Spontaneous vegetation succession at different central European mining sites: a comparison across seres

Abstract

We performed detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) ordination to compare seven successional seres running in stone quarries, coal mining spoil heaps, sand and gravel pits, and extracted peatlands in the Czech Republic in central Europe. In total, we obtained 1,187 vegetation samples containing 705 species. These represent various successional stages aged from 1 to 100 years. The successional seres studied were more similar in their species composition in the initial stages, in which synathropic species prevailed, than in later successional stages. This vegetation differentiation was determined especially by local moisture conditions. In most cases, succession led to a woodland, which usually established after approximately 20 years. In very dry or wet places, by contrast, where woody species were limited, often highly valuable, open vegetation developed. Except in the peatlands, the total number of species and the number of target species increased during succession. Participation of invasive aliens was mostly unimportant. Spontaneous vegetation succession generally appears to be an ecologically suitable and cheap way of ecosystem restoration of heavily disturbed sites. It should, therefore, be preferred over technical reclamation.

Appendix

List of full species names used in Fig. 1b: Agrostis canina L., Achillea millefolium L., Agrostis capillaris L., Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn., Arenaria serpyllifolia L., Arrhenatherum elatius (L.) J.Presl et C. Presl, Artemisia vulgaris L., Avenella flexuosa (L.) Drejer, Betula sp., Bromus erectus Huds., Calamagrostis epigejos (L.) Roth, Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull, Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop., Convolvulus arvensis L., Cornus sanguinea L., Crataegus sp. div., Dactylis glomerata L., Daucus carota L., Deschampsia cespitosa (L.) P.B., Epilobium angustifolium L., Eriophorum vaginatum L.,Festuca ovina L., Festuca rupicola Heuffel, Fragaria vesca L., Fraxinus excelsior L., Geranium robertianum L., Hypericum perforatum L., Juncus effusus L., Medicago lupulina L., Molinia caerulea (L.) Moench, Picea abies (L.) H. Karst., Pinus sylvestris L., Poa angustifolia L., Poa compressa L., Poa nemoralis L., Poa palustris subsp. palustris, Populus tremula L., Prunus avium (L.) L., Prunus spinosa L., Quercus sp., Robinia pseudacacia L., Rosa sp., Rubus sp., Rubus idaeus L., Salix caprea L., Salix cinerea L., Sambucus nigra L., Sanguisorba minor Scop., Sedum album L., Sorbus aucuparia L., Tanacetum vulgare L., Tripleurospermum inodorum (L.) Sch. Bip., Tussilago farfara L., Urtica dioica L., Vaccinium myrtillus L.