| Summary: | In the Old-Polish Industrial Region (Southern
Poland, Central Europe), specific remnants of former
iron-ore extraction occur. These interesting post-mining
habitats influence the plant cover which emerges on
them. In this paper, I analyzed the impact of the former
iron-ore mining on the increase of plant species richness
in forest communities. I analyzed the floristic composition
of 100 phytosociological relevés (plots) made in the
mining areas, their surroundings and 100 associated
soil samples. I found that within the island communities
developing in the former mining fields, there was a
considerable increase in the number of species of
native flora (in comparison with communities of nontransformed
areas). This increase in species richness is
caused chiefly by the increased proportion of species
characteristic of the syntaxa from the Querco-Fagetea
class – species exclusively attached to the mesophilous
forest communities developing in gob piles whose limits
are marked by the material extracted and scattered
around in ancient times. My research suggested that in
this case, mining activity exerted a positive influence on
the biodiversity in forested areas, improving the quality
of soils and creating mesophilous forest communities
growing on remnants of former iron-ore extraction,
which are specific islands among acidophilous forest
communities growing in the non-transformed areas.
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