An ash deposit is a permanent disposal place for waste from combustion, for example, from thermal power plants. Fly ash is deposited there in dry form or floated in the form of water suspension (waste ponds). In addition to fly ash, gypsum from flue-gas desulphurization is also stored there. Ash deposits are artificially created basins, insulated from below (clay, geotextile) to prevent contamination of groundwater. Due to the nature of the substrate and the slow development of vegetation, sand-loving organisms are often found in ash deposits. Wetland species, such as endangered dragonflies and amphibian species, can live in waste ponds. Ash deposits are usually reclaimed by covering them with geotextiles, soil, and grass. They can then also be used for recreation, e.g. as golf courses. In eastern Bohemia there are several well-known ash deposits, e.g., between Bukovina and Dříteč, near Náchod, near Chvaletice, or the former waste pond near Jívka.
Fungi
The first fungi species to appear in ash deposits are typically weak competitors, often ones that depend on bare ground or mosses, e.g., the Stalked Rosette (Cotylidia undulata) or various species of Helvella. With ongoing vegetation development and increasing proportion of woody plants, other species of fungi gradually appear. An oyster mushroom Pleurotus calyptratus grows on dead poplar trunks, a coral fungus Ramaria myceliosa can occasionally be found in litter. Ash pods also host sand-loving species, e.g., Geophora, Rhizopogon, or some Puffballs. Species connected with early succession woody plants include Helvella, Verpa, Tricholoma, Lactarius, and Russula.
Vegetation
Bare soil in ash pits hosts a number of ruderal plants such as hedgemustards, mayweeds, saltbushes and thistles as well as xerophytic plants, e.g. the Great Mullein (Verbascum thapsus), evening-primroses, and tansies. Several rare and protected plants have been found in wet areas of the ash deposits near Jívka, e.g., the Variegated Horsetail (Equisetum variegatum) and three orchids: the Dark-red Helleborine (Epipactis atrotrubens), the Broad-leaved Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza majalis), and the Early Marsh-orchid (Dactylorhiza incarnata).
Animals
Cylindera arenaria tiger beetle is a rare species that inhabits ash deposits, where it has been regularly spotted since the turn of the millennium, often in populations of thousands of individuals. A very rare iron-clad beetle Orthocerus clavicornis has been discovered under lichens in Bukovina nad Labem ash deposit. The same place hosts a unique butterfly, the Grayling (Hipparchia Semele). In the Czech Republic, this butterfly species is on the brink of extinction since its population had rapidly collapsed in the 1990s for unknown reasons. The deposit margins serve as refuge for moths of treeless habitats, e.g. the Grass Eggar (Lasiocampa trifolii) as well as newly spreading thermophilic species such as the Beautiful Marbled (Eublemma purpurina) or Athetis lepigone moth.
Wet ash deposits serve as breeding grounds or even permanent habitat for various amphibian species. These include the Smooth Newt (Lissotriton vulgaris), the Natterjack Toad (Epidalea calamita), the European Green Toad (Bufotes viridis), the Fire-bellied Toad (Bombina bombina), and the Lake Frog (Pelophylax ridibundus). Even some reptiles may be found in wetland habitats, especially the Common Lizard (Zootaca vivipara) and the Grass Snake (Natrix natrix). Dry places with scarce vegetation are ideal for the Sand Lizard (Lacerta agilis) and the Slow Worm (Anguis fragilis). The Woodlark (Lullula arborea) may live in ash deposits with sparse vegetation.
