ASSESSMENT OF VEGETATION COVER FORMATION IN RECULTIVATION TERRITORIES OF ASH AND SLAG DUMPS IN CHITA THERMAL POWER PLANT № 1

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the restoration of vegetation in the reclaimed bowls of the ash dumps of the Chita TPP-1. The object of the research was the vegetation cover formed on two worked-out cups of the ash dumps, which were reclaimed in 2010 – the “young dump” and in 1986 – the “middle-aged dump”. The background was natural phytocenoses that were not subjected to ash and slag waste storage, located outside the dumps a short distance from them. Materials and methods. According to generally accepted methods for botanical research 9 plots where the characteristics of the floristic composition was performed were laid on each reclaimed bowl. The identified species were divided into families; their belt-zonal and ecological classification was performed. Results. The assessment of vegetation cover formation on two worked out ash and slag dump of Chita TPP-1 showed that vegetation is characterized by an unsatisfactory ability to recover, regardless of the terms of reclamation. This is reflected in a 4-fold decrease in projective cover in the territory reclaimed over 30 years ago and more than 7-fold in the territory reclaimed about 10 years ago, as well as a significant (2 and 3.5-fold) decrease in species diversity. In addition, the territory of the “young dump” is characterized by significant areas of eroded areas. According to the belt-zonal and ecological classification, it was revealed that phytocenoses of the forest-steppe, actually steppe, mountain-steppe type are formed on the “young” and “middle-aged” dumps, this corresponds to adjacent undisturbed phytocenoses. Conclusions. The research results indicate the need to change existing approaches to the reclamation of waste lands of ash and slag dumps of Chita TPP-1.

Keywords

• reclamation
• disturbed land
• ash and slag dump
• plant communities
• floristic composition
• projective cover