and species composition were estimated for five years in the quarry free from grazing with and without soil addition (‘Cantera Ensayo+S’ and ‘Cantera Ensayo’, respectively) and in a grazed grassland on the same grazed cliff unaffected by mining (‘Cordón Ensayo’). The total plant cover in Cantera Ensayo+S was similar to that of Cordón Ensayo, few months after abandonment and was greater than that of Cantera Ensayo. Floristic composition was also evaluated once in grazed grasslands on other unaffected shell banks by mining (‘Otros Cordones’) and other abandoned quarries without soil addition (‘Otras Canteras’). Clear differences in species composition were observed between mining-affected (Cantera Ensayo and Otras Canteras) and unaffected grasslands (Cordón Ensayo and Otros Cordones). The species composition of Cantera Ensayo+S was similar to that of mining-affected sites at the beginning of the sampling, but became closely similar to that of unaffected sites over time. In few years, abandoned quarries with topsoil addition and grazing exclusion can reach similar total plant cover, and species composition to that of unaffected sites. These treated areas can act as a seed source, facilitating the colonization of nearby abandoned untreated quarries. Thus, ecologically and economically viable restoration strategies could be employed.
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