was higher. In contrast, the number of all microorganism groups in the mine soil was
considerably lower than that in grassland.
Similarly, fewer animals were found in the mine litter. Decreasing the biological
activity of litter and soil with residue, caused by high concentrations of Pb and Zn,
explains the delayed decomposition of vegetation remains growing on this site.
Pedo-enzymological methods have been applied to determine the causes of the
differences in the flora of two adjacent areas, one poor and another rich in species,
on a limestone terrace in the Pb mining complex on Grassington Moor in Yorkshire
Pennines (England). The northern half of the terrace receives drainage water and
textured fine residue containing Pb and Zn from the abandoned mine on the slope. In
this area, the vegetation is rare, has poor flora, and is composed of typical species for
the heavy metal mines in the British Isles, namely: Minuartia verna, A. tenuis, and
F. ovina. The southern terrain is not affected by the mine residue.
There, vegetation was rich and continuous flora, except for places with limestone
outcrops. The average number of species per 0.25 m
2 was 2.4 in the species-poor and
10.1 in the species-rich area. Poor soils in the species have lower pHs and contain
less humus, N–NO 3
À , N–NH 4
+
, P assimilable, and K exchangeable, in comparison
to those of the species-rich area. Total Pb content in poor soils, respectively rich in
species was on average 78,000 and 8000 μg/g soil, respectively, well above the limit
value of 350 μg/g, above which the Pb content is considered abnormally high.
Consequently, the soils of both areas were expected to be toxic to all plants, except
for tolerant forms. The average Pb extraction rate with ammonium acetate was
21,800 μg/g soil in the poorer species and only 311 μg/g soil in the other area. The
amount of Zn was much lower than Pb in both areas, and the difference in areas in
terms of total Zn and Zn extractable ammonium acetate was less marked than Pb.
Acidic, dehydrogenase, and urease phosphatase activities and breathing – CO 2
production – were measured in soil samples collected from the root area at 2–9 cm
below the surface. Expressed on the basis of the dry soil weight of the soil, they are
higher in the soil of the area rich in species. But, expressed on the basis of the dry
weight of OM, the differences have diminished or eliminated. In each half of the
terrace, there were significant correlations between species density, nutrient quantity,
and EAs, all of which were in reverse relation to the amount of extractable Pb.
It has been concluded that nutrient enrichment is involved in the formation of the
species-rich area on Grassington Moor; higher EAs in the soil of the area rich in
species show that metal detoxification took place here and that the more abundant
OM in this area is related to EAs (Hesami et al. 2018).
4.13 Conclusions and Recommendations
In nature, extreme, dangerous, natural phenomena of different origins (geological,
geomorphological, atmospheric, climatic, etc.), which are part of the natural evolution of the terrestrial geosystem and which, due to their consequences, result in major
environmental degradation due to disasters which cause risk-dependent damages.
Soil is the shallow part of the earth’s bark that allows the growth of plants and
4 Advanced Technologies for Ecological Reconstruction and Bioremediation of. . .
125
considerably lower than that in grassland.
Similarly, fewer animals were found in the mine litter. Decreasing the biological
activity of litter and soil with residue, caused by high concentrations of Pb and Zn,
explains the delayed decomposition of vegetation remains growing on this site.
Pedo-enzymological methods have been applied to determine the causes of the
differences in the flora of two adjacent areas, one poor and another rich in species,
on a limestone terrace in the Pb mining complex on Grassington Moor in Yorkshire
Pennines (England). The northern half of the terrace receives drainage water and
textured fine residue containing Pb and Zn from the abandoned mine on the slope. In
this area, the vegetation is rare, has poor flora, and is composed of typical species for
the heavy metal mines in the British Isles, namely: Minuartia verna, A. tenuis, and
F. ovina. The southern terrain is not affected by the mine residue.
There, vegetation was rich and continuous flora, except for places with limestone
outcrops. The average number of species per 0.25 m
2 was 2.4 in the species-poor and
10.1 in the species-rich area. Poor soils in the species have lower pHs and contain
less humus, N–NO 3
À , N–NH 4
+
, P assimilable, and K exchangeable, in comparison
to those of the species-rich area. Total Pb content in poor soils, respectively rich in
species was on average 78,000 and 8000 μg/g soil, respectively, well above the limit
value of 350 μg/g, above which the Pb content is considered abnormally high.
Consequently, the soils of both areas were expected to be toxic to all plants, except
for tolerant forms. The average Pb extraction rate with ammonium acetate was
21,800 μg/g soil in the poorer species and only 311 μg/g soil in the other area. The
amount of Zn was much lower than Pb in both areas, and the difference in areas in
terms of total Zn and Zn extractable ammonium acetate was less marked than Pb.
Acidic, dehydrogenase, and urease phosphatase activities and breathing – CO 2
production – were measured in soil samples collected from the root area at 2–9 cm
below the surface. Expressed on the basis of the dry soil weight of the soil, they are
higher in the soil of the area rich in species. But, expressed on the basis of the dry
weight of OM, the differences have diminished or eliminated. In each half of the
terrace, there were significant correlations between species density, nutrient quantity,
and EAs, all of which were in reverse relation to the amount of extractable Pb.
It has been concluded that nutrient enrichment is involved in the formation of the
species-rich area on Grassington Moor; higher EAs in the soil of the area rich in
species show that metal detoxification took place here and that the more abundant
OM in this area is related to EAs (Hesami et al. 2018).
4.13 Conclusions and Recommendations
In nature, extreme, dangerous, natural phenomena of different origins (geological,
geomorphological, atmospheric, climatic, etc.), which are part of the natural evolution of the terrestrial geosystem and which, due to their consequences, result in major
environmental degradation due to disasters which cause risk-dependent damages.
Soil is the shallow part of the earth’s bark that allows the growth of plants and
4 Advanced Technologies for Ecological Reconstruction and Bioremediation of. . .
125