Biodiversity as potential in ecoremediation technologies of degraded ecosystems

Surface coal exploitation, preparation, processing and transport in coal mine Kolubara during last 60 years have led to the development and prosperity of the region, but also had negative impact on the environment. Specificity of coal mine Kolubara is historically polluted and degraded environment and significant delay in development in comparison to similar systems in Europe. Aim of this Project is determination of biological communities’ structure on the areas that were not recultivated and on which plant communities have spontaneously developed during years. It is planned to monitor succession of vegetation on these areas and to characterize microbial populations in wild plants rhizosphere. Isolation and identification of plant growth promoting microbial populations from wild plants rhizosphere will create the collection of microorganisms that represents the potential in ecoremediation. Integrated biotechnological procedure which considers the application of the waste sludge and other waste materials as organic amendments, but also the application of autochthonic microbial population together with dominant wild plant species will contribute to sustainable use of soil and exploitation of these areas in agriculture and at the same time the environment protection. Project will point at possibilities of establishment of stable ecosystems by application of ecologically and economically justified methods that can serve as a model for other mines in Serbia.