ИСТИНА

For the first time, vegetation cover formed at the treatment facilities of sugar factories in the forest-steppe and steppe (Chernozem) zone of Russia were studied in the Kursk Region. Sugar production generates much wastewater discharged into extensive treatment facilities – networks of settling ponds separated by earth walls. Specific anthropogenic soils and vegetation types have been developing depending on the topography and activity of the settling ponds for decades. The variability of vegetation communities was described taking into account topography, soils and wetting or drying of the settling ponds. On the bottoms of ponds, as drainage intensifies and lasts longer, various soils and associated plant communities are formed. Ass. Lemnetum minoris (all. Lemnion minoris, or. Lemnetalia, cl. Lemnetea) are found on Histic Gleysol (Alcalic Clayic) in the watering settling ponds. Ass. Phragmitetum communis (all. Phragmition communis, or. Phragmitetalia communis, cl. PhragmitoMagnocaricetea) grows in dried ponds on Histic Gleysol (Alcalic Loamic). Disturbed surfaces of periodically flooded settling ponds are covered with annual plant communities: ass. Chenopodietum albi on Histic Gleysol (Alcalic Loamic) or ass. Cannabio-Atriplicetum nitentis on Spolic Garbic Technosol (Alcalic Calcic Siltic Densic) (all. Sisymbrion officinalis, or. Sisymbrietalia, cl. Bidentetea tripartitae). Thickets or park forests of the invasive Acer negundo mainly occupy inactive settling ponds and earth walls, forming communities of ass. Aceretum negundo (all. Chelidonio-Acerion negundo, or. Chelidonio-Robinietalia, cl. Rhamno-Prunetea) on the Eutric Cambisol (Loamic Protocalcic Oxyaquic). Thus, on the territory of treatment facilities, specific landscapes were formed, the spatial structure of which is similar to the structure of wetlands – the alternation of wet areas and dry islands.