Assessing Ecological Restoration in Arid Mining Regions: A Progressive Evaluation System

Abstract

The mining activities in arid regions have resulted in significant ecological environmental issues, exacerbating the already challenging ecological conditions and leading to severe ecosystem damage. Merely relying on natural recovery processes proves inadequate, thus necessitating the implementation of artificial restoration measures to facilitate ecosystem recovery in these arid mining regions. However, it is difficult to scientifically answer the questions of how artificial restoration can be effectively combined with natural recovery, and to what extent can artificial assistance can define the beginning of natural recovery in ecosystems. To address this issue, this study proposed a stepwise ecological restoration model for arid mining regions. The model delineated the ecological restoration process in arid mining regions into three phases: “artificial reconstruction”, “auxiliary ecological restoration”, and “natural recovery”, and constructed an evaluation index system of the stepwise ecological restoration process. Taking an example of a mining ecological restoration in Aksu, Xinjiang, this study examined the evaluation effects of the stepwise ecological restoration model on ecological restoration projects in arid mining regions. The research showed that adopting the stepwise ecological restoration model in arid mining regions can achieve scientific and moderate artificial restoration, better clarify ecological restoration goals, and facilitate the implementation of ecological restoration projects.