TY - JOUR

T1 - Restoration of soil-vegetation cover and soil microbial community at the Pechurki limestone quarry (Leningrad region, Russia)

AU - Dmitrakova, Yanina Aleksandrovna

AU - Rodina, Oksana Andreevna

AU - Alekseev, Ivan Ilych

AU - Polyakov, Vyacheslav Igorevich

AU - Petrova, Alina Aleksandrovna

AU - Pershina, Ekaterina Vladimirovna

AU - Ivanova, Ekaterina Andreevna

AU - Abakumov, Evgeny Vasilevich

AU - Kostecki, Jakub

PY - 2018/12/1

Y1 - 2018/12/1

N2 - Due to a significant increase in mining activity and subsequent ecosystem disturbances, it is becoming increasingly important to understand how degraded, unproductive quarries can be converted into new, self-sustaining communities that develop into natural environments. Former limestone quarry was investigated with aim to determine the best reclamation practice for surfaces of former lime rock quarries. Effects of spontaneous succession and forestry reclamation restoration approaches on vegetation and soil features were studied. The study was conducted in one of the largest limestone quarries of the Leningrad region, south taiga region. Species composition and vegetation cover were estimated for different plant communities within each ecotype of the quarry. Also soil characteristics were evaluated at each plot. We found that the main differences between plots were due to their position in the landscape; the most similar communities colonize similar ecotypes. On flat landforms, biodiversity is reduced under biological reclamation. At the sites under spontaneous succession, the level of biodiversity increases. In terms of biodiversity conservation and economic benefit, spontaneous succession is preferable to forestry reclamation for the restoration of carbonate substrates. After examining CO 2 emissions from the quarry as a result of weathering of carbonates and soil respiration, as well as the level of CO 2 sequestration from the atmosphere, we show that the establishment of certain landscape forms within former quarries can help to reduce atmospheric CO 2 .

AB - Due to a significant increase in mining activity and subsequent ecosystem disturbances, it is becoming increasingly important to understand how degraded, unproductive quarries can be converted into new, self-sustaining communities that develop into natural environments. Former limestone quarry was investigated with aim to determine the best reclamation practice for surfaces of former lime rock quarries. Effects of spontaneous succession and forestry reclamation restoration approaches on vegetation and soil features were studied. The study was conducted in one of the largest limestone quarries of the Leningrad region, south taiga region. Species composition and vegetation cover were estimated for different plant communities within each ecotype of the quarry. Also soil characteristics were evaluated at each plot. We found that the main differences between plots were due to their position in the landscape; the most similar communities colonize similar ecotypes. On flat landforms, biodiversity is reduced under biological reclamation. At the sites under spontaneous succession, the level of biodiversity increases. In terms of biodiversity conservation and economic benefit, spontaneous succession is preferable to forestry reclamation for the restoration of carbonate substrates. After examining CO 2 emissions from the quarry as a result of weathering of carbonates and soil respiration, as well as the level of CO 2 sequestration from the atmosphere, we show that the establishment of certain landscape forms within former quarries can help to reduce atmospheric CO 2 .

KW - diversity of microbial communities

KW - quarries

KW - reclamation

KW - soil restoration

KW - technogenic soils

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85062865884&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.2478/ssa-2018-0028

DO - 10.2478/ssa-2018-0028

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85062865884

VL - 69

SP - 272

EP - 286

JO - Soil Science Annual

JF - Soil Science Annual

SN - 2300-4967

IS - 4

ER -