Ecosystem services of the Pechurki quarry

Abstract

One of the actual problem is definition of targets for ecological restoration. Recovery at the quarry a lot of specialists see differently, someone sees it in increasing biodiversity, other, species from red list on the quarry, biomass of a stand, plant communities which existed before mining, soil resistance to anthropogenic influence and restore them after the mining operations, recovering links between plants and animals. We belliwe that one of the most universal criteria for the assessment success of ecological restoration could be ecosystem services. This investigation has been conducted on the Pechurki limestone quarry during the spring and summer season of 2016. The "Pechurki" quarry is situated in Slantsy town in Leningrad region, production of limestone was stopped in 2014. Biological reclamation had been initiated since 1970, in the course of the work pine was planted on the dumps. So at the quarry there are reclaimed plots with different times of overgrowing. However, the vast majority of the quarry area has been undergone spontaneous revegetation process. Species composition and projective cover of vegetation was estimated for different plant communities within each ecotype of quarry and soil characteristics were also evaluated. We also estimated the value of the ecosystem services provided by the plant communities in the quarry. Calculation of ecosystem services of already-existing plant communities was carried out according to the formula proposed by A. G. Rosenberg (2016): E = S (Td * Nd + Nt * Tt), where: Ei - ecosystem services; S - area of plant communities; Nd - number of tree and shrub species; Nt - number of species of herbaceous plants at the quarry, Td and Tt - valuation (this assessment used taxes to calculate the extent of harm to 1 hectare of herbaceous plants (Tm) - 450,000 rubles, 1 hectare of trees and shrubs (AP) -. 750 000 rub.). The total value of ecosystem services provided by the plant communities of the quarry was estimated at 108 480 mln. Rub. or 1,486,027,397 euros. The existing ecosystem of the Pechurki quarry has a great environmental value, because a large number of rare plant and animal species have been found here. A large number of habitats for different species and biodiversity refers to ”Supporting services”. А lot of berries and medicinal plants, as well as edible mushrooms are provisionary services of the quarry. The "Pechurki" quarry is a unique object for ecological and biological education, therefore it provides cultural services. Abandoned quarry - it is not a useless land, quarry is the source of a number of ecosystem services. Rozenberg A. G. Prognoznye scenarii izmenenij jekosistemnyh uslug dlja dostizhenija ustojchivogo razvitija Samarskoj oblasti. – Tol'jati. 2016. 22 p