Damaged land can restore itself without human intervention: Study

Washington, Apr 2 : A new research has revealed that land damaged by gravel-sand mining has the ability to restore itself without human intervention within few years.

The study found that damaged sites could be restored without human interference by spontaneous revegetation (or vegetation succession), whereby plants from the area surrounding disused gravel-sand pits move in and take root.

Simply by leaving abandoned mines alone they will naturally restore themselves within just twenty-five years.

These findings have major repercussions for the way in which restoration projects are considered around the world. The findings may have important implications over for the way in restoration projects are considered around the world and can put off high costs involved in the restoration projects.

"Instead of using expensive technical reclamations it is possible to rely more upon spontaneous succession then is generally expected," said Klara Rehounkova, lead author.

"For this, it is important to preserve at least some remnants of natural vegetation during mining and post mining operations to act as seed sources of many target species," she added.

This study is published in Restoration Ecology.

ANI