Studies of a Method of Wetland Reconstruction Following Phosphate Mining

摘要

The successful restoration of wetland ecosystems following surface mining is among the Florida phosphate industry's highest priorities. After nearly a decade of wetland reclamation research, the most reliable rehabilitation technique to have emerged is spreading organic topsoil from a donor wetland being disturbed onto a recontoured wetland basin being reclaimed. The report quantifies the establishment and survival of wetland plants on a reclaimed wetland area in north Florida that had been treated with salvaged peat. The value of spreading the soil is considered from three perspectives: the influence of thickness, the pattern of application, and the cost of excavating, transporting and spreading. The research concludes that proper hydroperiod is one of the most critical parameters that must be controlled in reclaiming wetlands.