Expansion of Tussilago farfara L. in disturbed environments. l. Population renewal under conditions of plant cover destruction

The effectiveness of renewal of a Tussilago farfara L. population after destruction of the plant cover was studied. This process proceded at a very intense rate mainly due to querilla type vegetative growth. In its successive years the renewing population was characterized by: 1) a dynamic spurt in the number of individuals in the first year after destruction, attaining a maximum the following year; 2) a complete lack of generative shoots in the first year; 3) high mortality of seedlings; 4) change in spatial structure; 5) increased differentiation in the way individual plants spread. Seven-year studies have shown that even drastic disturbances in the environment did not eliminate T. farfara, moreover, complete destruction of the plant cover created favourable conditions for population renewal