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| Titel |
Site-specific climate analysis elucidates revegetation challenges for post-mining landscapes in eastern Australia |
| VerfasserIn |
P. Audet, S. Arnold, A. M. Lechner, T. Baumgartl |
| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| ISSN |
1726-4170
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| Digitales Dokument |
URL |
| Erschienen |
In: Biogeosciences ; 10, no. 10 ; Nr. 10, no. 10 (2013-10-15), S.6545-6557 |
| Datensatznummer |
250085365
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| Publikation (Nr.) |
 copernicus.org/bg-10-6545-2013.pdf |
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| Zusammenfassung |
| In eastern Australia, the availability of water is critical for the
successful rehabilitation of post-mining landscapes and climatic
characteristics of this diverse geographical region are closely defined by
factors such as erratic rainfall and periods of drought and flooding.
Despite this, specific metrics of climate patterning are seldom incorporated
into the initial design of current post-mining land rehabilitation
strategies. Our study proposes that a few common rainfall parameters
can be combined and rated using arbitrary rainfall thresholds to
characterise bioregional climate sensitivity relevant to the rehabilitation
these landscapes. This approach included assessments of annual rainfall
depth, average recurrence interval of prolonged low intensity rainfall,
average recurrence intervals of short or prolonged high intensity events,
median period without rain (or water-deficit) and standard deviation for
this period in order to address climatic factors such as total water
availability, seasonality and intensity – which were selected as potential
proxies of both short- and long-term biological sensitivity to climate
within the context of post-disturbance ecological development and recovery.
Following our survey of available climate data, we derived site "climate
sensitivity" indexes and compared the performance of 9 ongoing mine sites:
Weipa, Mt. Isa and Cloncurry, Eromanga, Kidston, the Bowen Basin (Curragh),
Tarong, North Stradbroke Island, and the Newnes Plateau. The sites were then
ranked from most-to-least sensitive and compared with natural bioregional
patterns of vegetation density using mean NDVI. It was determined that
regular rainfall and relatively short periods of water-deficit were key
characteristics of sites having less sensitivity to climate – as found
among the relatively more temperate inland mining locations. Whereas, high
rainfall variability, frequently occurring high intensity events, and (or)
prolonged seasonal drought were primary indicators of sites having greater
sensitivity to climate – as found among the semi-arid central-inland
sites. Overall, the manner in which these climatic factors are identified
and ultimately addressed by land managers and rehabilitation practitioners
could be a key determinant of achievable success at given locations at the
planning stages of rehabilitation design. |
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