Growth, State and Productivity of Perennial Shrubs on Dumps of Iron-Ore Mine

Abstract

Various types of vegetation were tested on the dumps of the Kursk magnetic anomaly (KMA), composed of various rocks and their mixtures, with the improvement of forest growing conditions by land use and without this technique, including five types of shrubby species: sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.), siberian peashrub (Caragana arborescens Lam.), golden currant (Ribes aureum Pursh.), tatarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica L.) and red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa L.). Growth indicators, safety and productivity of breeds were studied. Golden currant was one of the first to be tested, which turned out to be an unsuitable breed for creating protective plantings on dumps without measures to improve their forest growing conditions. On chalk-marl mixtures and quaternary loams, it completely fell out by the age of 12-15 years. Shrubs used in forest reclamation on two-component post-technogenic areas are characterized by different preservation. By the age of 43, the greatest preservation, equal to 50.5%, was noted in the sea buckthorn. It also has the highest growth rates. When choosing shrub species for forest reclamation, it is necessary to take into account their biological productivity, which increases the concentration of nutrients in the substrates and improves their physical properties. The sea buckthorn at the age of 9 has a large phytomass (2368 g), the heaviest leaf mass (396 g) and a total supply of phytomass (143.9 kg /ha) in the stand. The authors recommend using shrub species for laying preliminary crops at the initial stage of reclamation or introducing them into complex plantings in an amount of no more than 50%. Taking into account the soil-improving role of shrub species, it would be advisable to further introduce more durable tree species.