Plant Successions on Coal Mines’ Waste Piles in Forest-Steppe of the Tula Oblast

The paper describes vegetation successions that can be observed on waste piles of Moscow lignite basin. Characterization of succession are performed with geobotanical descriptions that were made at non-recultivated waste pile, levelled dump and phytomeliorated waste pile. ^lonization of coal waste piles by plants corresponds to primary succession that proceeds in specific edaphic conditions. Term and trajectory of this process on waste piles of Moscow lignite basin in the Tula oblast differ at various object types. The rate of revegetation is slowest at slopes of waste piles and levelled spoils, where only solitary individuals of ruderal species can occur. At levelled spoils’ surfaces and self-developing deluvial-proluvial foreslopes (which is forming at waste pile foot) pioneer plant groups, simple structured phytocoenoses and complex structured phytoco-enoses are discovered. Most common tree species in simple structured and complex structured communities is Betula pendula. Under the toxic flow influence herbaceous layer at deluvial-proluvial foreslopes and in certain parts of levelled spoil consists mainly of Calamagrostis epigeios, Equisetum spp., Convolvulus arvensis. Out of toxic flow influence at levelled spoil forb meadows with large proportion of legumes (Trifolium hybridum, Lotus corniculatus, Melilotus albus etc.) occur. Succession stages changing is not rapid and revegetation processes takes decades; the phytomelioration of Moscow lignite basin waste piles in the Tula oblast can speed this process up by overcoming the delayed pioneer plant groups stage. The pattern of plant succession trajectories on waste piles of Moscow lignite basin in forest-steppe landscapes of the north part of the Central Russian Upland was developed.

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