EN
The prediction of species response to human activity is of great interest in contemporary restoration ecology. The purpose of the article was to analyse which species life history traits and species habitat preferences are important during succession after the abandonment of mining activity in a sand-pit. During a 15-year period (1996–2010), 176 phytosociological relevés were placed within vegetation patches of different ages and divided according to soil moisture, thus forming two series of chronosequences that ranged from 0 to ca. 50 years. The datasets were analysed using both DCA/CCA ordinations and regression trees. The successional gradient, apart from the theoretically predicted replacement R by C strategists, revealed the occurrence of stresstolerant ruderals and competitive ruderals in the early successional stages. However, differences were observed between the wet and dry series. On dry soils the ruderals, anemochorous and windpollinated species dominated in the early phases. In the middle successional phases, a preponderance of anemochorous species (nanophanerophytes, light or semi-shade demanding species), nitrogen-poor and competitive ruderals or species typical for nitrogen-rich soils was recorded. In the late successional stages, species with both the ability of vegetative and generative reproduction appeared. On the other hand, on wet sites in the early successional phases, species with vegetative growth, hydrophytes, chamaephytes and stresscompetitors prevailed. Later in the succession, they were replaced by insect-pollinated species in nitrogen rich habitats and stress-tolerant ruderals on less fertile habitats. Finally, competitors started to prevail. Knowledge of the environmental conditions of a given site, the ecological processes and species biology can assist in achieving the desired goals or in initiating or enhancing succession on some disturbed sites.