Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), the suitable pioneer species for afforestation of reclamation sites?

•Scots pine forests vs. reclaimed sites with Scots pine showed significant growth differences.•Standard forests showed higher stand volume (by 22%) and biomass production (by 19%).•Out of reclamation variants, highest production potential was on reclaimed coal-mine.•Climatic factors had higher effect on radial growth on reclamation sites compared to forest sites.•Lack of precipitation and droughts in growing season were the main limiting factors for growth.