Possible successions on landfill top covers in the Pannonia area - an example from eastern Austria

Main goals of landfill re-cultivation are minimization of leachate and - in most cases - a simple optical greening effect. The composition and quality of the vegetation cover, however, is not included in the evaluation of the re-cultivation success. On the other hand, the necessity of different after-use concepts is arising. One of these concepts is the creation of habitats for endangered vegetation types and species. The typical semi-dry meadows of pannonian Eastern Austria, for instance, have already become rare. In the light of this situation, methods of vegetation ecology were used on a closed landfill at the eastern border of the Vienna basin to assess the actual plant communities on the landfill top cover. Additionally, an experiment was run to establish a plant cover on the landfill similar to a neighbouring semi-dry meadow which was endangered by the landfill site and by building activities. The experimental re-cultivation plots in the landfill area were covered with sand; half of the test plot area was additionally covered with soil from nearby. The plots were then covered with mulch originating from the semi-dry meadow. 5 g*m(-2) of hand-collected fruits from there were also added, and the plots were inoculated with turf sods. The landfill and the plots were monitored over two years by phytosociological releves. By statistical analysis of ecological indicator values and species life traits, two parts of different age and/or top cover quality could be distinguished on the landfill. Furthermore the decrease of ruderal species and the increase of species characteristic for semi-dry meadows were shown on the experimental plots.