<P> Factors that impact communities in acid mine drainage sites vary temporarily and seasonally: temperature, rainfall, pH, salinisation and metal quantity all display variations on the long term, and can heavily affect communities . Changes in pH or temperature can affect metal solubility, and thereby the bioavailable quantity that directly impact organisms . Moreover, contamination persists over time: ninety years after a pyrite mine closure, water pH was still very low and microorganisms populations consisted mainly of acidophil bacteria . </P> <P> Algae communities are less diverse in acidic water containing high zinc concentration, and mine drainage stress decrease their primary production . Diatoms community is greatly modified by any chemical change . pH phytoplankton assemblage, and high metal concentration diminishes the abundance of planktonic species . Some diatom species may however grow in high - metal - concentration sediments . In sediments close to the surface, cysts suffer from corrosion and heavy coating . In very polluted conditions, total algae biomass is quite low, and the planktonic diatom community missing . In case of functional complementarity however, it is possible that phytoplankton and zooplankton mass remains stable . </P> <P> Water insect and crustacean communities are modified around a mine, resulting in a low trophic completeness and community being dominated by predators . However, biodiversity of macroinvertebrates can remain high, if sensitive species are replaced with tolerant ones . When diversity is on the contrary reduced, there is sometimes no effect of stream contamination on abundance or biomass, suggesting that tolerant species fulfilling the same function take the place of sensible species in polluted sites . pH diminution in addition to elevated metal concentration can also have adverse effects on macroinvertebrates' behaviour, showing that direct toxicity is not the only issue . Fishes are also affected by pH, temperature variations and chemical concentrations . </P> <P> Soils' texture and water content can be greatly modified in disturbed sites, leading to plants communities changes in the area . Most of the plants have a low concentration tolerance for metals in the soil, but sensitivity differs among species . Grass diversity and total cover is less affected by high contaminant concentration than forbs and shrubs . Mines waste - material rejects or traces due to mining activity can be found in the vicinity of the mine, sometimes pretty far away from the source . Established plants cannot move away from perturbations, and will eventually die if their habitat is contaminated by heavy metals or metalloids at concentration too elevated for their physiology . Some species are more resistant and will survive these levels, and some non-native species that can tolerate these concentrations in the soil, will migrate in the mine surrounding lands to occupy the ecological niche . </P>

How does mining affect the life of plants and animals of any particular area