Abstract Degradation of cliff-top habitats due to industrial activity is infrequent, leading to unique challenges when activity ceases and a site requires remediation. Dounreay, an ex-nuclear power facility on the north coast of Scotland, is currently being decommissioned prior to complete demolition of all buildings. A small area of the site will then be covered in a 1000 mm capping layer to prevent contamination of bioreceptors at the surface from below ground contaminants. Topsoil replacement is frequently used in such instances, however, limited availability of topsoil in the region means that other materials are sought to mitigate against undesirable ecological and economic costs. We tested combinations of differentially graded rocks and topsoil to assess their suitability in supporting re-vegetation. The vegetation response was measured as richness (numbers of species), ground cover, species diversity, and biomass. Wider ecosystem function was assessed by measuring invertebrate numbers and diversity, and comparing these to locally relevant reference site data. Fine crushed rock supported native vegetation establishment and growth, though cover, diversity, and biomass (after three years) were significantly below levels found when topsoil was used instead. Initial establishment on the fine crushed rock may be limited by the low water retention and nutrient availability of the material. We suggest that a rich heterogeneous habitat able to support a wide range of native vegetation and invertebrates may be provided by mixing topsoil with the fine crushed rock in the future. This mosaic combination would also allow for significant ecological and financial cost savings (against topsoil only remediation) and could be tested on larger scales.

中文翻译：

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小规模现场试验确定了封闭核场地的最佳栖息地恢复方案

摘要 由于工业活动而导致悬崖顶栖息地退化的情况很少见，当活动停止且场地需要修复时会导致独特的挑战。Dounreay 是位于苏格兰北海岸的一座前核电站，目前正在退役，然后才能完全拆除所有建筑物。场地的一小部分区域将覆盖 1000 毫米的覆盖层，以防止地下污染物对表面生物受体的污染。在这种情况下经常使用表土置换，但是，该地区表土的有限可用性意味着寻求其他材料来减轻不良的生态和经济成本。我们测试了不同分级的岩石和表土的组合，以评估它们在支持重新植被方面的适用性。植被响应被测量为丰富度（物种数量）、地面覆盖、物种多样性和生物量。通过测量无脊椎动物数量和多样性，并将这些与当地相关参考地点数据进行比较，评估了更广泛的生态系统功能。细碎的岩石支持原生植被的建立和生长，但覆盖率、多样性和生物量（三年后）显着低于使用表土时的水平。在细碎岩石上的初始建立可能受到材料的低保水性和养分可用性的限制。我们建议，将来可以通过将表土与细碎的岩石混合，提供能够支持各种原生植被和无脊椎动物的丰富的异质栖息地。