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

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.