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This study aimed to examine the changes in selected soil properties at Lítov spoil heap (Sokolov, Czech Republic) and compare the current situation with the situation described twenty years ago. A total of 110 soil samples were taken at Lítov at the same sites as in 1998. The analyses of basic soil characteristics involved: exchangeable soil pH (pH_KCl), organic carbon content (C_ox), quality of humic substances (A_400/A₆₀₀), exchangeable acidity (E_a), and two types of aluminium contents in the soil. Changes in all soil characteristics between 1998 and 2018 were statistically evaluated, compared, and visualized using Geographical Information Systems (GIS). We have observed an increase of pH_KCl, C_ox and a slight improvement in humus quality compared to the results from 1998. The temporal changes of soil characteristics were evident in the whole area, and the influence of reclamation methods was also pronounced. Soil development close to the regional common natural conditions was found in the area where agricultural reclamation measures (i.e., covering with topsoil) were carried out. Furthermore, afforestation – mainly by deciduous trees – supported the improvement of soil characteristics favourable for plant growth. High pyrite content and marshland were identified as the main causes that led to vegetation cover mortality.

The establishment of the reference ambient background concentrations (ABCs) and quality reference values (QRVs) for trace metal (TM) concentrations in soils are required for the environmental assessment and any implementation of a protective action. This information is lacking for soils of the eastern Mitidja plain, which is an important agricultural production area in Algeria. Data for the aqua regia extractable Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn concentrations from 180 composite topsoil samples taken across the Mitidja plain in a stratified random pattern were statistically analysed. Descriptive statistical methods and linear regression equations were applied to determine the upper limit of the ABCs for the TMs. After removal of outliers, the derived QRVs were: Cd 0.24, Cr 62.1, Cu 99.3, Fe 45 590, Ni 47.7, Pb 33 and Zn 115 mg/kg. Iron is a macro element in the soils, but is included as its concentration can be used to normalise the concentrations of the other elements. The derived QRVs are similar or less than those reported for other regions of the world, apart from Cu, where a wide range (36 to 206 mg/kg) is reported. These reference values can be used to identify areas that may require follow-up surveys or to identify priority sites for decision making.

Open-cast coal mining presents a big global issue because of the large areas the mines occupy, which get entirely changed. Their ecosystems lose most of their functions, and a huge amount of fertile soil gets utterly destroyed. Reclamation is a process of returning the functions of the soil after the excavation is finished, most commonly achieved by establishing vegetation, which can sometimes be very difficult. This happens due to the physical, chemical and biological changes that occur on these sites, which are described in this paper. Also, some directions for mitigating these problems are given. Once the vegetation is successfully introduced, natural cycles that were compromised by the mining are established once again, and the process of soil formation begins. Some trends and problems related to pedogenesis research on reclaimed mine sites are presented and discussed, along with presumptions of how the process of soil formation evolves on afforested clayey Technosols of central Europe. The potential future research which would confirm these presumptions is discussed, with the emphasis on the need of research performed on older reclamation sites, as well as sites with similar ecological conditions and different tree species cover.

Soils of reclaimed dumpsites after coal mining are considered as typical anthropogenic soils. These soils are at the beginning of their development and have certain specific characteristics. The aim of this study was to describe a soil survey performed on anthropogenic soils of a reclaimed dumpsite, to analyse spatial variability of selected properties using geostatistical methods, and to evaluate the development of reclaimed dumpsite soils. It has been shown that geostatistical methods are suitable for a description of anthropogenic soil properties and their variability. However, characterization of soil properties on the border between areas with different types of reclamation can be difficult due to sharp discontinual transitions caused by human activity. Properties of these soils vary profoundly greatly dependent on the properties of the soil substrate and the type of reclamation. The average content of organic carbon in the topsoil (0-20 cm) was 1.92% on the area covered with a layer of natural topsoil and 0.92% on the area covered by a layer of loess. An initial A horizon can develop even in 10 years under favourable conditions.

Anthropogenic soils are formed by human activities. The contents of potentially risk elements are one of the most important criteria of the exploitability of such soils for the agricultural production. The aim of this paper is to assess the contents of the selected potentially risk elements in 16 areas of the Sokolov region, including 5 reclaimed areas and 11 natural soils. 116 sampling locations were analysed in total. Another aim is to analyse the relationships between the elements, using multivariate statistical methods. The contents of the risk elements studied were in most cases under the limit values. In some cases, as with Pb, they were very low compared to the limit values. In the principal component analysis, four components explaining 74% of total variability were selected. The first component (30.2% of variability) showed strong correlations with Mn, V, Ni, and Cu contents. The second component (15.8% of variability) correlated with As and Be. The third component (14.3%) correlated with Pb and Cd. The fourth component (13.7%) correlated with Zn and Cr. The mean scores of each area were projected into the component plots, which enables the assessment of the relative importance of each group of elements in each particular area. The reclaimed and the natural soils are clearly distinguished. It can be concluded that the contents of the risk elements studied do not currently present any important problem in the reclaimed areas. Nevertheless, the situation should be further monitored.