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Abstract
Abandoned metalliferous mine wastes can result in severe pollution and have aesthetic
impacts on the local environment. Use of a vegetation cover gives a cost-effective
and environmentally sustainable method of stabilising and reclaiming wastes such as
mine-spoils and tailings. Many characteristics of metalliferous wastes are often inimical
to successful vegetation establishment, most notably phytotoxic levels of residual
heavy metals, low nutrient status and poor physical structure of the substratum. Current
approaches to revegetation and reclamation involve both ameliorative and adaptive
strategies to allow plant establishment and encourage subsequent vegetation development.
Different techniques of revegetation are available for temperate and arid, subtropical
regions depending on the characteristics of the waste. These include direct seeding
with commercially available plants, use of cover and barrier systems and the enhancement
of natural revegetation processes.