DEVELOPMENT OF A RECLAMATION SUCCESS INDICATOR FOR POST COAL MINING AREA USING PROTOZOA

• Main Author: Lis Komara, Liris
• Format: Dissertations
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Ilmu hayati ; Biologi
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/36794
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Post-coal mining areas need to rehabilitate through reclamation and revegetation. In order to restore a post-mining area closer to pre-mining conditions, coal mining companies conduct reclamation by first restoring the land to its original soil contour then spreading topsoil. After the reclamation area is ready, revegetation is begun by planting tree seedlings. Fast growing species are planted first as pioneers, then three years later local tree species are planted. To assess the successfulness of reclamation, an appropriate success indicator is required. Soil organic carbon is one of the indicators of soil quality because the accumulation of soil organic carbon is closely related with soil stability and fertility. High soil carbon values indicate high water absorption by the soil, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and amount of nutrients that can be absorbed by plants, especially total nitrogen. Soil organic carbon becomes the energy source for the metabolism of soil organisms. Carbon metabolism is needed to form stable carbon, and can be used as indicator in soil to determine whether the reclaimed land has returned to premining conditions. In areas with high carbon content, protozoa will colonize faster; therefore, protozoa is a potential soil microfauna to be used as indicator of soil carbon content. The general objective of this study was to develop a reclamation success indicator for post coal mining areas by using protozoa. This study was conducted on reclamation areas aged 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 16 years old, and a premining area as a reference area. Soil sampling was conducted around the rooting areas of specific trees, To determine the trees to be studied, the vegetation was analyzed by making twenty 20x20 m2 plots in a line transect. Vegetation analysis results produced information on three fast growing tree species and three local tree species which were then used for measurement and sampling. Sampling was conducted every two weeks for one year, starting from February 2013 to January 2014 by measuring litter production rates, decomposition rates, and various chemical, physical and biological parameters of soil. Chemical parameters measured include pH, soil organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and metals (Al, Cd, Cu, Pb, B, and Mn). Physical parameters measured included bulk density, particle density, soil pore space and permeability. Biological parameters measured were soil bacteria and protozoa. vi Reclamation age correlated with litter production rate, decomposition rate and soil carbon content. Soil carbon content was correlated with litter production rates. The high litter production and input of carbon over time indicated success in revegetating an area. Study results found 24 protozoa species from nine phyla, i.e., two species from the Sarcodina phylum, one species from the Flabellina phylum, three species from the Tubulinea phylum, one species from phylum Percolozoa, seven species from the Amoebozoa phylum, seven species from the Cercozoa filum, seven species from the Euglenozoa phylum, one species (Salpingoeca sp.) from the Choanozoa phylum and 13 species from the Ciliophora phylum. There was correlation between reclamation age with the increase in protozoa abundance and species richness. The highest protozoa biomass in post-mining reclaimed land of different ages planted with Paraserianthes falcataria, Acacia mangium and Samanea saman was found at the 11 year-old reclaimed area, because at 11 years of age, litter production was highest so protozoa grew well, resulting in high organic carbon and nitrogen. Spearman correlation results demonstrated that both amoeba flagellates and ciliate protozoa correlated with nitrogen, potassium, Al, Cu, bacteria and fungi. The research and analysis results of the first year until the sixth year have not shown any significant improvement, on the physics, chemistry and biology parameters. But in long-term the pattern tends to rise with the highest score in the 11th year. Here we can see the influence of revegetation of the condition of the physical, chemical and biological soil including protozoa, so it can be inferred that the data can be used to compile the indicator reclamation success. CCA (canonical correspondence analysis) show that soil carbon content 55.30%, 78.67% Cu and 53.58% the number of types of bacteria contribute significantly to the composition of the soil in land reclamation. On reclaimed land aged 3, 4 and 11 years, pH, porosity, the number of species of bacteria, phosphorus, Vorticella similis, Sphaerophyra magna, Euglypha cilliata, Cercomonas sp1, Nebela sp., Heleopera rosea, Tachymonas sp, Colpidium campylum, Bodo sp.1, Blepharisma sp.1, Cyphoderia sp.1, Colpoda sp., and Anisonema ovale differed from other reclaimed areas of different age. There were three soil habitat parameters that could indicate the successfulness of reclamation associated with protozoa, i.e., pH, soil organic carbon (%) and bulk density (g cc-1). There were two protozoa species that are able to indicate the success of reclamation in post coal mining area, ie: reclamation Euglypha cilliata and Cercomonas sp 1.