(Phyto)management of contaminated soils improves soil biodiversity, functionality and ecosystem services

PhytoSUDOE highlights the environmental, economic and social benefices during and after the phyto-management and promotes the use of this techniques among managers and owners of fields. For this purpose, it builds up a network of contaminated places to use phyto-management , PHYTOSUDOE has created a network of 8 sites with contaminated soils to study the use of certain plants in decontamination. Each of these areas, with different characteristics but responding to an oceanic climate, have undergone the procedure. All this has made it possible to carry out comparisons and establish potential scenarios taking into account variable factors such as soil types, types of pollutants or climatic circumstances.
Following these studies, methodologies have been developed with specific recommendations to use phyto-management. In addition, a European network of phyto-management experts for degraded or contaminated soils, the GreenReMed network, has been created. The PHYTOSUDOE project has managed to involve all the key actors in decontamination, including soil managers, administrations and education systems. On the other hand, it has placed special emphasis on training in the field by organizing special masters and summer courses. One of the greatest successes of the project has been the use of phyto-management in the so-called green ring of Vitoria-Gasteiz: the peripheral industrial zone of the city with a great deterioration of its soils. This practice is going to be institutionalized in other municipalities.Layman Report on restoration of contaminated soils