The use of natural processes in reclamation - advantages and difficulties

The damage to soil and vegetation caused by mining, unless prevented by careful planning, is usually extreme, because the original ecosystems have had to be grossly disturbed or buried by the mining process. Radical reconstruction is therefore required. In nature this takes place by the well-known processes of primary succession, without human assistance. In the interest of economy and the maintenance of our natural resources, reclamation should attempt to involve the same processes. But primary succession on raw substrates can take several centuries to complete. This paper attempts to analyse what seem to be the factors that limit the processes involved and how they can be overcome by ameliorative treatments. It examines in particular how long this amelioration will take and how much it is likely to cost. Knowing this we are then be able to include a natural approach in land reclamation effectively. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.