Journal of Vegetation Science 27 (2016) 515–523 Does succession run towards potential natural vegetation? An analysis across seres Karel Prach, Lubom  ır Tich y, Kamila Lencov a, Martin Ad amek, Tom a s Kouteck y, Ji  r  ıS adlo, Alena Barto sov a, Jan Nov ak, Pavel Kov a  r, Alena J  ırov a, Petr  Smilauer & Kl ara  Rehounkov a Keywords Climax; Moisture; Ordination; pH; Potential natural vegetation; Species composition; Succession Nomenclature Names of syntaxa: Chytr y (2013) Received 13 May 2015 Accepted 1 December 2015 Co-ordinating Editor: Zolt an Botta-Duk at Prach, K. (Corresponding author, prach@prf.jcu.cz) 1,2 , Tich y, L. (tichy@sci.muni.cz) 3 , Lencov a, K. (Lencova.Kamila@seznam.cz) 1 , Ad amek, M. (Martynek@seznam.cz) 4,5 , Kouteck y, T. (koutaml@email.cz) 6 , S adlo, J. (saadlo@volny.cz) 4 , Barto sov a, A. (bartosova.alena@gmail.com) 1 , Nov ak, J. (prourou@gmail.com) 1 , Kov a r, P. (pavel.kovar@natur.cuni.cz) 5 , J  ırov a, A. (cralenka@yahoo.co.uk) 1 ,  Smilauer, P. (petrsm@jcu.cz) 1 ,  Rehounkov a, K. (klara.rehounkova@gmail.com) 1 1 Department of Botany, Faculty of Science USB, Brani  sovsk a 1760, CZ-37005  Cesk e Bud ejovice, Czech Republic; 2 Institute of Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Dukelsk a 135, CZ-37981 T  rebo n, Czech Republic; 3 Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotl  a  rsk a 2, CZ- 61137 Brno, Czech Republic; 4 Institute of Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, CZ-252 43 Pr  uhonice, Czech Republic; 5 Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Ben atsk a 2, CZ-128 09 Prague 2, Czech Republic; 6 Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University, Zem ed elsk a 3, CZ-613 00 Brno, Czech Republic Abstract Questions: (1) Do 17 seres studied proceed towards corresponding potential natural vegetation; (2) what are the similarities between seral and potential nat- ural vegetation, and is it possible to estimate how long it takes to reach potential natural vegetation; and (3) do primary and secondary seres differ? Location: Extracted peatlands, corridors of the former iron curtain, artificial fishpond islands and barriers, sedimentary basins, various spoil heaps after min- ing, various stone quarries, forest clearings, burned-down forests, road verges, sand and gravel-sand pits, river gravel bars and abandoned arable fields located in various parts of the Czech Republic. Methods: Seral stages were sampled by phytosociological relev es (2602). The following categories of successional age were considered: early (1–10 yrs), inter- mediate (11–25 yrs) and late (>25 yrs). Phytosociological relev es (386) repre- senting corresponding potential natural vegetation were extracted from the National Phytosociological Database. DCA and CCA ordinations were performed to compare the pattern of seral stages with potential natural vegetation and between primary and secondary seres. Dissimilarity between seral stages of pri- mary and secondary successions and the corresponding potential natural vegeta- tion was further assessed using the Bray-Curtis dissimilarity measure. Extrapolation was performed to estimate when the seres will reach the stage cor- responding to potential natural vegetation. Results: The ordination showed that successions proceeded towards the corre- sponding potential natural vegetation and reflected substrate pH, site moisture and successional age. The estimated average time needed to reach potential nat- ural vegetation was about 180 yrs for primary successions and about 260 yrs for secondary successions, considering presence–absence species data, and 200 and 250 yrs, respectively, considering cover data. All species recorded in potential natural vegetation (421) were also recorded in seral vegetation. Conclusions: In the general view across the high number of seres spread over the whole country, successions advanced in the direction of the corresponding potential natural vegetation. The extrapolated recovery of potential natural veg- etation is faster in primary seres than in secondary ones, and seres sooner resem- ble the corresponding potential natural vegetation in species composition than in vegetation structure. 515 Journal of Vegetation Science Doi: 10.1111/jvs.12383 © 2016 International Association for Vegetation Science