Coal exploitation has produced a huge amount of mining waste whose considerable part is being piled onthe waste dumps. The analysis was carried out in the area of Ruda Slaska city. The waste dumps are located within thecity limits. The spontaneous processes of succession can thus help to manage such urban landscapes in compliancewith the principles of sustainable development.The majority of such territories are managed and restored. However, some areas avoid reclamation processes andinstead undergo the process of spontaneous vegetation or even landscape succession. The aim of the research is firstand foremost to characterize the spontaneous succession of vegetation in terms of habitat requirements to which weinclude light, temperature, humidity, trophic conditions, reaction (pH), granulometric composition and plant lifeforms. In the second place the aim was to determine the direction of the spontaneous succession of vegetation as wellas to demonstrate the usefulness of such types of research while planning the reclamation of the post-mining areas thathave been deformed to suit the urban landscape.The result of the analysis showed the occurrence of 108 vascular plants in I and 60 in II waste dump. It was mostlyphotophilous species that prevailed on both waste dumps. They were mostly native as well as non-native species.Some species like Calamagrosits epigejos, Robinia pseudoacacia, Betula pendula have high biological productivitydespite unfavorable conditions. The overgrown dumps shaped the image of the city landscape in a specific way.However, the investigation showed that the number of species on the waste dumps increases with time. The results ofthe research into the conditions that reign on the dumping grounds provide the basis for projects of reclaiming thepost-mining sites, in particular the waste dumps, from raw material extraction, as well as demonstrate the usefulnessof the spontaneous succession of plants.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3846/enviro.2017.098