<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>The spontaneous vegetation in permanent flooding zone around technogenic water bodies arising on former pastures due to underground coal mining in the Western Donbass basin (steppe zone of Ukraine) was studied in 2018–2019. Occurrence and abundance of herbaceous plants were taken into account in 36 vegetation plots over a total area of 0.8 km<sup>2</sup> in different habitats: dry, wet and flooded. In total, 83 plant species belonging to 31 families and 66 genera were identified, among which perennials dominated. Strong negative Pearson’s correlation was found between the amount and abundance of plant species and soil characteristics across the studied habitats, where the joint action of all edaphic factors determined the mosaic appearance of transformed vegetation. The spontaneous vegetation of the least disturbed xero-mesophilic habitats was most similar to (semi)natural grasslands, while the vegetation of hygrophilic habitats had a complete mismatch. Surrounding grasslands were not the most important diasporas’ source for spontaneous succession in the disturbed zone, and many species were supposed to come from the more remote areas. Recovery of target vegetation did not occur for 25 years of permanent subsidence and flooding due to radical transformation of landscape and soil and appearance of completely inappropriate habitats. At the same time, the unusual species composition of spontaneous vegetation and significant number of rare and endangered plants indicate the formation of valuable biotopes in the subsidence and flooding zone.</p>
</abstract>

The spontaneous vegetation in permanent flooding zone around technogenic water bodies arising on former pastures due to underground coal mining in the Western Donbass basin (steppe zone of Ukraine) was studied in 2018–2019. Occurrence and abundance of herbaceous plants were taken into account in 36 vegetation plots over a total area of 0.8 km2 in different habitats: dry, wet and flooded. In total, 83 plant species belonging to 31 families and 66 genera were identified, among which perennials dominated. Strong negative Pearson’s correlation was found between the amount and abundance of plant species and soil characteristics across the studied habitats, where the joint action of all edaphic factors determined the mosaic appearance of transformed vegetation. The spontaneous vegetation of the least disturbed xero-mesophilic habitats was most similar to (semi)natural grasslands, while the vegetation of hygrophilic habitats had a complete mismatch. Surrounding grasslands were not the most important diasporas’ source for spontaneous succession in the disturbed zone, and many species were supposed to come from the more remote areas. Recovery of target vegetation did not occur for 25 years of permanent subsidence and flooding due to radical transformation of landscape and soil and appearance of completely inappropriate habitats. At the same time, the unusual species composition of spontaneous vegetation and significant number of rare and endangered plants indicate the formation of valuable biotopes in the subsidence and flooding zone.

The Study of Transformed Herbaceous Vegetation in the Area Flooded Due to Coal Mine Workings

Department of Plant Physiology and Introduction, Faculty of Biology and Ecology

Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology

Biology Research Institute, Oles Honchar Dnipro National University

Department of Geobotany, Soil Science and Ecology, Faculty of Biology and Ecology

Department of Ecology and Botany, Faculty of Agricultural Technologies and Environmental Use

Department of Biotechnology and Phytopharmacology, Faculty of Agricultural Technologies and Environmental Use

Department of Crop growing, Faculty of Agronomy

Dnipro State Agrarian and Economic University

Department of Microbiology, Virology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Ecology

Ekológia (Bratislava)

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

The spontaneous vegetation in permanent flooding zone around technogenic water bodies arising on former pastures due to underground coal mining in the Western...

The Study of Transformed Herbaceous Vegetation in the Area Flooded Due to Coal Mine Workings

Online veröffentlicht: 22. Okt. 2021

Seitenbereich: 222 - 229

Eingereicht: 14. Mai 2020

Akzeptiert: 21. Sept. 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/eko-2021-0024

Schlüsselwörter
herbaceous plants, flooding, succession, target vegetation, habitat types

© 2021 Yuriy Lykholat et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

The Study of Transformed Herbaceous Vegetation in the Area Flooded Due to Coal Mine Workings

Online veröffentlicht: 22. Okt. 2021

Seitenbereich: 222 - 229

Eingereicht: 14. Mai 2020

Akzeptiert: 21. Sept. 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/eko-2021-0024

Schlüsselwörterherbaceous plants, flooding, succession, target vegetation, habitat types

© 2021 Yuriy Lykholat et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Schlüsselwörter
herbaceous plants, flooding, succession, target vegetation, habitat types