Ecological Filtering and Plant Traits Variation Across Quarry Geomorphological Surfaces: Implication for Restoration

Abstract

Revegetation patterns after quarry abandonment have been widely studied from several ecological points of view, but a trait-based approach is still lacking. The aim of this study was to characterise the plant species assemblages and the associated functional traits filtered on different geomorphological surfaces in abandoned limestone quarry areas: artificial cliffs, embankments, and platforms. We then verified if species with certain traits were better able to overcome the dispersal and environmental filters necessary for establishment. To this aim, we analyzed 113 vegetation plots and collected data on 25 morphological, ecological, and dispersal traits to detect species adaptaions across these man-made environments. As a case study, we investigated the extraction basin of Botticino (Lombardy, Italy), the second largest in Italy. The results obtained by SIMPER and CCA analyses showed that rockiness, stoniness, slope, elevation, and time of surfaces are the main filters that varied across quarries and affected plant assemblages at the macro-scale level. Across the three geomorphological surfaces (meso-scale) of quarries, more specific abiotic filters selecting species were found. In turn, traits differentiation according to the three main geomorphological surfaces of quarry emphasized that further filters acting at the micro-scale imply differences in dispersal mechanisms and resource availability. This work highlighted the utility to study species assemblages and environmental filters to address quarry restoration according to the type of geomorphological surface. The investigation of some traits (chorological form, life forms, seed dispersal,s and plant height) can furnish some interesting indications for practice individuating further abiotic filters acting at the micro-scale.

Vegetation structure, species life span, and exotic status elucidate plant succession in a limestone quarry reclamation

“…However, chronosequence studies performed on a large scale can lead to uncertain conclusions due to divergent vegetation succession (Novák & Prach 2003). In these successions, analyses of particular community and species traits (guilds) have proved to be better indicators for environmental gradients, due to their selective response (Fukami et al 2005;Tropek et al 2013;Gilardelli et al 2015).…”

Naturally recruited herbaceous vegetation in abandoned Belgian limestone quarries: towards habitats of conservation interest analogues?

“…Limestone quarries provide large areas of bare bedrock that are dry and nutrient-poor, thus providing opportunities for spontaneous colonization by herbaceous species adapted to xeric and nutrient-poor conditions. Such plants are usually associated with community types that are of particular conservation interest (Tischew and Kirmer 2007;Gilardelli et al 2015).…”

Effect of Topsoil Stockpiling on the Viability of Seed Bank in Field Phytophysiognomies Campos De Altitude

“…Environmental conditions can represent chemical and physical filters (e.g. water and nutritional deficiencies), which induce or limit the establishment of some species (GILARDELLI et al, 2015), making them dominant or rare, able or not to colonize the substrate under the established conditions. Sprengelmeyer and Rebertus (2015) suggest that the determining factors for the presence and/or abundance of plant species in the seed bank are the distance of rock outcrops, soil depth, and altitude.…”

“…Moreover, some devices can be adopted to improve the dispersion and the capacity of the species for their complete establishment and good development (GILARDELLI et al, 2015). Other complementary interventions, such as planting of seedlings, direct sowing of native plant species, and/or artificial perches, can be considered important to accelerate plant succession (MARTINS, 2014).…”