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Mining in New Caledonia: environmental stakes and restoration opportunities

  • Combining Phytoextraction and Ecological Catalysis: an Environmental, Ecological, Ethic and Economic Opportunity
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Abstract

New Caledonia is a widely recognised marine and terrestrial biodiversity hot spot. However, this unique environment is under increasing anthropogenic pressure. Major threats are related to land cover change and include fire, urban sprawling and mining. Resulting habitat loss and fragmentation end up in serious erosion of the local biodiversity. Mining is of particular concern due to its economic significance for the island. Open cast mines were exploited there since 1873, and scraping out soil to access ores wipes out flora. Resulting perturbations on water flows and dramatic soil erosion lead to metal-rich sediment transport downstream into rivers and the lagoon. Conflicting environmental and economic aspects of mining are discussed in this paper. However, mining practices are also improving, and where impacts are inescapable ecological restoration is now considered. Past and ongoing experiences in the restoration of New Caledonian terrestrial ecosystems are presented and discussed here. Economic use of the local floristic diversity could also promote conservation and restoration, while providing alternative incomes. In this regard, Ecocatalysis, an innovative approach to make use of metal hyperaccumulating plants, is of particular interest.

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Acknowledgments

The authors warmly thank Marion Anquez (IAC) for providing the picture used as Fig.  6 . Financial support from the ‘Agence Nationale pour la Recherche’ (ANR 11ECOT01101), Société Le Nickel (SLN), and Ecole Polytechnique, Paris Tech (PhD studentship) is also gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. FRE 3673–Bioinspired Chemistry and Ecological Innovation–CNRS, University of Montpellier 2, Stratoz, Cap Alpha, Avenue de l’Europe, 34830, Clapiers, France

    Guillaume Losfeld & Claude Grison

  2. Diversités biologique et fonctionnelle des écosystèmes terrestres, Institut Agronomique néo-Calédonien (IAC), 98890, Païta, New Caledonia

    Laurent L’Huillier & Bruno Fogliani

  3. UMR AMAP, IRD, Laboratoire de Botanique et d’Ecologie Végétale Appliquées, Institut de recherche pour le développement, 98848, Noumea, New Caledonia

    Tanguy Jaffré

Authors
  1. Guillaume Losfeld
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  2. Laurent L’Huillier
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  3. Bruno Fogliani
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  4. Tanguy Jaffré
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  5. Claude Grison
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Claude Grison.

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Responsible editor: Elena Maestri

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Losfeld, G., L’Huillier, L., Fogliani, B. et al. Mining in New Caledonia: environmental stakes and restoration opportunities. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22, 5592–5607 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-3358-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-3358-x

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