Temporary Effect of Mining on Breathing and on the Physicochemical Conditions of Soil

3. Faculty of Biology Science, Choco Technological University, Quibdó, Colombia

4. Biodiversity Research Group, Institute of Natural Sciences, National University of Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia

Abstract: The physicochemical variables and the respiration of the soil were characterized in the areas of 5, 15 and 30 years of post-mining recovery and a reference forest. We used 15 plots of 200 m2 (4  50), in each of the successional stages (area of early succession, forest of late succession and reference forest) for a total of 60 plots. The results showed that after the mining, the contents of OM, total N, Al and clay were increased; while, the concentrations of available P and sand decreased. The edaphic availabilities of Ca, K, Mg, CICE and silt increased during the intermediate stages of succession, and were reduced in the reference forest, while the variables indicating edaphic microorganism activity (H, CH4 and CO2) were high in all the scenarios evaluated. It was concluded that after 30 years of recovery the K, Ca and Mg have their greatest availability in the soil and that with the advance in plant succession the availability of total N and MO increases due to the recovery of the forest increases the accumulation of aerial and subterranean vegetation biomass, which increases the accumulation of OM of the soil, given the balance of income and expenses due to production and decomposition of organic waste (litter) of the forest. It is evident that with open-pit mining in tropical rainforests, pedogenesis and soil development begins again, with the attenuating of not favoring the natural ecological recovery.