Plant and fauna biodiversity benefits from the combination of reclaimed and unreclaimed sites in heaps after uranium mining

Abstract

Mining significantly impacts the environment, but post-mining sites, particularly those left to natural succession, often support numerous rare species. Plant and soil fauna communities were studied using field inventories and pitfall trapping on reclaimed and unreclaimed heaps after uranium mining near Příbram (Czech Republic), and in the surrounding landscape (control site). All macrofauna invertebrates were sorted into orders, while Oniscidea, Diplopoda, Chilopoda, Araneae, Carabidae, and Formicidae were identified to the species level.

Unreclaimed heaps were covered with stones, sparse shrubby and herbaceous vegetation, while reclaimed heaps were covered by 0.5 m of topsoil and planted with mixed forest. The control site consisted of forest and agricultural land. The number of plant layer species and vegetation cover at this level on unreclaimed heaps were lower compared to reclaimed ones. However, the average number of tree species was higher on unreclaimed sites, despite the average cover of tree layer was lower.

A total of 24,101 individuals were caught, with 15,507 identified into 209 species. The highest number of red-listed species was found in reclaimed sites (Kusumoarto et al., 2020 (21)), followed by unreclaimed sites (Heneberg and Řezáč, 2018 (14)) and the control site (Chase and Leibold, 2002 (6)). Spiders dominated the red-listed species (Luff, 1998 (24)) across all locations.

Habitat preferences differed across all identified invertebrates. Reclaimed sites represent an intermediate state between unreclaimed heaps and the control site. Reclaimed and unreclaimed sites were significantly different from each other, as well as from the control site.

Our study indicates that both reclaimed and unreclaimed heaps serve as important biodiversity hotspots for threatened or endangered species.