Soil characteristics and heavy metal accumulation by native plants in a Mn mining area of Guangxi, South China

Revegetation and ecological restoration of a Mn mineland are important concerns in southern China. To determine the major constraints for revegetation and select suitable plants for phytorestoration, pedological and botanical characteristics of a Mn mine in Guangxi, southern China were investigated. All the soils were characterized by low pH and low nitrogen and phosphorus levels except for the control soil, suggesting that soil acidity and poor nutrition were disadvantageous to plant growth. In general, the studied mine soils had normal organic matter (OM) and cation exchange capacity (CEC). However, OM (8.9 g/kg) and CEC (7.15 cmol/kg) were very low in the soils from tailing dumps. The sandy texture and nutrient deficiency made it difficult to establish vegetation on tailing dumps. Mn and Cd concentrations in all soils and Cr and Zn concentrations in three soils exceeded the pollution threshold. Soil Mn and Cd were above phytotoxic levels, indicating that they were considered to be the major constraints for phytorestoration. A botanical survey of the mineland showed that 13 plant species grew on the mineland without obvious toxicity symptoms. High Mn and Cd concentrations have been found in the aerial parts of Polygonum pubescens, Celosia argentea, Camellia oleifera, and Solanum nigrum, which would be interesting for soil phytoremediation. Miscanthus floridulus, Erigeron acer, Eleusina indica, and Kummerowia striata showed high resistance to the heavy metal and harsh condition of the soils. These species could be well suited to restore local degraded land in a phytostabilization strategy.