The disturbance of grasslands in the vicinity of copper plant in the town

Year, pages: 2004, 153 - 161

The history of copper plant in the town of Krompachy has been dated since 1843. The main pollutants were SO2, SO3 and heavy metals Cu, Zn, Pb and As. The strong injury of Arrhenatheretum elatioris grasslands were probably induced by the significant increase of pollutants in 1989 – 1993. The decrease of the cover and the total number of species, prevailing acidophilous and heavy metal tolerant plant species were characteristic. Four stages of degradation were detected: stages with Arrhenatherum elatius, Agrostis capillaris, Avenella flexuosa, and Calamagrostis epigejos. The toxic effects were visible on the develop-ment of bare soils after the dying of vegetation. The occurrence of lichens such as Cladonia rei, C. fimbria-ta, Diploschistes muscorum, Placynthiella icmalea and moss Ceratodon purpureus with 30 – 50 % cover, detected in 2003, may indicated possible regeneration of habitats after the pollution decrease to the sublimit concentrations. Vascular plants were not recorded on the bare soils so far