ECOLOGICAL MONITORING OF THE RECLAMATION PROCESSES OF THE QUARRY COMPLEXES OF CRIMEA

Abstract

The aim of the work was to study the temporal stages of primary syngenesis in a comparative assessment of the intensity of vegetation demutational processes and soil cover formation on the waste quarry-dump complexes in the steppe and foothill Crimea. Methods and materials. The studies were conducted in two quarries. The first one is located in the steppe part of the peninsula. It was producing limestone, the quarry is located near the city of Evpatoria. The second quarry is located in the foothill zone near Bakhchisaray. The study of the vegetation was conducted by geobotanical methods. The floristic composition, structure of composition and productivity of the corresponding communities were identified. When assessing the physical indicators of the underlying rocks and emerging soils were taken into account: the aggregate and microaggregate composition of soils, porosity and well of their structure by volume and specific weight of the solid phase. At chemical researches of soils the following parameters were defined: the maintenance of humus, composition of exchangeable cations, active acidity of aqueous extract, general alkalinity, ions Ca2+ and Mg2+. Results. Regional features of vegetation composition and soil-forming processes have been established. The process of regenerating biogeocenoses in the plain part of the peninsula was found to proceed faster than in the foothills. The processes of soil and vegetation syngenesis at the dumps during the biological recultivation are strongly stretched on the time scale and are still very far from the natural ecosystems even after 35-40 years.  Conclusions. Focusing on optimizing these areas through biological reclamation alone is problematic. It is necessary to plan mining-technical reclamation to return these territories to economic use.