Ecological Restoration of Construction and Demolition Waste Landfills by Plants: a Case Study in Suzhou, China

Abstract

The restoration and reconstruction of ecosystems is the basis of the landscape reconstruction of construction and demolition waste (CDW) landfills, in which landscape plants play a prominent role. To screen appropriate landscape plants that could survive and grow in a mixture of CDW and soils, the Fenghuangshan CDW landfill in Suzhou, China, was taken as an example to study restoration technology by plants. The growth and physiological parameters of ten herbaceous species with high ornamental values, healthy growth and easy maintenance in the green space of Suzhou were measured under a mixture of CDW and soils. A comprehensive evaluation was conducted with the membership function method. The results showed that Hemerocallis fulva, Panicum virgatum, Heliopsis helianthoides, Sedum aizoon and Carex oshimensis ‘Evergold’ were well adapted to the mixed environment of CDW and soil in Suzhou. Among them, Hemerocallis fulva ranked first with a comprehensive evaluation index of 0.87. It could be the best herbaceous species for landscape reconstruction of CDW landfills. The study is instructive for vegetation restoration in surrounding areas and provides a method for plant selection and evaluation for vegetation restoration of CDW landfills.