Stand continuity—a useful parameter for ecological networks in post-mining landscapes

Abstract

Ecological networks play a key role in the rehabilitation of post-mining landscapes. Revitalising a post-mining site is a demanding task. It is necessary to consider not only the areas directly affected by open-cast mining, but also the surrounding areas. This paper presents a method for selecting the most valuable parts of the landscape for the ecological network of a post-mining landscape (Sokolov brown coal basin, 219 km 2, Czech Republic). Apart from the normal selection criteria (biogeographical characteristics, degree of naturalness, seral stage, species diversity), we also include stand continuity. Land uses in the study area were interpreted for 2 years, 1842 and 1998. Selecting areas that have not changed their land-use types and that are relatively ecologically valuable, a comparison was made, using GIS, with the location of the recently proposed ecological network. The parts of the study area proposed for relocating some elements of the ecological network were analysed in detail. Our study confirms that stand continuity is an appropriate parameter for correcting the ecological networks in a post-mining landscape. The application of stand continuity increases the possibility of basing ecological networks on the most valuable landscape elements. We introduce the territorial system of ecological stability (TSES), the Czech counterpart of ecological networks elsewhere in Europe.