Abstract
Lignite mining, which has been pursued in Central Germany for 150 years, has left deep scars on the landscape on an area of over 600 km2. The open-cast mines set up to extract lignite, along with the dumps and pits arising during the course of mining activities, have resulted in a completely new landscape, the external appearance and abiotic factors of which differ from the developed, cultivated landscapes outside the mining areas. Dumps and slope faces are reclaimed on the basis of specific approaches, while pits are flooded to create strip mine lakes. Soil and water have developed in conformity with their own natural laws, knowledge of which is indispensable for recultivation. The development of new post-mining landscapes above all chiefly determined by ecological standards.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bilkenroth, K.-D.: 1993, Sanierung and Landschaftsgestaltung als Unternehmensziele. Ernst and Sohn, Berlin (special printscript).
Einhorn, W., and Vogler, E.: 1982, Feldwirtschaft. 1. p. 409.
Glasser, W., and Klapper, H.: 1992, Boden, Wasser and Luft, AGF-Forschungsverbund Umweltvorsorge, Bonn (special printscript).
Hildmann, E.: 1993, Berichte zur deutschen Landeskunde, 1, p. 55.
ISSS/ISRIC/FAO: 1994, World Reference Base for Soil Ressources (Draft).
Klapper, H., and Schultze, M.: 1994, Erarbeitung der wissenschaftlichen Grundlagen für die Gestaltung, Flutung and Wassergütebewirtschaftung von Bergbaurestseen. GKSS Geesthacht (research work).
Laves, D., Thum, J., and Wünsche, M.: 1995, Braunkohlentagebau und Rekultivierung-Landschaftsökologie, Folgenutzung, Naturschutz. Springer Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York. (in preparation for printing).
Thomasius, H., and Häfker, U.: 1995, Braunkohlentagebau and Rekultivierung-Landschaftsökologie, Folgenutzung, Naturschutz. Springer Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York. (in preparation for printing).
Thum, J.: 1978, Archiv Mr Acker- and Pflanzenbau and Bodenkunde. 10. p. 615.
Thum, J., Wünsche, M., and Fiedler, H.-J.: 1992, Bodenschutz. Erich Schmidt Verlag, Berlin.
Vogler, E.: 1981, Archiv für Naturschutz and Landschaftsforschung. 1. p. 135.
Wünsche, M., Schubert, A., and Lorenz, W.-D.: 1970, Landeskultur. 5. p. 137.
Wünsche, M., Oehme, W.-D., Haubold, W., Knauf, C., Schmidt, K.-E, and Frobenius, A.: 1981, Neue Bergbautechnik. 1. p. 42.
Wünsche, M., Fiedler, H.-J., and Werner, K.: 1990, Bodennutzung und Bodenschutz. Gustav Fischer Verlag, Jena. pp. 202.
Wünsche, M., and Thum, J.: 1990, Archiv für Naturschutz und Landschaftsforschung. 4. p. 227.
Wiinsche, M., Vogler, E., and Knauf, C.: 1995, Braunkohlentagebau und Rekultivierung-Landschaftsökologie, Folgenutzung, Naturschutz. Springer Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York. (in preparation for printing).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hildmann, E., Wünsche, M. Lignite mining and its after-effects on the Central German landscape. Water Air Soil Pollut 91, 79–87 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00280924
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00280924