Abstract
The paper presents the results of investigations on the flora of fallow lands on rendzina soils. The research was carried out in the area of the Twardowice Plateau (the Silesian Upland) within 9 areas adjacent to xerothermic grasslands. The investigated flora consisted of 220 vascular plant species with the dominance of native taxa. Plants of xerothermic grasslands and thermophilous edges were the most numerous (32%). The dominance of <em>Libanotis pyrenaica </em>in 4 of the examined areas should be emphasized. The percentage of meadow species was also considerable (25%). Anthropophytes comprised 18% of the flora of fallow lands and archaeophytes prevailed among them (9%). <em>Solidago canadensis</em>, an invasive species, was the constant component of the investigated fallows and sometimes its coverage was remarkable. <br />As a result of the high proportion of xerothermic and thermophilous plants, plants associated with dry soils and soils having an intermediate character between dry and fresh, as well as plants preferring slightly acidic to alkaline soils poor in nitrogen compounds predominated in the investigated fallows. Perennial plants prevailed (65%) in the studied flora and slightly more than half of the species reproduced only by seeds. Competitive plant species (C strategists) had the highest proportion (39%) and species with intermediate strategies CSR, CR and CS were also numerous. <br />The investigations have shown that there are favourable conditions for settling and growth of many xerothermic species in the investigated fallow lands. Moreover, the neighbouring grasslands are the seed source for these areas.
Highlights
Over the last two decades, many cultivated fields have been abandoned and left fallow because of structural changes taking place in Polish agriculture after 1989
Attention has been paid to the conditions conducive to the transformation of abandoned fields in semi-natural grasslands or heathlands as a result of spontaneous succession (Hennekens et al 1982; Csecserits and Rédei, 2001; Csecserits et al 2007; Jongepierová et al 2004; Ruprecht, 2005, 2006; Cousins and Lindborg, 2008; Ejrnæs et al 2008)
During the investigations it was found that some plant species which were present in all the investigated areas were regular or very frequent components of the xerothermic grasslands of the Twardowice Plateau (Babczyńska - Sendek et al 2010)
Summary
Over the last two decades, many cultivated fields have been abandoned and left fallow because of structural changes taking place in Polish agriculture after 1989. It has been revealed that the abandonment of arable lands often increased biodiversity in the areas of intensive agriculture (Corbet , 1995; Sotherton , 1998; Firbank et al 2003). In Polish scientific literature, more and more attention is paid to the results of abandonment of agricultural lands and changes occurring in their vegetation (Dubiel , 1984; Faliński , 1986; Malicki and Podstawka - Chmielewska , 1998; Barabasz - Krasny , 2002; 2011; Podstawka - Chmielewska et al 2004; Kurus and Podstawka - Chmielewska , 2006; Skrzyczyńska and Stachowicz , 2007)
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