RT Journal Article
T1 A restoration strategy to promote tree establishment in mining-polluted rocky outcrops using bryophytes
A1 Gery, Felix
A1 Lemay, Marc-André
A1 DesRochers, Annie
A1 Fenton, Nicole
A1 Montoro Girona, Miguel
A1 Ryser, Peter
A1 Poirier, Vincent
A1 Gennaretti, Fabio
AB Introduction: Mining activities can lead to the formation of degraded, barren, or metal-contaminated ecosystems. Resource-poor ecosystems such as rocky outcrops are more sensitive to mining degradation, and their natural regeneration can be challenging due to soil erosion, lack of resources or seeds, and soil acidification.Objectives: Our aimwas to test the effectiveness of using locally collected bryophyte (Ceratodon purpureus [Hedw.] Brid.)mats as a restoration treatment to protect and promote the establishment of tree seedlings inmining-polluted rocky outcrops inRouyn-Noranda (Canada).Methods: The bryophyte restoration treatment inspired by natural succession processes was compared to a control, where only local soil was used as substrate, and to a liming treatment that increases soil pH. The three treatments were applied to sixty 1 x 1 m units located on five outcrops at various distances (1.9–26.9 km) from the pollution source. Four tested tree species were each seeded at a density of 100 seeds/m2 on all units.Results: The bryophyte treatment had a positive effect on the establishment success of Jack pine seedlings (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) with an establishment rate of 12% compared to 5 and 4% for liming and control treatments, respectively. Wind exposure had a significant negative effect on seedling establishment, potentially masking any negative effects of soil heavy metal concentration, which were not statistically significant.Conclusions: Our strategy using bryophytes and mimicking natural succession has the potential to effectively regenerate trees in degraded rocky outcrops.
PB Wiley
SN 1061-2971
SN 1526-100X (electrónico)
YR 2025
FD 2025
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10272/27192
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10272/27192
LA eng
NO Gery, F., Lemay, M., DesRochers, A., Fenton, N., Girona, M. M., Ryser, P., Poirier, V., & Gennaretti, F. (2025). A restoration strategy to promote tree establishment in mining‐polluted rocky outcrops using bryophytes. Restoration Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.70196
NO The research was funded by the REGENERE Institutional Research Chair UQAT-Horne smelter and by the FRQNT (Fonds de recherche du Québec—Nature et technologies) Joint Research Program on Sustainable Development of the Mining Sector. The research was also supported by the Canadian Research Chair in dendroecology and dendroclimatology (CRC-2021-00368), the CRSNG-UQAT Industrial Chair in Silviculture and Wood Production, and the CRSNG-UQAT Industrial Chair on Biodiversity in a Mining Context.
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva
RD 30 may 2026