Peculiarities of successional processes taking place in artificial phytocenoses on the Kuzbass coal mining dumps

Abstract

The article presents results of the long-term studies of the structure and production of agrophytocenoses, established on the coal mining dumps in the Kuznetsk basin forest steppe zone. Agrophytocenoses were established on the leveled dumps by seeding grasses and legumes. Another set of control agrophytocenoses was established by the same technic on zonal soil. Seeds were provided by the laboratories of the Central Siberian Botanical Garden SB RAS, Novosibirsk. After 30 yrs of observations it was found that agrophytocenoses on the coal mining dumps did not have initial stage, as well as stage of spontaneous species invasion. Elimination of Trifolium pratense and Arrhenatherum elatius from coal mining dumps phytocenoses took place 3-4 yrs later than from agrophytocenoses on zonal soils. Species did not eliminate totally, but remained in communities with increased or decreased relative abundances. Significant number of species displayed fluctuation, rather than succession in course of 30 yrs development on the coal mining dumps. These phytocenoses It was also found that agrophytocenoses on the coal mining dumps have high long-term production potential.