Journal of Rangeland

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Identifying the spatial distribution of vegetation and their responses to pollution gradient is important for biodiversity conservation and vegetation restoration in mining sites. This study investigated the spatial pattern of vegetation around mine affected areas in Sungun copper mine. For this regard vegetation cover and soil was sampled in 160 plots (1m²) from seven identifing sites including; border of the Sungun River and Pakhir River, waste dump, oxide dump, and three rangeland areas around mine pit. The result of hierarchical clustering algorithm showed five distinctive plant communities in Sungun cooper mine. The dominant species were Astragalus microcephalus, Verbascum oreophilum, Festuca ovina, Bupleurum falcatum, Medicago lupulina, Rumex scutatus, Agropyron intermedium, Scariola orientalis, Polygonum alpestre. Nonmetric multidimensional clustering method (NMDS) revealed a gradient of soil parameters and contaminant elements that cause diffrentiation of plant communities. In relation with soil nutrients axies, there were plant communities associated with rangelands around the mine pits and the rangeland next to the waste dump. And communities of Rumex scutatus + Agropyron intermedium and Scariola orientalis + Polygonum alpestre were appeared in relation with metal and metalloides axies which were distribued in Pakhir and Sungun rivers, Oxide dump and Waste dump. These areas are most affected by sulfur, chalcophile metal elements. The results of this study showed that there is a set of plant species, especially metallophytes, including; Trifolium fragiferum, Onobrychis altissima, Onobrychis bungei, Melilotus officinalis, Medicago coronate, Medicago lupulina, Medicago minima from Fabaceae and Bromus tomentellus and Melica persica from Poaceae along contamination gradient which can be useful in vegetation restoration on waste dump and other disturbed areas of Sungun copper mine.

Keywords: ecosystem degredation, mining, metal elements, mine waste, metallophytes, pioneer species

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