Renaturalization of Ex-Arable Arenosols: Phytocenosis Development and the Dynamics of Sandy Soil Properties

Abstract

The abandonment of agricultural land has strong implications for the environment and societal wellbeing. Combining field monitoring data with a detailed analysis of the existing literature, we explored the potential factors impacting the variability of annual/biennial and perennial plant species. We identified plants covering sandy Arenosols under agricultural land use for at least 50 years as of 1995 in order to define a strategy for their restoration. The results of the study distinguished 81 different plant species and 23 botanical families spread over 27 years of land abandonment. The most dominant families were Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Poaceae. The productivity of the abandoned land’s phytocenosis increased as the duration increased (r = 0.70). A positive relationship was established between the phytocenosis biomass and the number of cereal grass species (r = 0.44). The abandonment of the land had positive effects on soil fertility: the SOC concentration in the Ah horizon increased from 9.9 ± 0.08 to 14.5 ± 1.17 g kg−1, the Ah thickness increased by 3 cm, and the SOC stocks increased by 24.51 Mg ha−1. These results will allow us to study the vegetation dynamics in abandoned land and will serve as a basis for the selection of appropriate species in eventual restoration projects.