Dynamics of Projective Coverage and Species Diversity of Grass Communities During Restoration Succession on Fallows and Dumps

Abstract

The temporal dynamics of species diversity and projective coverage of herbaceous communities formed on fallows and dumps was studied. Annual studies of these phytocoenotic indicators were carried out in four groups on the territory of the Tagil zone of the Middle Urals in 2006-2019. The successional development of communities depends on edaphic factors. Phytocenoses with a projective coverage and species diversity typical for meadow communities on the background territories develop on agrozems and technozems under conditions of low soil contamination with heavy metals. The meadow stage under conditions of high pollution is short, and it is characterized by low values of the studied parameters. Other trajectories of succession: a long delay in the grass stage or skipping the meadow stage and transition from grass to tree-shrub stage, are also possible. The species diversity of communities is more conservative compared with the total projective coverage of species, the rate of development of which is largely determined by the successional age of the community than by the type of substrate.