Anatomical and physiological characteristics of reclamation plant on the post-mining land in Riding Panjang, Bangka

Tin mining leaves disturbed land with sandy texture, damages natural drainage and habitats, and very low water holding capacity. The enrichment of species selection criteria for revegetating tin tailing with anatomical and physiological characters is needed to facilitate decision maker to select local species suitable for revegetation and to meet the economical need of the local people in post tin mining era. Besides exotic species, a handful of local tree species was planted recently. The need of more local species is especially needed to support biodiversity in mined land. Study of some leaf anatomical and root physiological characters of twelve months seedlings of leban (Vitex pinnata L - Verbenaceae) and ubak (Syzygium grande (Wight) Walp. Myrtaceae) planted in unmined land and tin-mined land in Bangka Island was conducted using wholemount and paraffin methods. The findings showed that anatomical and physiological parameters of V. pinnata are more significant than those of S. grande. Therefore, V. pinnata is more adaptive grown on tin tailing than S. grande

Can anatomical and physiological characters predict plant adaptation on tin-mined land in Bangka Island?

In the last decade, a handful of local tree species were planted on the tin-mined land in Bangka Island to support biodiversity and to meet the economical need of the local people in post tin-mining era. Exotic species have been used predominantly since revegetation was mandatory in Bangka Belitung islands in 1992. Some leaf anatomical and root physiological characters of five year saplings of ubak (Syzygium grande), penaga (Calophyllum inophyllum), and leban planted in unmined land and tin-mined land were studied to enrich local tree selection. Stomatal density, epidermal cells thickness, cuticle thickness, palisade and spongy mesophyll thickness, root conductivity and root conductivity ratio, chlorophyll and nitrogen contents, and plant height, stem diameter and canopy area of those species were measured. Based on the anatomical and physiological measurements, the best adapted species was V. pinnata, followed by C. inophyllum and then S. grande. Morphological measurements, however, show that the best performance was S. grande, C. inophyllum and V. pinnata. Further study is required to validate this result by assessing the transpiration rate of those species that are grown on mined and unmined lands and by measuring the free proline concentration

Managing the socio-economic impact of tin mining on Bangka Island, Indonesia - preparation for closure

Tin mines in the Bangka Belitung Islands have been exploited for about a hundred years. Following the issuance of a 1999 Ministry of Trade and Industry decree that tin is not an export item to be monitored and regulated, the Bangka regent issued a decree giving permission for the people to mine tin in 2001. Consequently, “unconventional mines” (tambang inkonvensional), the term used to describe local small-scale tin mines, have expanded significantly since 2000. Bangka Island has a surface of 11,900 km2 and is mainly lowland below 50 m with some hills up to 700 m; climatic differences within the island are small. Its climate is hot and wet with an average annual rainfall of approximately 2,400 mm. Mining activities are spread across the island and run by one publicly listed tin mining company, dozens of private companies and thousands artisanal mining groups. Tin mining activities increase the wealth of the people, but they decrease environmental stability. Offshore mining has reduced water quality as total soluble solids have increased and pH decreased; changes in the seabed have caused changes in benthic flora, fauna and plankton diversity and an increased mortality index of coral reefs and their associated fish. The number of fish caught in the offshore mining site has decreased. Inland mining activity has reduced soil fertility and flora and fauna diversity. Inland mining has reduced the number of individuals, species and plant families. In some areas, illegal mining causes floods in the rainy season and damages roads and bridges. Socio-economic secondary data were collected from various sites on Bangka Island through a literature review. In addition to inadequate commitment and political will on the part of the local and national governments, a low level of law enforcement seems to be a dominant factor in the low environmental awareness. These findings may be used to accelerate the mine closure program started by the largest tin mining company. This paper illustrates some opportunities and alternatives

The Ecology of padang sapu-sapu, North Bangka

The padang sapu-sapu ecosystem, which was reported as a degraded heath forest, has specific characteristics. In Bangka and Belitung province, it is located near the beach, in the sandy and low nutrient soil. This report is a review of some studies conducted in North Bangka, which is suggested to have the largest padang sapu-sapu in the province. This ecosystem is dominated by sapu-sapu (Baeckea frutescens L., Myrtaceae) – a small tree of less than 6 m height -, Melaleuca cajuputi Roxb., and Syzygium bankese (Hassk.) Merr & Perry. The sapu-sapu epidermal layer was the thickest among the three dominant species. The Shannon-Wiener index of surface fauna was 2.06 – 2.34 With 40 species Belonging to Entomobryidae, Sminthuridae, and Gryllidae. The Surface soil was dominated by Predatory insects, in contrast to decomposers which were dominant in the nearby forest. There Were 38 Species of 12 Families of Collembola in the ecosystem with Pararhopalites sp.1, Acrocyrtus sp.3, and Lepidosira sp.1 as potential bioindicators. The Report recorded five families of Lepidoptera, and Geometridae was found to be the dominant family. The highest average number of phosphate solubilizing bacteria colonies at 0-10 cm was 16.8 x 10 5 cell g -1 of which Pseudomonas sp.1 showed the highest phosphate solubilizing index