Distinctive features of phytocenotic successions in mining-industrial landscapes

Abstract

This study investigates ecological succession withinquarry-stockpilecomplexes across the mining land-scapes. Post-extraction use of quarries is often limited due to high restoration costs, technical challenges, and per-ceived impracticality. However, such sites can become valuable ecological assets, showcasing region-specific zonal flora. Focusing on primary succession, the research highlight shows edaphic conditions of disturbed substrates influ-ence vegetation dynamics and broader landscape transformation. Conducted from 2019 to 2022, the study employed an integrated methodological approach, including route field surveys, aerial photography, observation, comparison, experimentation, statistical analysis, synthesis, and logical modeling to assess the plant community development. Field studies were conducted during the growing season from March to October. We determined the features of the plant cover and dominant plants in the structure of the sand quarry –stockpilecomplex and developedschemes of succession stages. Zoning based on the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) revealed a moderate expan-sion of highly productive phytocenoses(from 25.5% in 2019 to 27.2% in 2022) alongside a decline in the overall productive vegetation cover from 89.1% to 74.7%. Concurrently, open substrate and sparse vegetation areas expand-ed from 11.3% to 25.2%. The average similarity coefficient of species composition between study sites increased overtime, indicatingstructural shifts in the plant communities. Notably, the coefficient rose from 0.54 to 0.63on the hilly loamy-sandy surfaces, and from 0.55 to 0.81on the rugoseoverburden ledges. Disturbances caused by the extraction of minerals contributed to the formation of man-made accumulative relief with a predominance of segetal-ruderal species. The findings suggest that, in the absence of active renaturalization, vegetation succession and species differentiation are largely governed by anthropogenic factors and localized ecotopic conditions. This emphasizes the ecological potential of post-mining landscapes and the importance of monitoring for informed conservation and restoration strategies