Green Scenarios: Mining Industry Responses to Environmental Challenges of the Anthropocene Epoch: International Mining Forum 2021

386 Pages·2022·59.185 MB·English

by  Artur Dyczko, Andrzej Jagodziński, Gabriela Woźniak

INTERNATIONALMININGFORUM
This book aims to present an alternative based on natural processes and an environmental
approachtopost-excavationsitemanagement,e.g.,post-coalminingheaps.Thesesitesareplaces
where various mineral excavation by-products are collected. Nevertheless, some post-mineral
excavationsitesareoligotrophic,terrestrial,wetland,andwaterhabitatislands,providingunique
biodiversityenrichmentinthelandscape.Theseoligotrophicmineralhabitatsareessentialinover-
fertilized,eutrophic,agriculturalandurban-industrysurroundings.Somepost-mineralexcavation
sites are places where the wildlife can develop and support the functional processes of novel
ecosystems.Implementingthenewestbiogeochemicalandcomprehensiveknowledgeintourban-
industrylandscapemanagementwillhelptoestablishtheecosystem’sprocessesandenvironmental
functioning.
Thereareseveralpost-industrialsitesinEuropewherethewildlifeareasdevelopedduetonatural
processes,arebecomingwildlifehotspotsindenselypopulatedurban-industryareas.Inthisrespect,
manyoftheoligotrophicmineralterrestrial, wetland, andwaterhabitatsofanthropogenicorigin
should not be categorized as environmentally dangerous and undergo economic utility-focused
reclamation.
Facing the actual environmental constraints of theAnthropocene Epoch, the book’s chapters
presenting the natural basics and perquisites of the environmental ecosystem mosaics, will be
interesting for a broad range of environmentalists (scientists and students), miners, economists,
andsociologists.

International Mining Forum

Green Scenarios:
Mining Industry Responses
to Environmental Challenges
of the Anthropocene Epoch

Edited by
Artur Dyczko
Polish Academy of Sciences, Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute,
Kraków, Poland
Andrzej M. Jagodziński
Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Dendrology,
Kórnik, Poland

Gabriela Woźniak
University of Silesia in Katowice, Faculty of Natural Sciences,
Katowice, Poland
CRC Press/Balkema is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2022 Taylor & Francis Group, London, UK
Typeset by Krzysztof Stachurski, Jacek Jarosz
Printed and bound in Poland
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as a result of operation or use of this publication and/or the information contained herein.

Published by: CRC Press/Balkema
Schipholweg 107C, 2316 XC Leiden, The Netherlands
e-mail: [email protected]
www.routledge.com – www.taylorandfrancis.com

ISBN: 978-1-032-22212-7 (Hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-22215-8 (Pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-27160-4 (eBook)
DOI: 10.1201/9781003271604
Table of Contents
Preface IX
Part One
1
Geological Background of the Mineral Resources Exploitation
1.1. Geological Origin as the Basis for the Systematics of Deposits
Alicja Kicińska 3
1.2. Geological Conditions Determining the Type of Mining Activity
Radosław Pomykała, Justyna Adamczyk 15
1.3. Hydrological and Hydrochemical Conditions for the Reclamation
of Anthropogenic Water Bodies and Wetlands in Opencast Mines 23
Joanna Kidawa, Damian Chmura, Tadeusz Molenda
1.4. Impact of Coal Mining Heaps on the Water Environment
Tadeusz Molenda, Joanna Kidawa, Damian Chmura 37
1.5. Geological Basis of Changes in Water Conditions and Methods
of Their Determination
47
Alicja Kicińska, Radosław Pomykała
Part Two
Novel Ecosystems – the Image of Anthropocene Epoch Environmental Conditions 55
2.1. Post-mineral Excavation Sites as Novel Ecosystems
and Examples of Socio-environmental Resilience 57
Gabriela Woźniak, Andrzej M. Jagodziński
2.2. Returning Collieries Back to Nature in England, UK
Lynn Besenyei 69
2.3. Brownfield Sites as Hot Spots of Plant Diversity
Ian C. Trueman, Barbara Tokarska-Guzik, Eleanor V.J. Cohn 87
2.4. Returning Coal Mine Sedimentation Pools to Nature: Technical Versus
Natural Processes in Population, Vegetation and Landscape Contexts
103
Agnieszka Kompała-Bąba, Gabriela Woźniak
2.5. Post-industrial Habitats as Centres of Biodiversity – a Case Study
on a Sample of Sedimentation Pools 115
Agnieszka Kompała-Bąba, Robert Hanczaruk, Wojciech Bąba
2.6. Mineral Soil Substrate Seed Banks: Understanding Their Role
in Primary Succession and Enhancement of Habitat Recovery
131
Joanna Czarnecka, Wiktoria Hryń, Jaco Vangronsveld
2.7. Bryoflora of Post-industrial Areas in Poland
Anna Salachna 147
Part Three
Modern Methods Approach to Novel Ecosystem Studies 161
3.1. Immunochemistry of Cell Wall – a Tool for Evaluation of the Response
of Plants to Changed Habitat 163
Katarzyna Sala, Kamila Godel-Jędrychowska, Ewa Kurczyńska
v
3.2. Soil Enzymes – a Tool to Monitor Soil-forming Processes
in Coal Mine Spoil Heaps 181
Wojciech Bierza
3.3. Functional Diversity of Bacteria as an Important Element
of Post-mining Ecosystem Functioning – the Use of the BIOLOG® Method
in Environmental Research 195
Monika Malicka, Monika Szalbot, Wojciech Bierza
3.4. Novel Ecosystems Establishment in Environmental Management
with Geoinformatics Tools: Remote Sensing and Machine Learning Application
201
Agata Lisiecka, Remigiusz Gałka
Part Four
Natural Capital as the Basis for Ecosystem Services 211
4.1. “Natural Capital” Concept – a New Approach to Environmental Management
and Post-industrial Landscapes 213
Gabriela Woźniak, Agnieszka Hutniczak, Jörg Dettmar
4.2. Changing the Management of Post-mining Synanthropic Sites
Philip James, Mark Howard Champion 227
4.3. Role of Post-industrial Sites in Maintaining Species Diversity of Rare,
Endangered and Protected Vascular Plant Species on the Example
of the Urban-Industrial Landscapes 245
Barbara Bacler-Żbikowska, Teresa Nowak
4.4. Ecosystem Services and Post-industrial Areas
Edyta Sierka, Łukasz Radosz, Karolina Ryś, Gabriela Woźniak 265
4.5. Plant Responses to Harsh Conditions of Post-industrial Habitats
Agnieszka Szuba, Ewelina Ratajczak, Anna Kasprowicz-Maluśki, Emilia Pers-Kamczyc 274
Part Five
Educational and Social Aspects of Post-mineral Exploitation Habitats 301
5.1. Environmental Knowledge and Understanding: an Important
and Necessary Aspect of Corporate Social Responsibility
303
Andrzej M. Jagodziński, Gabriela Woźniak
5.2. Activities of Mining Enterprises for Repair of the Natural Environment
in the Light of Applicable Legal Regulations 313
Edyta Sierka, Beata Pabiszczak
5.3. Values of Post-industrial Novel Ecosystems for Enhancement
of Ecosystem Services in the Anthropocene Epoch
327
Agnieszka Błońska, Barbara Bacler-Żbikowska
5.4. Educational Activities in the Areas Created as a Result
of Mining Operations in the Silesian Province 339
Agnieszka Hutniczak, Teresa Nowak, Agnieszka Błońska
5.5. Current Reclamation Practices and Their Successfulness
Artur Dyczko, Karolina Ryś, Łukasz Radosz, Gabriela Woźniak 364
Author Index
373
vi
Preface
Global change significantly influences the natural environment, human society and economy. The
environmental transformation includes complex eco-evolutionary consequences for organisms,
mutual relationships among organisms, ecosystem alternation and the biotic versus abiotic
environmental elements. The range and intensity of global change proves that the current methods
of environmental change mitigation are not efficient enough.
This book aims to present an alternative environmental approach to the management of the post-
excavation, e.g., post-coal mining heaps, areas of subsidence filled with groundwater, and salty
sedimentation pools, all of which are side-effects of mineral resource exploitation. The rocks and
stones and other mineral elements accompanying the exploited mineral resources are deposited on
heaps. From the economic point of view, mining heaps are the sites where varied types of mineral
excavation by-products are collected.
From the environmental point of view some of the post-mining sites are oligotrophic terrestrial,
wetland, and water habitat islands, which can provide unique enrichments of environmental
biodiversity on the landscape. The oligotrophic mineral habitats are essential within the surrounding
over-fertilized, eutrophic, built up and designed garden areas of urban-industrial landscapes. Some
of the post-mineral excavation sites are places where the wildlife can develop and support the
improvement of environmental functioning. The implementation of the newest biogeochemical and
comprehensive holistic environmental knowledge to urban-industrial landscape management
procedures will enable gradual improvement of the ecosystems and environmental functioning.
There are several examples of post-industrial sites in European industrial centers where the
wildlife areas developed as results of natural processes. The wildlife places are composed of the
primary producer’s (plants) vegetation mosaic, animals (e.g. butterflies, birds), and microorganisms
such as fungi and bacteria. Such sites are wildlife hotspots in densely populated urban-industrial
areas. Unmanaged lands are becoming scarce in urban post-industrial sites. In such circumstances,
each opportunity to encourage development of open wildlife areas needs support. The presence of
public wildlife areas is particularly crucial for development of new ecosystem functioning and as
the prerequisite for ecosystem services based on support of environmental processes. The wildlife
areas have scientifically proven ecological significance all over Europe. In this respect, all of the
oligotrophic mineral terrestrial, wetland, and water habitats of anthropogenic origin should not be
frequently or obligatorily categorized as environmentally dangerous, and undergo economic utility-
focused reclamation.
Many aspects of human activity are damaging environmentally desired ecosystem functions,
leading to landscape transformation and establishing many types of post-industrial sites.
Unfortunately, according to current law, not updated with the newest environmental scientific
knowledge, all of these sites are labeled as wasteland. As wasteland sites, they should undergo
reclamation, which frequently brings damage to the possible spontaneous re-establishment of natural
ecosystems and environmental functioning. Ecosystem and environmental functioning are the
essential prerequisites of ecosystem services provision and human survival. At a time of worldwide
global change, all environmental management decisions have to be made based on the newest
scientific (biological, chemical, geological, and interdisciplinary environmental) knowledge. The
usefulness and economic benefit should not be the only criteria for land assessment. Providing large
open areas for wildlife colonization and open ecosystem development should also be taken into
consideration.
vii
The theory of novel ecosystems and natural capital concept offer a framework for a new
environmental management approach, including the possibilities of ecosystem services provided by
the ecological and ecosystem functioning focused on managed sites. Application of this new
approach requires knowledge about the links between the novel ecosystem operating in urban-
industrial environments and ecosystem services provision. A wide range of environmental science
methods at scales from molecular to geographical, and from cells of living organisms to landscapes,
has to be used for this research. Ecosystem services are essential for human survival. The availability
and quality of ecosystem services depend on habitat mosaics available in the environment to support
biodiversity and a variety of ecosystem functions.
The aim of this book is to present and link the complex fundamental interdisciplinary
biogeochemical aspects of dynamic environmental functioning:
1. The characteristics of natural geological, geochemical and geo-hydrological conditions, which
make the mining activity to be conducted possible. In the same way, the geological,
geochemical and geo-hydrological conditions are prerequisites for colonization and
community assembly by living organisms and ecosystem development. The same natural rules
apply to the transformed and newly established sites with respect to, e.g., the moisture, texture,
and nutrient gradients of the side-effect mineral material deposited throughout European
urban–industrial centers;
2. The unusual de novo habitat conditions established, provided by post-excavation heaps of
mineral resources, support the colonization and development processes of vegetation and
ecosystems composed of specific, unknown species assemblages. The characteristics of some
of the novel ecosystems and their functional aspects, including the living organisms that
colonize the mineral material deposited on heaps, the vegetation species composition and
diversity, as well as some aspects of the biological processes (e.g. the moss species diversity,
seed bank biology) are presented;
3. The application of advanced biogeochemical methods is essential to understand the functioning
of novel ecosystems. The characteristics of some of the methods that should be additionally
applied to conduct comprehensive, holistic research on functioning of novel ecosystems are
presented. The proper understanding of ecosystem functioning is basic for the improvement of
environmental functioning. The selected methods present a range that should be used at varied
organizational levels of the studied ecosystems, from the identification of antibody proteins at
the cell level, up to the geo-informatics methods used to study ecosystem processes and spatial-
temporal chronosequences of landscapes;
4. The presentation includes some of the abilities and possibilities of post-industrial, post-
excavation sites to provide ecosystem function and services, based on the appropriate, best-
adapted organisms. The development of vegetation as the basis of each ecosystem, has to be
adapted to the unusual habitat conditions provided by harsh post-excavation mineral sites.
Adaptation is the natural process that enables the acquisition and maintenance of stress
tolerance, which is utilized as a service during phytoremediation – a remediation method for
post-industrial areas. The fundamental idea is the natural capital concept, that enables the
possibility to consider the ecosystem services;
5. Presenting some analyses of the ultimate solutions for environmental management practices on
post-industrial, post-coal mining heaps in the Anthropocene Epoch, by using the natural
resources deposited on post-excavation sites, education perspectives, Corporation Social
Responsibility (CSR) approaches, and the possibilities for science-business cooperation.
Management practices in the Anthropocene have to include the latest scientific and
environmental knowledge in order to apply each opportunity to improve the ecosystem
and environmental function in urban and industrial landscapes for better provision and
enhancement of ecosystem services.
viii
This book provides consideration and arguments for the idea that the underlying biogeochemical
processes continue and become adjusted to the habitat conditions of novel ecosystems established
due to human activity. The natural phenomena are ongoing, regardless of changes caused by
alterations of the global environment, including for example alterations of nutrients or water
conditions. The ongoing natural evolutionary adaptation and adjustment mechanisms acting at
different scales cannot be ignored and should be incorporated and implemented into management
practices. Nature is providing humans with solutions best for the environment and all living
organisms, including humans.
Chapters of the first part characterize the overview of the geological aspects of mining activity
as a factor shaping the urban and industrial landscapes of the Anthropocene. They present the
reasons and consequences of the Anthropocene Epoch, including the geological prerequisites of the
mineral excavation and mining industry, particularly hard coal exploitation, and the geological,
mineral and chemical composition of the side-effect mineral materials deposited on, e.g., the post-
coal mine heaps. Global environmental alterations of the Anthropocene challenge the demand for
modification of manager attitudes towards environmental management. Also, the role of the newest
scientific knowledge about development of ecosystem function on the new habitats that emerged
due to human activity. The chapters of this part present the geological and hydrological background
that made the excavation of mineral resources possible. Insight into the geological and hydrological
basis of the mineral excavation process also gives context to some of the environmental side effects
connected with mining activity. The results of the conducted research provide data for proper
understanding of the environmental geo-hydrological and chemical feedbacks that can help in
making the right management decisions. For example, to hinder from practice the exclusive
economic utility approach and agricultural, hydro-technical focused activity. A broad
interdisciplinary, holistic vision should be introduced based on the environmental, feedback linkages
between all biotic and abiotic elements.
Chapters of the second part focus on the natural processes observed on the habitats which
emerged because of mining activity. In this part the biology of colonizing organisms, interactions
between living organisms and their habitats, ecological processes and ecosystem development join
with the appearance of sites providing habitats of new mineral soil substrata in the environment. The
biological and ecosystem processes of the first colonizing organisms, the primary producers –
particularly vascular plants and mosses – are discussed. Apart from the species diversity, also the
variety of vegetation types, plant assemblages occurring spontaneously during primary succession
and complex biochemistry of seed bank studies on post-coalmine heaps are presented. This part
implements the results of detailed case studies conducted on a range of sites in terrestrial, wetland
and water ecosystems. The chapters of this part of the book describe the results obtained from
research focused on the mechanisms involved and relationships among different groups of
organisms which are established in the novel ecosystems developing on post-excavation mineral soil
substrata. Some of the chapters of this part also underline the rarity and uniqueness of plants, fungi,
bacteria, and mutualistic organisms.
The third part presents the applicability of different methods that have been used, and should
be introduced in research focused on revealing the mechanisms of functioning of novel ecosystems.
The methods discussed include the geo-informatics modeling approach used for spectral
identification and calibration studies solving problems at the landscape geographical scale. For the
calibration and assessment part of this study, the methods used for the resolution of vegetation patch,
population and individual plant scales are also introduced. At the molecular level
immunocytochemistry methods can be applied for identifying the differences in presence of proteins
in plant tissues, e.g. the cell walls of individuals of the same species growing in different post-
ix