The vegetation of metalliferous and non-metalliferous grasslands in two former mine regions in Central Slovakia

• Published in: Biológia 2006-08, Vol.61 (4), p.433-439
• Main Authors: Banásová, V.,Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava (Slovak Republic). Institute of Botany, Horak, O.,ARC Seibersdorf Research Center, Seibersdorf (Austria). Department of Environmental Research, Čiamporová, M.,Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava (Slovak Republic). Institute of Botany, Nadubinská, M.,Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava (Slovak Republic). Institute of Botany, Lichtscheidl, I.,University of Vienna, Wien (Austria). Institution of Cell Imaging and Ultrastructure Research
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agrostis capillaris; Agrostis stolonifera; Arabidopsis; CADMIO; CADMIUM; Ceratodon purpureus; CINC; Cladonia arbuscula; COBRE; COPPER; CUIVRE; ESPECE; ESPECIES; HEAVY METALS; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_1178; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_1868; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_2223; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_33096; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_4235; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_7280; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_8176; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_8517; LEAD; METAL LOURD; METALES PESADOS; Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu, heavy metal vegetation; PLOMB; PLOMO; REPUBLICA ESLOVACA; REPUBLIQUE SLOVAQUE; Silene dioica; SLOVAK REPUBLIC; SPECIES; species composition; Thlaspi caerulescens; VEGETACION; VEGETATION; vegetation structure; ZINC
• ISSN: 0006-3088; 1336-9563
• DOI: 10.2478/s11756-006-0073-1

We investigated the composition of the vegetation in two former mining regions in Central Slovakia: Banská Štiavnica with predominant Pb-Zn contamination and Staré Hory with a very high Cu content in the soil. Old heaps rich in heavy metals are covered with specific vegetation. On the Cu-rich spoil heaps, species-poor plant communities with prevailing Agrostis stolonifera, Avenella flexuosa, Acetosella vulgaris, Arabidopsis arenosa, Silene dioica, and S. vulgaris occur. Species such as Agrostis capillaris, Acetosella vulgaris, Arabidopsis arenosa, and Thlaspi caerulescens appear frequently on Pb-Zn mine wastes. Several differences in the vegetation structure were detected between the Pb-Zn and Cu mine heaps; higher amounts of vascular plants and fewer lichen species covered the Pb-Zn mine heaps. For the Cu mine heaps, on the contrary a small number of vascular species but a high number and coverage of lichen species, especially Ceratodon purpureus and Cladonia arbuscula subsp. mitis were typical. The non-metalliferous meadows in the vicinity of the mines showed uniform structure but a higher species diversity.