Role of Fire Episode, Leaf Litter Decomposition and Mulching Effects in Restoration of the Surface Soil Crust Microecosystem on Abandoned Tailings Containment

Abstract

This article examines the consequences of a fire (August 1994) which burned the vegetated surface of abandoned tailings containment in mosaic pattern, in Chvaletice (Eastern River Elbe basin, Czech Republic). Vegetation succession with adjacent processes (such as leaf litter decomposition) was then monitored in comparisons on burned and unburned plots. The influence of the introduced plant organic matter by mulching on the biological soil crust was also investigated. Apart from the naturally burned plots, some plots were also experimentally burned. The soil moisture and surface temperatures in different temporal distances from the fire experiment were measured. There were no significant differences in decomposition rate between the plots that were affected and/or unaffected by fire. The daily temperatures of the burned soil surface increased after the fire, while its night temperatures decreased. The moisture content of the soil surface was reduced after the fire. Addition of dry local aboveground plant biomass on the substrate surface suggests that substrate roughness provides retention to seeds transported by wind, and protects the rhizosphere against extreme heat, drought and salt incrustation. Furthermore, it positively modifies the hydrological regime of microsites and stimulates the creation of a humus soil layer and enrichment of the substrate by nutrients. Finally, it facilitates colonisation by plant seedlings from seeds transported by anemochorous or zoochorous mechanisms.

Role of Plant Dominants on Abandoned Tailings Containment from Manganese-Ore Maining in Chvaletice, Eastern Bohemia, Czech Republic (Overview of Long-Term Case Studies)

“…bryophytes) regardless of latitude or longitude (Kovář, 2001). Anemochory and zoochory are the main types of plant diaspore distribution during plant colonisation of the substrate deposits, and they are the main factor of increasing biodiversity during spontaneous vegetational succession, when enrichment by humus and nutrients from decomposition processes of sufficient dead biomass is ensured (Kovář et al, 2011;Štefánek et al, 2012).…”

“…Birch spreads generative with small, anemochory seeds, while aspen is capable of clonal growth (but it is also possible to spread generatively with seed). Accordingly, they are also able to respond to different stresses and disturbances, such as sulphuric compounds (Rauch, 2004), or fire (Štefánek, 2004(Štefánek, , Kovář et al, 2011(Štefánek, , Štefánek et al, 2012. Effect upon leaf litter of these tree species is inconsiderable (with a similar effect as above-mentioned grasses), and it appears that leaf litter decay of both species occurs approximately at the same rate (Štefánek, 2004).…”

Stress Ecology in Mining Landscape: Postindustrial Deposits in Comparison with their Surroundings as the Environments for Selection of Plants with Small and Large Genome Size

“…By this way, the results of interdisciplinary research offer both basic scientific outputs and application in practice of landscape management. Our contribution presents some results of small case study following the set of previous studies concentrated on abandoned mine tailings mainly concentrated on the mechanisms of vegetation succession and colonization of the ore-waste deposits with ecologically extreme parameters (Kovář, 2004;Neustupa et al, 2008;Štefánek et al, 2012;Štefánek, 2015;Prausová et al, 2017;Urbanová et al, 2017;Dvořáčková et al, 2018).…”

“…A strongly cemented horizon with red ferric oxides and gypsum developed at lower depths of soil profiles (Mrázek, 2004;Kovář et al, 2011) and caused retrogradation in successional progress through periodical extinction od the tree seedlings (Kovář et Herben, 2004). Repeated restoration of initial colonization with biota includes the microhabitat dynamics at small-scale level (creation of biological soil crust) and processes of the organic matter decomposition (litter fall, dead biomass supply), bioturbation activity of the soil fauna, establishment of plant seeds and their seedlings or the insect/plant interactions, seed dispersal by zoochory and anemochory improve and use the environmental properties in the mosaic of microsites and shift the ecosystem far towards life-supporting state of spontaneous balanced succession (Kovář, 2004;Neustupa et al, 2009;Štefánek et al, 2012;Dostál et Kovář, 2013;Kovář et al, 2013). Hence, above mentioned contradictions imply irregular shifts in vegetation succession on toxic postindustrial wastes and differentiated qualitative composition of plant stands inside and outside the deposited substrate body.…”

Seed rain and seed persistence of Calamagrostis epigejos (l.) roth in extreme ecotoxicological conditions at an abandoned ore-washery sedimentation basin

“…However, seeds produced by the established vegetation may not only speed up vegetation development at the site, but they may equally stabilise this development. As initial successional phases very often experience disturbances such as fire (McClanahan & Wolfe 1993, Štefánek et al 2012 or pest outbreak (Fagan et al 2005), future development may largely depend on species capacity to buffer such interferences. Re-colonisation by seeds produced at untouched patches is one way how vegetation may recover after disturbances.…”