Plant traits as indicators of recovery of reclaimed wellsites in forested areas: Slow but directional succession trajectory

Trait-based approaches can provide a generalizable mechanistic understanding of complex post-disturbance succession dynamics of plant communities. Much of our knowledge regarding successional trajectories of functional trait composition come from observations of natural disturbances that leave physical and biological legacy on site for self regeneration. We lack, however, understanding of the long-term recovery in severely degraded lands...