Shrabya Timsina and Nora Hardy recently published a review study in the journal Land Degradation and Development that concentrated on the effects of surface gold mining in tropical areas, a recent environmental concern. According to a 2012 study, mining is responsible for 7% of deforestation in developing countries. In the Amazon and West Africa, large-scale and artisanal gold mining methods, including open-pit mining and dredging, are becoming increasingly common.
The writers, which included Mark Ashton, a professor at YSE, and David Woodbury, a doctorate student at YSE, concentrated primarily on gold mining since it is “important at this specific time,” according to Timsina. He says that the use of gold is growing because it is needed to make electronics and other energy sources, and because the price of gold is steadily going up, making mining projects that were once not profitable profitable.
However, the results are expensive in terms of the environment. Hardy continues, “You can imagine what surface mining may do to nearby regions.” It transforms the topography entirely. Additionally, it depletes and disrupts the topsoil, which already tends to be nutrient-poor in tropical climates but contains the minerals and seeds needed for plant growth. ”
Hydrology in the area may be impacted by surface mining. The techniques used to refine gold contain several contaminants, such as mercury and cyanide, which can damage the soil and adjacent water supplies. Timsina says that effective containment methods for these contaminants must be used in conjunction with land restoration methods to help plants grow back and protect the health of nearby human settlements.
The conservation of topsoil was one of the various restoration techniques the researchers looked into for mined regions. They emphasize the significance of topsoil conservation practices, such as moving topsoil before mining and storing it separately to preserve the nutrients and seeds, so it can then be returned to the mining site when the operations are finished. Soils are time-consuming and expensive to restore to health after mining, so they stress the importance of these practices.
Hardy says that after mining, “soil health becomes a key impediment to reforestation.” By preserving the topsoil, you at least have a starting point and are not beginning from scratch.
The researchers also discovered that some plant species are better suited to survive the altered soil conditions brought on by mining. They say that it is more likely that degraded areas can be turned back into forests if both natural ways of regrowth and the deliberate restoration of these hardy species are used.
As surface mining rates rise across the tropics, the authors stress how important it is to keep doing restoration studies on the ground to help tropical forests grow back.
