Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
organic pollutants and metals'), COST Action 859 ('Phytotechnologies to promote
sustainable land use and improve food safety of the EU'), by the Research
and Development project PHYTAC ('Development of systems to improve
phytoremediation of metal contaminated soils through improved phytoaccu-
mulation') and by the EU Research Training Network METALHOME ('Molecular
mechanisms of metal homeostasis in higher plants'), both within the EU
Framework V programme. Other very active research centres are in the USA at,
for example, Cornell and Purdue Universities, and USDA-ARS, and recently in
China (Lou et al.
2004
; Deng et al.
2007
;Keet al.
2007
; Xiong et al.
2008
). Almost
all current research focuses on the biochemistry, physiology and genetics of
mechanisms for metal adaptation, and on mycorrhizal symbioses, root-associated
microbes and metal tolerance (Whiting et al.
2004
), plant-animal interactions
(Ernst
1987
; Boyd & Martens
1994
; Pollard & Baker
1997
; Huitson & Macnair
2003
; Noret et al.
2007
), phytoremediation (Baker et al.
2000
; Chaney et al.
2000
;
van Ginneken et al. 2007; Wieshammer et al.
2007
), aspects of the bioavailability
of metals in soil and ecotoxicology predominantly in the context of risk
assessment and regulatory and legislative aspects of soil contamination.
Causes of the rapid decline in the vitality of metallophyte vegetation are
well-known for secondary and tertiary sites, as mentioned above. Science lacks
coherent insight into the exact measures for its restoration. For conservation
and restoration efforts it is important to set up programmes with experimental
restoration measures with scientific research focused on the interaction of
micro-organisms and metallophytes. Furthermore, research into the geographic
distribution, ecological amplitude and niche differentiation of metallophytes,
and the impact of ecological management and habitat alteration on metallo-
phyte vegetation, is necessary to facilitate conservation and to develop and
manage sites in the future.
Action towards conserving the global metallophyte resource base is impera-
tive, because many species are under threat of extinction from the current
quest for base metals and the mining boom. The extent of this unique resource,
and its potential in future phytotechnologies is unknown (Whiting et al.
2004
)
but clearly represents a great asset in the care of the minerals industry. This has
been identified as a priority area in the Mining, Minerals and Sustainable
Development (MMSD) Project of the Global Mining Initiative (IEED
2002
), but
positive responses from the minerals industry have to date been slow. The
potential importance of mine sites for biodiversity has, however, long been
recognised (Johnson
1978
; Smith
1979
, Whiting et al.
2004
; Batty
2005
; Baker &
Whiting
2008
), but guidelines for its conservation and management have only
recently been formalized (ICMM
2006
).
The European Heavy Metal Ecology Network (EHMEN) was started in 2006 to
promote research collaboration and increased insight into the biodiversity,
ecology and biogeochemistry of metallophyte vegetation in order to facilitate
