Accumulation of trace elements in Tussilago farfara colonizing post-flotation tailing sites in Serbia.

The purpose of this study was to examine the accumulation potential of spontaneously developed Tussilago farfara populations colonizing sites with different levels of anthropogenic pollution. Physical characteristics of the soil are presented, together with the concentrations of macroelements and microelements (Ca, Mg, Fe, S, Al, Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, Mn, As, Sb, Ag, Ti, and Sr) in both soil and plants. The biological concentration, accumulation, and translocation factors were used to assess the potential for heavy metal accumulation. Considerable differences were found among assessions from unevenly contaminated habitats, particularly in comparison with an unpolluted site. In line with the ore's characteristics, substrate samples from polluted sites were heavily contaminated with Pb, Zn, As, and Sb. Increased levels of microelements were also detected in plant samples from flotation tailings. Despite active absorption of Zn, Cu, Cd, Mn, and Sr by the plants from mining sites, the detected quantities of these elements in all samples were below the hyperaccumulation threshold. However, the obtained results indicate that the use of T. farfara from such sites in traditional medicine could pose a risk to human health due to accumulation of several toxic elements in the plant's aboveground tissues. Additionally, as a successful primary colonizer and stabilizer of technogenic substrates, T. farfara has an important role in the initial phases of revegetation of highly contaminated sites.

Relation between edaphic factors and vegetation development on copper mine wastes: a case study from Bor (Serbia, SE Europe).

The relationship between edaphic characteristics and vegetation growing on mine wastes in the Bor region (East Serbia, SE Europe) was studied using multivariate statistical analysis. The influence of edaphic factors on the composition of plant life-forms was also investigated, since it could reflect strategies for the avoidance of or tolerance to disturbances of ecosystems. The goal was to provide potential models for the restoration and management of this and similar mine waste areas. The results of this study imply that soil textures, nitrogen contents, reclamation technology and the presence of hydrothermally altered andesite as the type of bedrock significantly influenced plant colonization and vegetation composition of the Bor mine wastes. These edaphic factors explained 30.3 % of the total variation in the vegetation data set. It was also revealed that the pattern of plant life-forms found on the considered site groups corresponded to the soil texture. Based on their relative abundance on the investigated sites and relationships with soil properties it is concluded that therophytes and geophytes are unsuccessful primary colonizers of the Bor mine wastes. Hemicryptophytes of psammophytic character were the most successful primary colonizers and therefore potential candidates for anthropogenically-assisted natural recovery. This study suggested that an assessment of edaphic factors should be widely used in the characterization of mine wastes prior to reclamation. Estimation of their role in the development of existing mine vegetation should predate reclamation procedures. Thus, approaches based on adequate plant life-forms should have a more prominent role in future mine reclamation schemes.