Seed germination, initial growth and leaf anatomy of seedlings of four tree species grown in mine tailings in Brazil

The objective of this study was to test the tolerance of two species of Schinus and two species of Handroanthus cultivated in iron mining tailings from the rupture of the dam in Mariana, Brazil. Samples of mining tailings were collected 1 km away from the dam location and then dried, stored in plastic bags and further analysed for elemental composition. The seeds, later seedlings, were cultivated in the mining waste and in sand in two experiments separately and the experimental design was in a 2 × 3 factorial scheme (two substrates and three combinations of species), with six replications (n = 36). After 60 d of the establishment of the experiments, the germination data, biometric and anatomical measurements of the leaves were evaluated, in addition to the elemental characterization of the tailings. Mining tailings showed macro and micronutrients in addition to potentially toxic elements (As, Al, Cr, Pb and Ni). Seeds germinated and seedlings survived in the mining tailings. Mining tailings reduced the seedling emergence in Handroanthus, whereas it increased the emergence in S. molle and had no significant effect in S. terebinthifolia. Mining tailings reduced the number and length of roots in Schinus but increased these traits in Handroanthus species. Moreover, mining tailings reduced the fresh mass in Handroanthus but had no effect in the Schinus species. Mining tailings reduced the palisade and spongy parenchyma Handroanthus but only the spongy parenchyma was reduced in Schinus species. Therefore, mining tailings provided conditions for seed germination and seedling growth and Schinus species showed higher tolerance.