Distinctive features of phytocenotic successions in mining-industrial landscapes

Post-mining landscapes, often dismissed for restoration challenges, can become valuable ecological assets with distinct phytocenotic successions shaped by edaphic conditions and anthropogenic disturbances. A study of quarry-stockpile complexes in Wallonia's mining-industrial sites (2019–2022) revealed that, without active renaturalization, vegetation dynamics are primarily driven by localized ecotopic factors and historical extraction impacts. Key findings include a moderate expansion of highly productive phytocenoses (from 25.5% to 27.2%) alongside a decline in overall vegetation cover (89.1% to 74.7%), with open substrates increasing from 11.3% to 25.2%. Zonal flora, dominated by segetal-ruderal species, exhibited structural shifts over time, as evidenced by rising species similarity coefficients on hilly loamy-sandy surfaces (0.54 to 0.63) and rugose overburden ledges (0.55 to 0.81). The research employed integrated methods—field surveys, aerial photography, experimentation, and statistical analysis—to highlight the ecological potential of post-extraction landscapes, emphasizing the need for targeted monitoring and conservation strategies.

Mudrak, O. V., Mahdiichuk, A. P., Mudrak, H. V., & Yermishev, O. V. (2026). Distinctive features of phytocenotic successions in mining-industrial landscapes. Agrology, 8(4), 200–208. https://doi.org/10.32819/202523