This paper is about the restoration of areas degraded by clay mining in Doutor Pedrinho/ Brasil, state of Santa Catarina. The study employs techniques that integrate soil, plants and animals. Two types of surface preparation (regular and irregular), two types of fertilizer (organic and chemical), and two conditions of litter (present and absent) were tested. The species selected for the experiment was the legume Mimosa scabrella (bracatinga). Artificial perches were installed in the area in order to increase the amount of seeds from neighborhood areas. Chemical analysis of the soil, nine months after the initiation of the experiment, did not show any nutritional potential increase. The bracatinga showed a survival rate over 92%, whereas the soil cover by bracatinga canopies was significantly larger in the treatments where litter was added, with values over 67%. Although the soil cover by natural revegetation did not show any significant differences, it was in general larger in regular surface treatments. The artificial perches were responsible for bringing twenty one seeds from six distinct morpho species. Among the 12 identified botanical families, the larger part of them showed insect pollination, wind-dispersed seed and herbaceous habit. The conclusion is that the integrated use of bracatinga, organic and/or chemical fertilizer, litter and artificial perches are indicated for restoration programs in degraded areas similar to the one presented in this study. Further investigation is required to evaluate the relevance of the use of irregular surface in the restoration of degraded areas.
Bracatinga