Dynamics of Alpha Diversity During the Restoration Succession of Grass Communities of Fallow Lands and Pits

Abstract—The features of the restoration of the diversity of plant communities formed under different edaphic conditions were studied. In the period of 2006–2020, restorative successions on the territory of the Tagil zone of the Middle Urals were observed on nine sites, five of which were fallow lands, and four were overgrown anthropogenic pits. In the course of direct observations of the communities of fallow lands and pits, four groups of phytocenoses were identified, reflecting successive stages of succession: gramineous phytocenoses with maintaining their status during the study period; gramineous phytocenoses with subsequent transition to the meadow stage; and early meadow and formed meadow phytocenoses. The temporal dynamics of their species composition and alpha diversity was studied. Differences in indicators of diversity of communities associated with their successional age and physicochemical parameters of soils (agrozems and technozems) were established. Communities of agrozems and technozems differed in the rate of change in alpha diversity indicators. The increase in these indicators occurred significantly faster on agrozems than on technozems. The transition between stages was not accompanied by a significant increase in the diversity of communities on technozems.