Mycorrhizal plants’ accelerated revegetation on coal mine overburden in the dry steppes of Kazakhstan

Abstract

Coal mine (Fedorovsky open-pit mine) overburden of Karaganda, Kazakhstan, is characterized by plants associated with mycorrhizae. This is a long-term work that was carried out methodically in 1978, 1980, 1990, and 2006 in different parts of overburden rocks of Karaganda, Kazakhstan. During the process of development of vegetation on the overburden rocks, there has been an increase in the composition of obligate species associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. The proportion of non-mycorrhizal species declined gradually. Phytosociologic investigation of these plant communities over a range of period made it possible to estimate the rate of changes in the ratio of plants of different mycorrhizal groups. Despite the fact that the total number and species composition gradually changed, different mycorrhizal species stabilized after the early succession (5 years). The ecto- and endomycorrhizal fungi enhanced growth of the three woody species on these overburden sites.