Abstract
Water balance of covers used to control AMD generation can be modified by the presence of revegetated soil layers as vegetation is proved to influence the contributions of water balance components. Moreover, the hydrogeological properties of construction materials used in reclamation cover systems may undergo alterations due to the colonization of plant roots, potentially impacting system performance. This paper presents a methodological approach for studying the impact of plants on the performance of mine reclamation covers. The proposed method was developed in field experimental cells, constructed in form of geomembrane-lined inverse truncated pyramid lysimeters, specifically for covers with elevated water tables, but it can be scaled up and applied to most reclamation covers. We demonstrated the proposed approach using two types of vegetation (woody and herbaceous) to cover both prospective revegetation scenarios and used a fast-growing woody type to maximize the potential impacts in the short study period. The methodology describes the acquisition of field data such as water balance components, vegetation parameters, hydrogeological properties, and the reliable measurement methods for each including instrumentation and sampling. Additionally, we showed how the approach provides the necessary input parameters for land climate boundary condition while simulating the cover performance with GeoStudio’s SEEP/W numerical model.