Vegetation succession in restoration of disturbed sites in Central Europe: the direction of succession and species richness across 19 seres

Abstract

The seres studied are more similar in their species composition in the initial and early stages, in which synanthropic species prevail, than in the later stages when the vegetation differentiates. This divergence is driven mainly by local moisture conditions.

In most cases, succession led to woodland, which usually established after ca. 20 yrs. In very dry or wet places (with limited presence of woody species) open vegetation developed, often highly valuable from the restoration and conservation point of view.

The total number of species and the number of target species increased in the majority of seres with successional age.

Keywords

• Species number
• Ordination
• Restoration
• Succession
• Target species