Growth of invasive plant species communities as a substantial issue in post-mining land development

Abstract

This article concerns the issue of the appearance and growth of invasive plant species in land degraded by hard coal mining as well as the repercussions of this process, particularly in the context of land reclamation. These species, such as e.g. Canadian goldenrod or Japanese knotweed, which nearly always form extensive and monocultural patches of vegetation, contribute to the displacement of both native species and those introduced as part of biological restoration. In 2015, the Central Mining Institute in Katowice prepared a land development concept for a part of the area of the former KWK Paryż mine in Dąbrowa Górnicza (Upper Silesian Industrial Region e Poland), based on its resources and potential, encompassing the “Jadwiga” dump and its vicinity. The presented actions scenarios did not fully factor in the issue related to the growth and control of invasive plant species. Studies of the growth of invasive species communities, conducted from 2015 to 2019 with the use of UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles), revealed the significant propagation of the Japanese knotweed Polygonetum cuspidati (Moor 1958) Th. Müller et Görs 1969 ex Görs 1974 association as well as the Canadian goldenrod Solidago canadensis community. Their elimination increases the cost of the reclamation by 18%.