Transformation of vegetation, soils, and soil microbiota in the impact zone of the coal mine «Vorkutinskaya»

The article is devoted to investigation of vegetation, soils, and soil microbiota in the impact area of the coal mine «Vorkutinskaya» located in the Vorkuta industrial region (Komi Republic, Russia). Area around coal mining is divided into three impact zones (impact zone, buffer zone and background). The impact zone near mine dumps is being overgrown with grassy plants which ratio in projective cover is 40%. Soils contain increased amounts of barium and strontium as compared to background since they are contaminated with coal dust that includes the above elements. Soil microbiota involves species which normally grow at anthropogenically disturbed areas as black sterile colonies of Mycelia sterilia, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Aureobasidium pullulans, Paecilomyces carneus, P. inflatus, Mucor sp. and yeastfungi of the Candida genus. Soils and vegetation in the buffer zone are less damaged. Soil biota is dominated by species being typical of background soils but also includes numerous eurytopic species of micromycetes from the Paecillomyces, Mucor, Aureobasidium genera. In the background zone, soil, vegetation, and soil microbiota are typical for nature ecosystem of the study region. The mine dumps are identified not to cause significant aerogenic soil pollution. The changes in soil microbe complex at the area near mine dumps are mainly related with changed living conditions of tundra ecosystem due to formation of mine dumps.