Dobrovody deposit as a model site for studying the transformation of mining and industrial areas and revitalization strategies for the Podilski Tovtry

Abstract

Abstract: The Podilski Tovtry ridge represents a unique fossil barrier reef system of the Miocene Sarmatian Sea, characterized by exceptional geodiversity and high conservation value. At the same time, this territory has undergone intensive extractive exploitation, primarily through open-cast limestone quarrying, which has produced a series of anthropogenically transformed landscapes. The present study offers a comprehensive interdisciplinary analysis of the transformation of the Podilski Tovtry natural landscapes under the influence of mining and industrial activities, with particular reference to the Dobrovody deposit of detrital limestone (Zbarazh community, Ternopil region, western Ukraine) as a model site. The central scientific contradiction addressed is the tension between the economic rationale for subsoil exploitation and the necessity of preserving the integrity of natural ecosystems within a protected reef ridge. As of 2021, ten active quarries operated within the reef ridge on the territory of Ternopil Oblast, of which eight were stone quarries and two were sand quarries. In addition to active sites, several dozen abandoned quarries of varying size are scattered along the length of the ridge, creating a mosaic of degradation and spontaneous recovery. The study examines field evidence of natural renaturalization, including advanced vegetation succession in quarries near the villages of Zherebky (where natural afforestation is nearly complete) and Sadzhivka (characterized by pine expansion from adjacent forest). The Dobrovody deposit is described in detail: its geological structure, including a layer of shell detrital limestone overlain by recrystallized carbonates, Miocene clays with brown coal interlayers, and Quaternary loams; its physical-mechanical properties (compressive strength 63.2 kg/cm², CaCO₃ content up to 98.5%); and its historical industrial significance as a primary source of quality ashlar stone for mid-20th century construction in Ternopil, Kremenets, Zbarazh, and Kyiv. Currently, the deposit is held in reserve, with remaining estimated reserves exceeding 2.5 million m³. The study highlights two dimensions of its scientific value. First, the exposed quarry walls serve as a “geological window” into the Lower Sarmatian (Volynian sub-stage, 10–14 Ma), with fossil assemblages including mollusks (Cardium, Cerithium, Mactra) and shark teeth, enabling precise biostratigraphic dating. Second, the worked-out section of the deposit hosts a stable local population of Centaurea ternopoliensis — a narrow-range Podilian endemic listed in the European Red List — confirming the role of post-mining sites as biodiversity refugia for calciphilous flora. A four-category classification of disturbed territories is proposed: (1) active-industrial sites requiring strict environmental monitoring; (2) abandoned (degraded) sites acting as sources of negative impact on surrounding agricultural land; (3) potentially recreational sites with exposed geological sections of high aesthetic and scientific value; and (4) renaturalized sites (natural reserves) where spontaneous succession has led to ecosystem self-restoration. The key bioindicators of successful renaturalization in the reef ridge environment are identified as the formation of rendzic leptosols (rendzinas) and the colonization of calciphilous plant species, both signalling a return to a state approximating the autochthonous natural landscape. The study substantiates the need for a paradigm shift in the perception of post-mining sites: from “scarred landscapes” to geosites, scientific research stations, and geotourism destinations. Practical recommendations include the establishment of marked geosites, the application of calciphilous seed mixes to accelerate biodiversity recovery, and the integration of abandoned quarries into regional ecotourism networks. The findings are applicable to planning post-mining land reclamation and sustainable landscape management across the Podilian Tovtry and analogous carbonate reef landforms.