Ecological Restoration of Coalmine-Degraded Lands: Influence of Plant Species and Revegetation on Soil Development

Jinhui Chen, Izhar Mithal Jiskani () and Guoqing Li
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Jinhui Chen: High-Tech Research and Development Center, Ministry of Science and Technology, Beijing 100044, China
Izhar Mithal Jiskani: State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Guoqing Li: School of Earth Resources, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430079, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 18, 1-15

Abstract: This study investigated soil development resulting from revegetation in a coal mining area in northern Henan, China. The effectiveness of six distinct revegetation methods for reclaiming mine-degraded lands was assessed. These methods employed various species such as Ulmus pumila , Amorpha fruticosa , Robinia pseudoacacia , Jerusalem artichoke , and Sea buckthorn. Over a three-year reclamation period, soil development was analyzed to identify the most suitable plant species. Soil samples were collected from different depths, encompassing the topsoil (0–20 cm) and subsoil (20–40 cm) for each method and a control group. Principal component analysis was employed to evaluate the impacts of the revegetation methods on soil development. The findings show that revegetation significantly impacted soil properties, lowering pH, electric conductivity, and density while increasing moisture, organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The effects were more pronounced in the topsoil. Among the six revegetation methods, a mixed plantation of Sea buckthorn and Amorpha fruticosa was the most effective, delivering the highest organic carbon in the topsoil at 3.23% and the subsoil at 1.32%. This study offers insights into successful mine reclamation and the advancement of green and climate-smart mining practices.

Keywords: green mining; mine reclamation; mine rehabilitation; natural restoration; coal mining (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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