Botanical and ecological characteristics of the floristic core of woody-shrub plant communities on technogenically devastated lands (Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine)

The long-term effect of man-made impact on the environment leads to a radical change in the biogeocenotic cover, among which a special place is given to the devased lands of the Kryvyi Rih region. Their area has increased significantly over the past fifty years and continues to grow and today is more than 30 thousand hectares. hectare. The process of restoring these lands, in particular the quarry-dump type, which were formed during open-pit mining, is usually slow, the natural vegetation cover here quite specific. The present study examines the results of assessing the floristic composition, ecomorphic characteristics, and vitality of woody and shrub plants that constitute the floristic core on technogenically devastated lands. The study utilized the results of our own research conducted from 2019 to 2023 on the territory of the disturbed areas in the Kryvyi Rih iron ore region. It has been determined that the floristic core on the devastated lands of the Kryvyi Rih region consists of 19 species belonging to 15 genera and 11 families. Within the ecological spectrum of the floristic complex (core) comprising woody and shrubby species, mesoxerophytes are prevalent, succeeded by mesotrophs, with a consistent occurrence of sciophytes and heliophytes. Our results indicate that the ecological conditions of the devastated lands are relatively favorable for the growth and development of woody and shrub plant species. It was found that the vital condition of the floristic complex (core) was assessed as «weakened». The condition of woody plants suggests the relative favorability of the ecological conditions of the dump for their growth and development.