Bryoflora of technogenic landscapes of the Podmoskovye brown coal basin

The aim of the study was to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the bryoflora of technogenic landscapes of the Podmoskovye Brown Coal Basin, and to assess their role in the conservation of rare bryophytes. 124 species have been identified as part of the bryoflora of the technogenic landscapes. In terms of species diversity, the bryoflora of the studied area is significantly richer than that of the coal-mining regions of Kuzbass and Lviv Podillya. This is due to the long period of non-operation, favorable climatic conditions, and a complex landscape structure, including large quarry-lake complexes. 25 species have been identified in the bryoflora of individual spoil tips with adjacent territories (from 7 to 20 species in one object); 116 species in the bryoflora of quarry-lake complexes of coal mines, the number of species varying from 23 (Petrushevsky mine) to 80 species (Suvorov quarries).

In the composition of the moss cover of technogenic landscapes, the species with a score of 1 (rare species with very low coverage) prevail – 44%, the species with a score of 2 (rather low local occurrence and relatively low coverage) are second-prevailing – 32%. There are 13% only of sporadic species with moderate indexes of both coverage and abundance (moderately active); the share of active species, i.e. frequent, highly and moderately abundant (scores 4 and 5) is only 15% in total.

In the landscape structure of quarry-lake landscapes, standing out by species diversity are aquatic and slope landscapes (40 species each) and old-age pine plantations (35); on manes, 30 species were identified; on rocky sides of quarries, in ravines and in fragments of natural oak-lime forests – 25 in each; on plumes and infrastructure facilities – 20 in each. Poor species composition was noted on wastelands (10) and in runoff hollows (7).

The largest number of species (60) grows on relatively formed soils, about 30 ones are found on large stone blocks, and 24 species are found on woody substrates. 22–28 species grow on substrates with the most extreme environmental conditions (coal soil mixtures, washed soils, crumble), with predominance of acrocarpous mosses, highly active and regularly spore-bearing, acidophilic mesophytes, as well as anthropotolerant species, indifferent to the chemistry of the substrate and the degree of its moisture.

The technogenic landscapes of the Podmoskovye Brown Coal Basin give shelter to a large number of rare species (about 20% of the species composition), 6 species being listed in the regional Red Data Books, and the condition of their populations is satisfactory and good. Currently, only one object (Konduki, Ushakovsky Mine) has the status of a protected landscape of local importance. It is advisable to organize the protection of such landscape-biologically and aesthetically valuable objects as the Kimovskiye Lakes, Suvorovskiye quarries, quarry-lake landscapes of the Gryzlovsky and Bogoroditsky coal mines.