by Solicaz | Jun 27, 2018 | News 2017, Revegetation
Upon its own volition, NOFRAYANE decided to invest in the research of methods for the reduction of environmental impacts.
To this effect, SOLICAZ was appointed to directe the project, BIOZA (Restoration of the BIOdiversity of Anthropised Zones in French Guiana). Launched in 2017, the goal of the project was to provide solutions for the restoration of biodiversity after quarry exploitation.
Experiments to test various methods of rehabilitation / revegetation were conducted on the site of the former quarry of the Lombard Mountain. The test results will identify the most appropriate methods for reviving a natural vegetation cycle. The project also aims to raise awareness among professionals in the extractive sector on the application of these innovative methods for revegetation.
The first restoration meeting took place this Monday, on June 11th 2018.
by Solicaz | Jun 29, 2017 | News 2017, Revegetation
In the heart of the Amazon forest, situated on the Korossibo creek and tributary of the Mana river, Guyane Gold Mine has begun the revegetation of its sites after mining.
Only accessed by helicopter, SOLICAZ established a nursery directly on site. Over 25,000 trees or 60 Hectares are presently being replanted since the assemblage of the greenhouse in July 2017.
by Solicaz | Jun 27, 2017 | News 2017, Revegetation
Situated at the crossroad of Cacao, the Boulanger mine has just initiated the revegetation of its sites.
In 2017 Solicaz started a plan for revegetation that has continued in 2018, covering a surface of 90 hectares of gold-bearing land that had been exploited. Today, some of these trees stretch over a meter in height.
by Solicaz | Jan 25, 2016 | Advice & Training, Agriculture/Agroforestry, News 2016, Revegetation
Solicaz took part in the leguminous event at Matiti Agricultural High School, which brought together about 40 people, actors from the agricultural world.
The guests visited the fodder platform and the active fallow of the school before discovering the different experiments carried out by IKARE and Solicaz at the local level.
G. Paul has developed the subject of agroforestry with fixing trees. She presented the results of the planting of several Inga legume species (sweet pea) on degraded soil at depth to show the beneficial effects that nitrogen fixing trees can have in the agroforestry sector.
The topics covered were:
- The process of nitrogen fixation by legumes
- Practical case of the experimentation on a mine site on the ground degraded in depth.
- The advantages of agroforestry and the possible associations.
by Solicaz | Nov 4, 2013 | News 2012, Revegetation
Project carried by Solicaz
Partners: PTMG Guyana, SMSE and Ecuador Mining Operators.
The gold richness of the subsoil in the Guyana region coupled with an extremely rapid population growth generates an increase in deforestation which causes a loss of heritage of the only primary forest that Europe possesses each year. The increase in the current value of gold may accelerate this deforestation. Gold panning affects more than 20,000 hectares of forests, including official concessions and more and more illegal farms.
In the context of protecting the exceptional forest heritage of this French department, it is therefore important to support the development of this sector through research on sustainable management, reconciliatory production and environmental services.
In an environment as disturbed as that of a mine after exploitation, the soil has lost all its fertility potential both in terms of nutrients (organic matter) and in terms of its capacity to produce it (i.e. it has lost the microorganisms capable of transforming this organic matter). Under these conditions, it seems difficult to revegetate a site without large supply of inputs and without major implementation work.
The broad aim of this project is to restore plant biodiversity as well as soil fertility (soil quality) via potential nitrogen-fixing species. The project is broken down into several operational objectives seen below:
• Encourage the establishment of efficient symbioses between the microorganisms and the associated host plant;
• Perform a pre-test of revegetation on a mining site at the end of operation to test the recolonization capacity of the different species;
• Make an initial statement of the “quality” of the soils before revegetation via the use of a bio-indicator to test their biological functioning (Schimann et al., 2012).
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by Solicaz | Nov 4, 2013 | News 2011, Revegetation
Establishment of a production of nitrogen-fixing plants endemic to French Guiana for the restoration of degraded sites, carried out by Solicaz.
Appointment by the MEDDTL, as part of the National Strategy for Biodiversity 2011-2020.
Funded by: DEAL and the Regional Council of Guyana
Partners: PTMG, SMSE Mining Operator, Macouria EPLEFPA Farm, Guyane Consult, UMR Ecofog, and AMAP CIRAD.
The richness in gold of the subsoil in the French Guiana region coupled with an extremely rapid population growth generates an increase in deforestation which causes a loss of heritage of the only primary forest that Europe possesses each year. The increase in the current value of gold may accelerate this deforestation.
In an environment as disturbed as that of a mine after exploitation, the soil has lost all its fertility potential both in terms of nutrients (organic matter) and in terms of its capacity to produce it (i.e. it has lost the microorganisms capable of transforming this organic matter). Under these conditions, it seems difficult to revegetate a site without large supply of inputs and without major implementation work.
One method is to use certain plants which, because of their ability to metabolize nitrogen in the air, – thanks to their symbiosis with microorganisms, – can live on very poor soils without the use of nitrogen fertilizers. Acacia mangium, a legume native to Papua New Guinea and introduced to French Guiana several years ago has succeeded in this colonization of extremely poor soils because it can associate naturally with Rhizobium; rhizobium is widely found in French Guiana’s soils. However, the invasive character of Acacia mangium in an open environment engenders concern for large scale usage.
Previous works (Roggy et al 1999, Roggy et al, 1999 b, Roggy and Prévost 1999, Domenach et al., 2004) allowed us to identify in the French Guiana forest, species of trees endemic to this region and with qualities identical to those of Acacia mangium (rapid growth and/or moderate nitrogen fixers) and which could represent an alternative to this species.
The objective of the project is to provide the necessary tools for the establishment of a production chain of local nitrogen-fixing species adapted to the environment that can be used for its restoration or maintenance while meeting the needs of the sectors involved. For example, the mining and agricultural sectors could utilise the co-cultivation of these nitrogen-fixing species to minimize nitrogen inputs. Simultaneously, the installation of new trees could be used for the production of energy through biomass.
In order for this objective to be realized, the following is needed:
(1) the study of the production and multiplication of endemic nitrogen-fixing plants of French Guiana,
(2) the experimentation on degraded sites (e.g. mining sites) of the assembled species based on their functional traits for the restoration of biodiversity
(3) a study of the technical-economic feasibility for the establishment of a local production chain.
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