scholarly journals Succession and the Relationship between Vegetation and Soil in the Marl Quarries of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirna Valdez-Hernández ◽  
Rossana Gil-Medina ◽  
Jorge O. López-Martínez ◽  
Nuria Torrescano-Valle ◽  
Nancy Cabanillas-Terán ◽  
...  

Open-pit mining is a common activity in the Yucatan Peninsula for the extraction of limestone. These areas are characterized by the total removal of the natural vegetation cover and soil in order to access calcareous material. The present study shows the composition and structure of the vegetation in five quarries after approximately ten years of abandonment, and the target vegetation near to the quarries in southeastern Mexico. A linear mixed model showed that P availability is one of the limiting factors for species establishment in the quarries. Using a canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), the distribution of the species was determined in relation to the edaphic variables: soil depth, the percentage of organic matter (OM), cationic exchange capacity (CEC), pH and texture. Twenty-six families, 46 genera and 50 species were recorded in the quarries, and 25 families, 45 genera and 47 species were recorded in the conserved areas. The dominant species in the quarries belong to the families Poaceae, Fabaceae, Rubiaceae and Anacardiaceae. The quarries with higher values of OM (2%), CEC (24 Cmol/kg), depth (11 cm) and sand percentage (31%) include the following species Lysiloma latisiliquum (L.) Benth., Metopium brownei (Jacq.) Urb. and Bursera simaruba (L.) Sarg., which are common in secondary forests. Quarries with lower values of OM (0.4%), CEC (17 Cmol/kg) and depth (5.02), and with a higher percentage of silt (42%) were dominated by herbs belonging to Poaceae and by Borreria verticillate (L.) G. Mey., which are typical in disturbed areas of southeastern Mexico. In all cases, the pH was slightly alkaline due to the content of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), characteristic of the soils of the region.

Author(s):  
Mirna Valdez-Hernández ◽  
Rossana Gil-Medina ◽  
Jorge Omar López-Martínez ◽  
Nuria Torrescano-Valle ◽  
Nancy Cabanillas-Terán ◽  
...  

Open pit mining is a common activity in the Yucatan peninsula for the extraction of limestone. This mining is known under the generic name of quarries, and regionally as sascaberas (sascab=white soil in Mayan language). These areas are characterized by the total removal of the natural vegetation cover and soil in order to have access to the calcareous material. The present study shows the composition and structure of the vegetation in five quarries after approximately ten years of abandonment, and the conserved vegetation near to each one of the quarries in southeastern Quintana Roo. Using a canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), the distribution of the species was determined in relation to the edaphic variables: soil depth, percentage of organic matter (OM), cationic exchange capacity (CEC), pH and texture. 26 families, 46 genera and 50 species were recorded in the quarries and 25 families, 45 genera and 47 species were recorded in the conserved areas. The dominant species in the quarries belong to the families Poaceae, Fabaceae, Rubiaceae and Anacardiaceae. The quarries with higher values of OM (1.63%), CEC (24.05 Cmol/kg), depth (11 cm) and sand percentage (31.33%) include the following species like Lysiloma latisiliquum, Metopium brownei and Bursera simaruba which are commonly found in secondary forests. On the other hand, quarries with lower values of OM (0.39%), CEC (16.58 Cmol/kg) and depth (5.02), and higher percentage of silt (42.44%) were dominated by herbaceous species belonging to the Poaceae family and by Borreria verticillata, which are typical in disturbed areas of southeastern Mexico. In all cases, the pH was slightly alkaline due to the content of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), characteristic of the soils of the region. The edaphic variables are significantly correlated with the development and distribution of vegetation, and with the structure of the communities.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehari A. Tesfaye 1 ◽  
Andres Bravo Oviedo 2 ◽  
Felipe Bravo 3

Forests play a vital role in the natural global carbon cycle by capturing carbon from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and converting it into forest biomass. Forests sequester and stores more carbon than any terrestrial ecosystem and act as sources as well as sinks of CO2. However, the increasing rate of deforestation and the impact of changes in land use require a critical and updated look at what is happening in the tropics. This work emphasized the temporal variation of bulk density, carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stock and concentration in four land-use categories: natural forest, tree plantations, crop-land and degraded soil along elevation gradient and soil depth. The study was conducted in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia, where deforestation and human pressure on native forests are exacerbated and erosion has caused extensive soil loss. We hypothesized that, there is temporal variation of C and N concentrations and stocks in native forest along elevation gradient, land use type, species and soil depth. Carbon and N concentrations and stock and bulk densities in mineral soil were analysed as repeated measures in an irregular vertical space ranging from 0–10 cm, 10–30 cm, 30–50 cm and 50–100 cm, using a linear mixed model approach in two-time scale period 2012 - 2017. Double observations in 2012 and 2017, were made from the forest floor were analysed by a general linear mixed model. There is significant variation in organic carbon and nitrogen stock along elevation gradient for forest floor. Results also indicated that soil depth is more important factor than elevation gradient in native forests, though C and N concentrations and stocks diminished near human settlements. Native forest stored on average more nitrogen than bare soil, cropland and plantations, respectively. Conversion of crop and degraded land into plantations ameliorated soil degradation conditions, but species selection did not affect carbon and nitrogen stocks. Thus, appropriate forest management options should be applied in order to increase productivity and carbon sink of Chilimo dryafromontane forest and adjacent land use. Temporal monitoring and reporting of carbon stock and concentration is also important to understand the role of Chilimo dryafromonate forest in climate change mitigation and adaptation agendas.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-176
Author(s):  
Lisa Fianti ◽  
Munirwansyah Munirwansyah ◽  
Halida Yunita

Aceh Province is one of the coal producers, especially Sumber Batu Village in Meurebo District, West Aceh Regency. In the implementation of coal mining, it is necessary to pay attention to the slope stability of open-pit mining to identify and estimate the possibility of landslides. For this reason, the author conducted research in analyzing the geometric shape of the slope stability with the slope variance of modeling the reduction of the existing angle αeks - 10% to the depth of three layers of soil 11 meters. The 1st layer of soil is 1.5 meters, the second layer of soil is 2.5 meters, and the third layer of soil is 7 meters. Slope stability is strongly influenced by the geometric shape of the slope and the strength of soil parameters. To identify the stability of the slope against slope failure, computationally performed using the finite element method with Plaxis software as the reference for the value of FK 1.25, which is considered safe/stable, meaning that collapse rarely occurs. In this research, primary data is used in the form of direct observation in the field, namely taking soil samples to obtain soil data in the form of soil physical properties and soil mechanical properties into soil parameter data, which is tested in the soil laboratory. Secondary data used are map data, boring data, and Sondir data. Soil parameter data were processed using Plaxis software. The results of the slope stability analysis showed that by modeling the geometric shape of the slope (αeks - 10%) on the open slope of a coal mine with a soil depth of 11 meters, the FK value was 3.60. From the results of the FK scores, it shows that the slope of the slope is 3.60 1.25 above the reference value of safe/stable FK. The FK value is 0.2 greater than the FK existing geometry. The conclusion of this study is that geometric shapes play an important role in determining the stability of an open coal pit excavation slope. The smaller the slope angle, the greater the FK value obtained, or the more gentle the slope, the higher the safety value of a slope.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
James L. Peugh ◽  
Sarah J. Beal ◽  
Meghan E. McGrady ◽  
Michael D. Toland ◽  
Constance Mara

2018 ◽  
Vol 130 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Guillén-Hernández ◽  
C González-Salas ◽  
D Pech-Puch ◽  
H Villegas-Hernández

2020 ◽  
Vol 641 ◽  
pp. 159-175
Author(s):  
J Runnebaum ◽  
KR Tanaka ◽  
L Guan ◽  
J Cao ◽  
L O’Brien ◽  
...  

Bycatch remains a global problem in managing sustainable fisheries. A critical aspect of management is understanding the timing and spatial extent of bycatch. Fisheries management often relies on observed bycatch data, which are not always available due to a lack of reporting or observer coverage. Alternatively, analyzing the overlap in suitable habitat for the target and non-target species can provide a spatial management tool to understand where bycatch interactions are likely to occur. Potential bycatch hotspots based on suitable habitat were predicted for cusk Brosme brosme incidentally caught in the Gulf of Maine American lobster Homarus americanus fishery. Data from multiple fisheries-independent surveys were combined in a delta-generalized linear mixed model to generate spatially explicit density estimates for use in an independent habitat suitability index. The habitat suitability indices for American lobster and cusk were then compared to predict potential bycatch hotspot locations. Suitable habitat for American lobster has increased between 1980 and 2013 while suitable habitat for cusk decreased throughout most of the Gulf of Maine, except for Georges Basin and the Great South Channel. The proportion of overlap in suitable habitat varied interannually but decreased slightly in the spring and remained relatively stable in the fall over the time series. As Gulf of Maine temperatures continue to increase, the interactions between American lobster and cusk are predicted to decline as cusk habitat continues to constrict. This framework can contribute to fisheries managers’ understanding of changes in habitat overlap as climate conditions continue to change and alter where bycatch interactions could occur.


Author(s):  
T. V. Galanina ◽  
M. I. Baumgarten ◽  
T. G. Koroleva

Large-scale mining disturbs wide areas of land. The development program for the mining industry, with an expected considerable increase in production output, aggravates the problem with even vaster territories exposed to the adverse anthropogenic impact. Recovery of mining-induced ecosystems in the mineral-extracting regions becomes the top priority objective. There are many restoration mechanisms, and they should be used in integration and be highly technologically intensive as the environmental impact is many-sided. This involves pollution of water, generation of much waste and soil disturbance which is the most typical of open pit mining. Scale disturbance of land, withdrawal of farming land, land pollution and littering are critical problems to the solved in the first place. One of the way outs is highquality reclamation. This article reviews the effective rules and regulations on reclamation. The mechanism is proposed for the legal control of disturbed land reclamation on a regional and federal level. Highly technologically intensive recovery of mining-induced landscape will be backed up by the natural environment restoration strategy proposed in the Disturbed Land Reclamation Concept.


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