Benefits of adopting seed-based technologies for rehabilitation in the mining sector: a Pilbara perspective

2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (8) ◽  
pp. 646 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd E. Erickson ◽  
Miriam Muñoz-Rojas ◽  
Olga A. Kildisheva ◽  
Brad A. Stokes ◽  
Stephen A. White ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Iron Ore ◽  
Seedling Emergence ◽  
Growth Media ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Media Management ◽  
North West ◽  
Seed Collection ◽  
Mine Rehabilitation

The use of native plant seeds is fundamental to large-scale rehabilitation and the re-establishment of self-sustaining ecosystems after high-impact mining activity has ceased. However, many of the biological attributes of seeds are often overlooked in large-scale rehabilitation programs. Multi-disciplinary, long-term research collaborations are required to improve seed-based mine rehabilitation. In this paper, we review the steps that BHP Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO), a large iron ore mining company that operates in the Pilbara bioregion of north-west Western Australia, has taken over the past 9 years to ensure continuous improvement in rehabilitation procedures. We introduce the mining activities that WAIO undertake in the Pilbara, and emphasise specific examples of how research findings have led to incremental improvements in the seed management cycle, growth media management and mine rehabilitation practices. Specifically, we outline how the implementation of structured seed collection and storage programs has created the capacity to maintain high-quality seed stocks sufficient for 3–5 years of future rehabilitation. Research has documented the prevalence of seed dormancy in the flora (>70% of 105 species examined produce dormant seeds), with physical and physiological classes of dormancy most commonly encountered. We discuss the development of seed-treatments such as optimised wet-heat and dry after-ripening that have increased the germination capacity of many previously dormant seed batches. In addition, we highlight how seed enhancement technologies, such as hydro-priming with smoke-derived germination stimulants and polymer seed coating, and a greater understanding of the biological and physical limitations present in the growing environment, have vastly improved seedling emergence performance under field conditions for key framework Triodia species. Ongoing industry support (e.g. construction of a purpose-built rain manipulation shelter) has ensured research in the Pilbara will continue to unpack and resolve the complex challenges associated with seed regeneration of biodiverse native plant communities after mining.

scholarly journals Field-Deployed Extruded Seed Pellets Show Promise for Perennial Grass Establishment in Arid Zone Mine Rehabilitation

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Stock ◽  
Rachel J. Standish ◽  
Miriam Muñoz-Rojas ◽  
Richard W. Bell ◽  
Todd E. Erickson
Keyword(s):  
Organic Amendment ◽  
Arid Zone ◽  
Mine Waste ◽  
Seedling Emergence ◽  
Perennial Grass ◽  
Rainfall Regime ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Mine Rehabilitation ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Soil Mixtures

Current methods of mine rehabilitation in the arid zone have a high failure rate at seedling emergence largely due to limited availability of topsoil and low water-holding capacity of alternative growth substrates such as mining overburden and tailings. Further, seedlings have consistently failed to emerge from seeds sown on the soil surface using traditional broadcasting methods. Seed pellets, formed by extruding soil mixtures and seeds into pellets, can potentially increase soil water uptake through enhanced soil-seed contact and thereby improve seedling emergence. We tested an extruded seed pelleting method in a three-factor field experiment (i.e., different pellet-soil mixtures, organic amendments, and simulated rainfall regimes) in north-western Australia. Given the observed lack of seedling emergence from broadcast seeds, the aims of the experiment were to assess: (i) the use of pellets to promote native seedling emergence and establishment and; (ii) the soil physico-chemical and microbiological changes that occur with this method of rehabilitation. The effects of pellet-soil mixtures, organic amendment, and rainfall regime on seedling emergence and survival of three native plant species suggest trade-offs among responses. Pellets made with a 1:1 blend of topsoil and a loamy-sand waste material had the highest seedling emergence, while 100% topsoil pellets had lower emergence probably because of hardsetting. Triodia pungens (a native grass) survived to the end of the experiment while Indigofera monophylla and Acacia inaequilatera (native shrubs) emerged but did not survive. Adding an organic amendment in the extruded pellet inhibited Triodia seedling emergence but increased soil microbial activity. Overall, extruded pellets made from a 1:1 blend showed promise for the establishment of Triodia seeds and beneficially, incorporates mine waste overburden and lesser amounts of topsoil. Further research is needed to improve pelleting production and to test the applicability of the method at scale, for different species and other ecosystem types.

The Western Australia Modeling project — Part 1: Geomodel building

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. T773-T791 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Shragge ◽  
Julien Bourget ◽  
David Lumley ◽  
Jeremie Giraud ◽  
Thomas Wilson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Seismic Data ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Viscoelastic Model ◽  
Companion Paper ◽  
3D Seismic ◽  
Seismic Modeling ◽  
North West ◽  
Northern Carnarvon Basin ◽  
And Migration

A key goal in industry and academic seismic research is overcoming long-standing imaging, inversion, and interpretation challenges. One way to address these challenges is to develop a realistic 3D geomodel constrained by local-to-regional geologic, petrophysical, and seismic data. Such a geomodel can serve as a benchmark for numerical experiments that help users to better understand the key factors underlying — and devise novel solutions to — these exploration and development challenges. We have developed a two-part case study on the Western Australia (WA) Modeling (WAMo) project, which discusses the development and validation of a detailed large-scale geomodel of part of the Northern Carnarvon Basin (NCB) located on WA’s North West Shelf. Based on the existing regional geologic, petrophysical, and 3D seismic data, we (1) develop the 3D geomodel’s tectonostratigraphic surfaces, (2) populate the intervening volumes with representative geologic facies, lithologies, and layering as well as complex modular 3D geobodies, and (3) generate petrophysical realizations that are well-matched to borehole observations point-wise and in terms of vertical and lateral trends. The resulting 3D WAMo geomodel is geologically and petrophysically realistic, representative of short- and long-wavefield features commonly observed in the NCB, and leads to an upscaled viscoelastic model well-suited for high-resolution 3D seismic modeling studies. In the companion paper, we study WAMo seismic modeling results that demonstrate the quality of the WAMo geomodel for generating shot gathers and migration images that are highly realistic and directly comparable with those observed in NCB field data.

Underground storage of carbon dioxide in the Harvey area, south-west Western Australia

2017 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 177 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Lim ◽  
Geoff Strachan ◽  
Dominique Van Gent ◽  
Sandeep Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Carbon Capture And Storage ◽  
Dynamic Modelling ◽  
Underground Storage ◽  
Full Field ◽  
North West ◽  
Modelling Studies ◽  
Co2 Plume

Underground storage of carbon dioxide as a means of reducing atmospheric emissions of CO2 has been examined both theoretically and practically over the past decade. There is a large amount of research and field experience in the energy sector to show that underground storage of CO2 is feasible. The Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute has identified 38i large-scale projects (operating and/or in the planning) with many companies currently sequestering tons of CO2 per year. This paper reports on static and dynamic modelling studies conducted on the Harvey structure, onshore Perth Basin, to assess the suitability of the Lesueur Sandstone in the Lower Lesueur Region of Western Australia as a potential geological CO2 sequestration site. The study area for this project within this structure covers 332 km2 and is located approximately 13 km north-west of the town of Harvey, south of Perth. The static and dynamic modelling investigated a suite of full field simulation models that cover a range of subsurface uncertainties providing confidence that the CO2 plume stays below 800 mTVDss (metres true vertical depth sub sea) within the storage complex for more than 1000 years after injection ceases. The results of the modelling show that it could be feasible to inject 800 000 tonnes CO2 per annum over 30 years into the storage complex. Modelling studies shows that the main factors controlling CO2 plume migration are trapped gas saturation and the solubility of CO2 in brine.

The Western Australia Modeling project — Part 2: Seismic validation

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. T793-T807 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Shragge ◽  
David Lumley ◽  
Julien Bourget ◽  
Toby Potter ◽  
Taka Miyoshi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Seismic Data ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Seismic Imaging ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
North West ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Imaging Results ◽  
Scenario Testing

Large-scale 3D modeling of realistic earth models is being increasingly undertaken in industry and academia. These models have proven useful for various activities such as geologic scenario testing through seismic finite-difference (FD) modeling, investigating new acquisition geometries, and validating novel seismic imaging, inversion, and interpretation methods. We have evaluated the results of the Western Australia (WA) Modeling (WAMo) project, involving the development of a large-scale 3D geomodel representative of geology of the Carnarvon Basin, located offshore of WA’s North West Shelf (NWS). Constrained by a variety of geologic, petrophysical, and field seismic data sets, the viscoelastic WAMo 3D geomodel was used in seismic FD modeling and imaging tests to “validate” model realizations. Calibrating the near-surface model proved to be challenging due to the limited amount of well data available for the top 500 m below the mudline. We addressed this issue by incorporating additional information (e.g., geotechnical data, analog studies) as well as by using soft constraints to match the overall character of nearby NWS seismic data with the modeled shot gathers. This process required undertaking several “linear” iterations to apply near-surface model conditioning, as well as “nonlinear” iterations to update the underlying petrophysical relationships. Overall, the resulting final WAMo 3D geomodel and accompanying modeled shot gathers and imaging results are able to reproduce the complex full-wavefield character of NWS marine seismic data. Thus, the WAMo model is well-calibrated for use in geologic and geophysical scenario testing to address common NWS seismic imaging, inversion, and interpretation challenges.

scholarly journals Large‐scale eDNA metabarcoding survey reveals marine biogeographic break and transitions over tropical north‐western Australia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrina West ◽  
Michael J. Travers ◽  
Michael Stat ◽  
Euan S. Harvey ◽  
Zoe T. Richards ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
North Western

SPATIAL LAYOUT OF THE SOVIET UNION TIMBER PROCESSING COMPLEX: THE IDEA BEHIND THE FIRST FIVE-YEAR PLAN

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 131-154
Author(s):  
Ivan V. ZYKIN
Keyword(s):  
Soviet Union ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Far East ◽  
Spatial Layout ◽  
Capital Investments ◽  
Wood Industry ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
The Soviet Union ◽  
Central Regions

During the years of Soviet power, principal changes took place in the country’s wood industry, including in spatial layout development. Having the large-scale crisis in the industry in the late 1980s — 2000s and the positive changes in its functioning in recent years and the development of an industry strategy, it becomes relevant to analyze the experience of planning the spatial layout of the wood industry during the period of Stalin’s modernization, particularly during the first five-year plan. The aim of the article is to analyze the reason behind spatial layout of the Soviet wood industry during the implementation of the first five-year plan. The study is based on the modernization concept. In our research we conducted mapping of the wood industry by region as well as of planned construction of the industry facilities. It was revealed that the discussion and development of an industrialization project by the Soviet Union party-state and planning agencies in the second half of the 1920s led to increased attention to the wood industry. The sector, which enterprises were concentrated mainly in the north-west, west and central regions of the country, was set the task of increasing the volume of harvesting, export of wood and production to meet the domestic needs and the export needs of wood resources and materials. Due to weak level of development of the wood industry, the scale of these tasks required restructuring of the branch, its inclusion to the centralized economic system, the direction of large capital investments to the development of new forest areas and the construction of enterprises. It was concluded that according to the first five-year plan, the priority principles for the spatial development of the wood industry were the approach of production to forests and seaports, intrasectoral and intersectoral combining. The framework of the industry was meant to strengthen and expand by including forests to the economic turnover and building new enterprises in the European North and the Urals, where the main capital investments were sent, as well as in the Vyatka region, Transcaucasia, Siberia and the Far East.

Systematic Position of Pistacia atlantica Desf. Subsp. atlantica in North-West Algeria: Anatomy and Biometry of Leaves

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-53
Author(s):  
Mohamed Amara ◽  
Mohammed Bouazza ◽  
Kheira Errouane ◽  
Meriem Kaid-Harche ◽  
Djamel Nafil ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resources ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Systematic Position ◽  
Pistacia Atlantica ◽  
North West ◽  
Anthropic Activity ◽  
West Algeria

Abstract The area of Algerian western north already subjected to a strong climatic rigour and an excessive anthropic activity for several decades, has been confronted with the threats of the alarming degradation of its natural resources, following the example Pistacia atlantica which occupies today only one quite thin proportion of the territory. The study method was based on the phytoecological approach on a very large scale by approaching the anatomical and biometric study of the leaves of Pistacia atlantica in order to identify and confirm the name of the subspecies. The analysis of the results obtained revealed that this subspeciesis atlantica, phenotypically very variable.

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