Biological Rehabilitation by Afforestation of Open Pit Mine Kolubara Depositions

BIOLOGICAL REHABILITATION BY
AFFORESTATION OF OPEN PIT

MINE KOLUBARA DEPOSITIONS
Institute of Forestry Belgrade, Kneza Viseslava 3, 11030 Belgrade, Serbia
Industrial civilization development is based

on intensive mineral raw material exploitation
Coal is the most important fuel accounting for 80% of the total energy
balance of Serbia.
Lignite makes more that 92 % of coal reserves.
Exploitation reserves of lignite are estimated at around 13 milliard tons.
General statement on sustainable development

further elaborated in 1991 by Ecologically
Sustainable Development Working Group on Mining
ensuring that the mineral raw materials need of society are met,
without compromising the ability either of future societies to meet their
needs, or of natural environment to sustain indefinitely the quality of
environmental services such as climate systems, biological diversity and
ecological integrity
WHAT DID PROGRSS AND CIVILISATION LEFT BEHIND?

4
Open pit mining and the environment

The influence of energetic on environmental degradation are numerous
and extraordinary negative.
In field of mining, especially opencast mining, these problems are
drastically expressed.
Lignite extraction is based on the large-scale

opencast mines, which produce multiple
degradation of environment
occupation of agricultural and
forest land;
change of surface and underground
water;
air, water and soil pollution;
broken food chains and other
changes of biocenosses;
migration of population;
disturbance of ecosystems;
erossion
negative transformations of
landscapes;
influence on climatic changes;
translocation of settlements,
industry, traffic
noise, risks from accidents, etc.
Biological rehabilitation
Target for the future
Researching in the Kolubara basin confirmed the drastic changes and
disturbances that occur in all open mines.
But, the researching results also showed that with the appropriate
technical and biological recultivation by afforestation and landscaping,
we can create enhanced spaces, which can be used for multiple
benefits.
Biological rehabilitation
Today, 1000 ha of degraded landscapes and ecosystems are covered
with extraordinary forests.
During the process of forest rehabilitation, numerous species of trees
and shrubs were planted, depending on the type of soil and other
micro-habitat conditions.
Biological rehabilitation - RB Kolubara

Rehabilitation by
afforestation
Nurseries
Agricultural
rehabilitation
BIOLOGICAL REHABILITATION
RB Kolubara
Exploitation area
Type of
rehabilitation
Total
A+B
Tamnava
East
ha
301
610
60
971
74,7
15
20
1,8
40
235
23
298
22,2
11
17
1,3
Total agricurtural
rehabilitation
46
246
23
327
25,3
TOTAL BIOLOGICAL
REHABILITATION
347
871
88
1306
100
Rehabilitation by
afforestation
Nurseries
Agricultural
rehabilitation
Orchards
10
Coniferous stands are dominat with 67%. This is the consequence of

their capability for adaptability on difficult site conditions.
Mixed stands of coniferous and broadleaves participate with 23,2%.
11
Forest plantations
tipes and ages
Tipe
Total
Age
ha
16-20
>20
262,00
27,7
88,00
174,00
Pure plantations of larch
33,00
3,4
10,00
23,00
Pure plantations of Douglas fir
13,00
1,3
13,00
Pure plantations of Weymouth pine
21,00
2,1
21,00
Pure plantations of oak
23,00
2,3
23,00
Pure plantations of maple
29,00
3,0
2,00
27,00
Pure plantations of Robinia
82,00
8,4
7,00
75,00
Pure plantations of other broadleaves
78,00
7,9
48,00
30,00
109,00
11,1
109,00
93,00
9,6
15,00
78,00
Mixed plantations of broadleaves and

conifers
228,00
23,2
228,00
Total
971,00
100,0
170,00
801,00
100,0
18,3
81,7
Pure plantations of Austrian pine and

Scot pine
Mixed plantations of conifers

Mixed plantations of broadleaves
% of age class
12
WHAT IS THE TARGET IN THE

FUTURE
13
DEPOSOL
belongs to a class of anthropogenically-tehnogenic land

conglomerate of very different composition
its most important feature is that it is sterile substrate
14
DEPOSOL
Generally, all of them are characterized by a very low

amount of humus and organic matter and by a weak acid to
neutral reaction of the soil solution.
15
DEPOSOL
According to physical properties:

Send
Sandy clay
Sendy loam
Sendy clay loam
Chemical properties:
Deficient in organic matter
Consequently in total nitrogen
Potassium quite variable
Phosporus just in trace
According to the microbiological properties:

None or low biological activity
Institut za umarstvo - Beograd
16
THE SELECTIVE DEPOSITION OF OVERBURDEN PREREQUISITE OF

SUCCESFUL BIOLOGICAL RECULTIVATION
In the process of coal extraction with powerful excavators overburden is
depositing mostly with non-selective method. Previously natural spoils were
replaced by minespoil banks, originating from different geological layers.
Pontian sands and heavy Pliocene clay are most often found on the surface
of spoil banks.
The knowledge of the structure of geological column, especially the layers
above the coal seam, is very significant, because in the process of coal
extraction, all the materials occur as the substrates used in recultivation.
17
To advance nursery production

Tending of forest plantations
To continue with afforestation
To build up a wintershield belts
Short rotation plantations for biomass production for
energy
Bilding forest communications
Organization of lakes inside of forest areas

18
The Target Plant

Concept
Source: Container Tree Nursery Manuals

Thomas Landis, Richard Tinus, Stephen McDonald and James Barnett
USDA Forest Service
19

energy

20

energy
21
Spatial plan OP KOLUBARA
22
22
22

energy

23

energy

24

energy

25

energy

26
Polyfunctional evaluation of the landscape

and ecosystems formed by the recultivation
The evaluation of potential suitability of recultivated area for recreation in
post-exploitation phase, after the biological recultivation by afforestation
and landscaping, showed that 87% of the evaluated area is suitable for
recreation in landscape.
27
The recultivated area has an excellent

potential for recreation, because of
the significant presence of forests;
water bodies such as lakes, rivers and marshes;
areas of meadow type;
terrain configuration is expressive although at a relatively lower
altitude;
on the other hand, the percentage of arable fields, settlements,
infrastructure and competitive uses is low.
28
Sustainable development and mining

The study of potential uses of newly created landscapes and
ecosystems after the technical and biological recultivation by
afforestation, confirms the thesis of sustainable development and
sustainable exploitation of coal.
It is not unavoidable that the degraded spaces are irreversibly lost.
With correct and uncompromising legal regulations, based on the
implementation of scientific results, the degraded spaces can be
enhanced and used for multiple benefits.
29

Biological Rehabilitation by Afforestation of Open Pit Mine Kolubara Depositions

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BIOLOGICAL REHABILITATION BY

AFFORESTATION OF OPEN PIT

Institute of Forestry Belgrade, Kneza Viseslava 3, 11030 Belgrade, Serbia

Industrial civilization development is based

General statement on sustainable development

WHAT DID PROGRSS AND CIVILISATION LEFT BEHIND?

Open pit mining and the environment

Lignite extraction is based on the large-scale

Biological rehabilitation - RB Kolubara

Coniferous stands are dominat with 67%. This is the consequence of

Mixed stands of coniferous and broadleaves participate with 23,2%.

Pure plantations of larch

Pure plantations of Douglas fir

Pure plantations of Weymouth pine

Pure plantations of oak

Pure plantations of maple

Pure plantations of Robinia

Pure plantations of other broadleaves

Mixed plantations of broadleaves and

Pure plantations of Austrian pine and

Mixed plantations of conifers

WHAT IS THE TARGET IN THE

belongs to a class of anthropogenically-tehnogenic land

Generally, all of them are characterized by a very low

According to physical properties:

According to the microbiological properties:

Institut za umarstvo - Beograd

THE SELECTIVE DEPOSITION OF OVERBURDEN PREREQUISITE OF

To advance nursery production

Institut za umarstvo - Beograd

The Target Plant

Source: Container Tree Nursery Manuals

To advance nursery production

Institut za umarstvo - Beograd

To advance nursery production

Spatial plan OP KOLUBARA

Institut za umarstvo - Beograd

Spatial plan OP KOLUBARA

Institut za umarstvo - Beograd

Spatial plan OP KOLUBARA

Institut za umarstvo - Beograd

To advance nursery production

Institut za umarstvo - Beograd

To advance nursery production

Institut za umarstvo - Beograd

To advance nursery production

Institut za umarstvo - Beograd

To advance nursery production

Institut za umarstvo - Beograd

Polyfunctional evaluation of the landscape

The recultivated area has an excellent

Sustainable development and mining

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