ReMOSS: Ecological restoration of post-mining landscapes with native moss.

Purpose and goal

The project aims to accelerate the ecological restoration of post-mining landscapes. Objectives include: - To collect and cultivate locally selected native moss species, and use the resulting liquid as a moss primer for revegetating waste rock deposits - Test the moss primer with different hydroseeding mixes - Test different site preparations - Monitor the establishment of the applied moss - Integrate the moss primer with existing/emerging restoration practices - Advance our understanding of restoration of moss layer vegetation.

Expected effects and result

- Increased and accelerated vegetation establishment; - Eliminating/reducing dust; - Long-term landform stability; - Rebuilding native ecosystems; - Social acceptance; - Support and improve current restoration practices; - Develop a baseline and serve as a guideline for implementing effective restoration strategies in the mining industry; - Provide the platform and knowledge to begin the collection, cultivation, propagation and re-introduction of reindeer lichen in the post-mining landscape.

Planned approach and implementation

WP1. Coordination WP2. Moss Propagation - Native moss will be collected from within and around several of our industry partner’s operations. These mosses will then be propagated in the lab to create sufficient volumes of the moss primer ready for use in WP3 WP3. Site preparation and hydroseeding - The moss primer will be applied to sites with different preparations including with/without topsoil and complex geomorphic surfaces compared to linear, single gradient slopes. WP4. Monitoring - Visual inspections of the sites will be undertaken to monitor establishment WP5. Dissemination