Long-Term Vegetation Changes and Socioeconomic Effects of River Engineering in Industrialized Areas (Southern Poland)

Abstract

The exploitation of mineral resources associated with human mining activities leads to the degradation of both terrestrial and aquatic biocenotic systems. The drastic disturbance of water relations as a result of the relocation of the riverbed of the Biala Przemsza River (southern Poland) for coal and filler sand mining will lead to changes in plant ecosystems. The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the diversity and distribution of vegetation in the Biała Przemsza valley in sections of channel straightening with the old riverbed and areas undisturbed by engineering works against the background of land use in temporal and spatial aspects. The results of the ecological and phytosociological studies showed that the composition of flora and vegetation types varied. Within the transformed riverbed, anthropogenic mixed forests with species characteristic of different ecological systems are developing, whereas the non-regulated section of the river is overgrown by an alder riparian forest with an almost complete species composition for this plant community. The highest Simpson’s biodiversity index was found in the anthropogenically disturbed section of the river (0.86), and in the undisturbed section, it was 0.83. Both sections of the river were dominated by species of the family Compositae, Poaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Rosaceae and Apiaceae. The diversity of the flora in the transformed sections of the valley is determined by the presence of mosaics and microhabitats, as well as the nature of the surrounding vegetation, which is reflected in the ecological requirements of the flora concerning light preference (moderate light [56.25%]), and almost 90% of the flora from the area of the regulated section of the valley develops on humus-poor and mineral-humus soils. Although this area has lost its original natural function, it is now valuable for selected economic and social functions, especially in highly urbanized regions.

The Historical Aspect of the Impact of Zn and Pb Ore Mining and Land Use on Ecohydrological Changes in the Area of the Biała Przemsza Valley (Southern Poland)

“…Beech forest (Dentario enneaphylli-Fagetum and Luzulo pilosae-Fagetum) and Tilio-Carpinetum forests develop on limestone and loess substrates. Along the watercourses in the catchment, there are in turn deciduous forests (alder forests; less frequently riparian forests) Alnion glutinosae, Alno-Ulmion, and willow thickets belonging to the class Salicetea purpureae [36,74].…”

“…Mining and post-mining landscapes represent an ecological niche [23][24][25] where a particular succession of vegetation develops in soils enriched in Zn, Pb, Cd, As, and Fe [2,26]. Botanical and pedological studies in areas affected by Zn-Pb-Fe ore mining have been conducted in Belgium [27], Germany [28], Spain [29], Slovenia [30,31], China, [32,33], Morocco [22,34], and Poland [26,35,36].…”

The Natural Consequences of Land Use Change on Transformation and Vegetation Development in the Upper Odra Floodplain

“…The aforementioned diversity of species is related to the presence of artificial dikes built of clayey and even gravelly soil material. This increases the water capacity of the soil and contributes to the formation of microhabitats and the encroachment of species with different ecological requirements [16,17,19,20]. An additional cause is maintenance work on the embankments involving mowing grasses and removing tree seedlings.…”

“…The anthropogenic disturbance of riparian ecosystems leads to a reduction in biodiversity and synanthropization of the existing vegetation, and also creates conditions for the entry of alien or unusual species for a given habitat [19,20]. This often manifests itself in the increase in the number of anthropogenic communities, the disappearance of original species combinations, the creation of new heterogeneous species combinations, the creation of species-poor and less diverse communities and even the artificial planting of trees through forest reclamation [7,18,[21][22][23].…”

Relationships between Heavy Metal Concentrations in Greater Celandine (Chelidonium majus L.) Tissues and Soil in Urban Parks

“…In general, the habitats of Ch. majus are slopes, forest edges, meadows, roadsides, stone crevices, shady banks, stream banks, and urbanised areas, which are not devoid of various pollutants [30]. It is a typical ruderal plant that grows in habitats with high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus around locations transformed by human impacts.…”