Vegetation in industrial composting facilities: diaspore contamination pathways

Industrial composting facilities (ICFs) are engineered geoenvironmental systems where operational disturbance and material transport may facilitate secondary dispersal of plant diaspores. This study evaluated vegetation diversity and habitat-specific plant distribution within a municipal ICF in Brno-Černovice, Czech Republic, across four functional zones: waste storage area (WSA), composting troughs, ready compost storage, and paved roads. Vegetation surveys conducted from June 2020 to June 2021 recorded 52 plant taxa. Species richness and vegetation cover were highest in the WSA and lowest on paved roads, indicating pronounced spatial heterogeneity. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) confirmed that habitat type significantly influenced species composition (Monte Carlo test, 999 permutations; p = 0.001). Disturbance-dependent taxa predominated across all zones, reflecting recurrent mechanical handling and compost turning. CCA further identified habitat-associated assemblages, with strong links between the WSA and compost storage areas, suggesting continuity of contamination pathways from incoming waste to mature compost. Taxa characterised by passive dispersal and persistent seed banks were prevalent throughout the facility, indicating long-term potential for secondary dispersal. These findings highlight operational contamination pathways and support integrating biological contamination indicators into compost quality monitoring and geoenvironmental management, contributing to sustainable development goals (SDGs) 11, 12, and 15.