Phytostabilization for Sustainable End-Use of Arsenic-Rich Mine Tailings in the Victorian Goldfields, Australia - Environmental Contamination: Health Risks and Ecological Restoration - page 439

Exotic species cover

100

May2002

May2003

75

50

25

0

Tailings Tailings+

fertilizer

5 cm
biosolids

10 cm
biosolids

30 cm
oxide cover

30 cm
oxide cover+
fertilizer

Oxide cover
+topsoil

Oxide cover
+topsoil +
fertilizer

Oxide cover
+ 5 cm
biosolids

Oxide cover
+ 10 cm
biosolids

(a)

Treatment

Microlaena cover

100

May2002
May2003

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

Tailings Tailings+

fertilizer

5 cm
biosolids

10 cm
biosolids

30 cm
oxide cover

30 cm
oxide cover+
fertilizer

Oxide cover
+topsoil

Oxide cover
+topsoil +
fertilizer

Oxide cover
+ 5 cm
biosolids

Oxide cover
+ 10 cm
biosolids

(b)

Treatment

FIGURE 20.3
Percentage.plant.cover.recorded.on.tailings.treatments.in.May.2002.and.May.2003:.(a).exotic.
species.and.(b). M. stipoides .

herbage.was.not.signiicantly.different.from.differently.amended.plots,.and.
ranged.from.2.0.to.4.4.mg/kg.

Exotic Species

The.biosolids.contained.a.viable.source.of.exotic.pasture.species.as.a.result.of.
having.been.stockpiled.alongside.improved.pastures..Seed.from.this.source.
has. been. volunteered,. established,. and. continually. reseeded. over. many.
years.of.stockpiling.at.the.waste.water.treatment.plant..Data.for.consecutive.
May. assessments. of. coverage. by. exotic. pasture. are. given. in. Figure. 20.3a..
Exotic.species.became.established.within.the.irst.year.on.all.trialed.covers.
except.bare.tailings.and.unfertilized.oxide.waste,.with.maximum.coverage.
>75%. recorded. for. the. tailings. treated. with. high. biosolids.. Exotic. pasture.
cover.increased.further.on.all.treatments.at.the.end.of.the.second.growing.
season,.except.on.the.unamended.tailings.