Vegetation Structure and Disturbance Drivers on a Closed Municipal Solid Waste Landfill in Kokshetau (Akmola Region, Kazakhstan)

Landfills represent areas of pronounced anthropogenic disturbance, with substantial impacts on local vegetation. The composition and structure of plant communities serve as indicators of eco-system alteration and may function as reservoirs of species with potential utility in ecological restoration. This study provides the first detailed assessment of vegetation structure on a closed MSW landfill in Kokshetau (Akmola Region, northern Kazakhstan; semi-arid steppe/forest-steppe setting) and demonstrates an integrative, restoration-oriented monitoring and target-setting workflow, including a localized phytoremediation screening framework integrating field performance, ecological indicator values, and literature-based functional traits, with a risk/governance filter. A total of 76 vascular plant species were recorded during the field survey, predominantly comprising annual herbaceous taxa adapted to highly disturbed environments. The families Asteraceae and Poaceae were the most species-rich, while Chenopodiaceae and Brassicaceae were also notably represented. Meadow-steppe species constituted the majority (45.5%) of the phytosociological spectrum. Multivariate ecological and statistical analyses revealed that community composition was primarily influenced by the degree of disturbance ( p = 0.016), rather than soil pH, with Cannabis sativa and Bassia scoparia emerging as key indicators of less disturbed sectors, contrasting with actively disturbed dumping areas. Consequently, restoration efforts should prioritize mesophytic species adapted to open, sunlit habitats and capable of establishing on slightly alkaline soils, while accounting for site-specific constraints to support long-term vegetation recovery. Notably, Artemisia absinthium and Bassia scoparia were identified as candidate taxa for phytoremediation-oriented restoration, based on their in situ ecological performance and literature-reported traits, albeit with limitations due to allergenic pollen and invasive tendencies, respectively. These findings support phytoremediation strategy design on disturbed landscapes by emphasizing regionally adapted species selection that balances ecological suitability with potential ecological risks.