Ecological restoration of the site

Prologue

The impact of construction on industrially contaminated land probably first came into public view with the Love Canal incident.

In the late 1950s, construction began on a residential area adjacent to the Love Canal Landfill.

Ecological Restoration

Conceptual Illustration of phytoremediation at WBPS, (Sooprayen. V, 2017).

History 

The idea of restoring the land has always been around, dating back centuries. But modern ecological environmental restoration began in the early 20th century. His initial promoters were environmentalist Aldo Leopold. This technology developed rapidly in the second half of the 20th century and became a science.

Phyytoremeduation Principles

Plants play a crucial role in a process called phytoremediation, which involves using plants to clean up or mitigate environmental contaminants. There are several mechanisms through which plants contribute to the remediation of contaminated sites.

Different plants will absorb different pollutants, especially heavy metals, and parts that are difficult to clean with chemical treatments.

https://powerplantsphytoremediation.com/powerplants-garden-01-1 (n.d.)

The phases of Phytoremediation include:

Phytoaccumulation:

The plants take up and assimilate contaminants

Phytovolatilization:

The plants volatilize the contaminants into the atmosphere.

Phytodegradation:

Using enzymes, the plants degrade the contaminants within plant tissues.

Phytostabilization:

Plants may absorb and precipitate large quantities of toxic metals in soils, reducing their bioavailability and preventing their entry into groundwater and food chains.

Rhizodegradation:

In the rhizosphere of some plants, released plant exudates and enzymes that stimulate biochemical activity enhance the biodegradation of environmental contaminants.

Plants have diverse applications and strategies in environmental remediation. The specific operation depends on multiple factors such as the severity of the pollution, area, time, etc. This phytoremediation usually requires a combination of multiple technologies to solve the pollution.

Other methods

Physical treatment

Chemical treatment

Biological treatment

Thermal destruction

Application

1 Site assessment to understand the causes of ecosystem disturbances at restoration sites and ways to stop or reverse disturbances.

2. Set goals for restoration of animal communities and restoration of local ecosystem functions by consulting historical data and considering local history and future climate.

3 Eliminate the source of interference and remove the source of the impact, including but not limited to removing soil pollution, stopping mining activities, or excessive animal husbandry.

4. Recovery process. In some cases, the ecosystem will repair itself when some natural disasters occur. At this time, direct intervention needs to be minimized as much as possible.

5. Restore the matrix and repair the soil by changing some chemical components in the soil.

6. Vegetation restoration and appropriate replanting of vegetation. and preserve genetic diversity.

7 Health and maintenance, regular weeding, maintenance and protection of the site.

8. Establish self-sustaining ecosystems. The ultimate goal is for the restored ecosystem to be self-sustaining without human intervention.

Reference List

Nature.com. (2010). Restoration Ecology | Learn Science at Scitable. [online] Available at: https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/restoration-ecology-13339059/.

POWER PLANTS PHYTOREMEDIATION. (n.d.). Phytoremediation Principles. [online] Available at: https://powerplantsphytoremediation.com/bio-1