The Inhibitory Tendency of Calamagrostis epigejos and Solidago spp. Depends on the Successional Stage in Postindustrial Vegetation

Abstract

In spontaneously vegetated postindustrial areas, we have limited knowledge of whether the known inhibitory tendencies of herbaceous species—Calamagrostis epigejos and Solidago spp.—vary across successional stages. Our study fills this knowledge gap to assess the inhibitory role of the invasive alien and expansive native species with known behavior from the literature. Specifically, we hypothesized: (i) there will be an inhibitory effect of these species on diversity across successional classes; (ii) the effect of a species will depend on the successional class due to abiotic requirements of plant communities in each successional class. We recorded vascular plant species and their abundance across 400 plots on post-coal mine heaps in Upper Silesia, Poland. We classified spoil heaps into three successional classes (early-stage; mid-stage; late-stage). We calculated plant community taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity and, using generalized linear mixed-effects models, we estimated predictors of diversity indices across successional classes. While we found no limiting effects of these species on diversity indices across successional classes, the effects of a species depended on the successional stage. We found the impacts of Calamagrostis and Solidago cover on diversity indices in the mid-successional stage. This implies that the early-successional stage is controlled by the lottery (random) model of community assembly. However, in the mid-successional stage, the competitive exploitation mechanism is evident, resulting in declines in diversity indices. Thus, the impacts of Calamagrostis and Solidago on diversity indices are evident in the mid-successional stage.