Restoration Effects of Supplementary Planting Measures on the Abandoned Mining Areas in the Altay Mountain, Northwest China
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Material and Methods
2.1. Overview of Study Area
2.2. Experimental Design
2.2.1. Selection of Experimental Area
2.2.2. Sowing Commercial Seeds (M1)
2.3. Investigation of Vegetation and Soil and Data Processing
- (1)
- Investigation of the vegetation
- (2)
- Investigation of the soil
- (3)
- Statistical Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Vegetation Growth under Different Supplementary Planting Methods
3.2. Variations of Community Structure under Different Supplementary Planting Methods
3.3. Variation of Soil–Rock Ratio under Different Supplementary Planting Methods
3.4. Variations of Soil Bulk Density and Soil Moisture Content under Different Supplementary Planting Methods
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
- (1)
- The surface vegetation coverage, vegetation height, vegetation density, and aboveground biomass under two supplementary planting methods, sowing commercial seeds (M1) and sowing soil seed banks (M2), were significantly higher than those of the contrast area (p < 0.01), indicating that both supplementary planting methods can significantly improve the growth status of surface vegetation.
- (2)
- In the short term, the restoration effect of supplementing commercial seeds (M1) is faster but, over time, the effect of supplementing soil seed banks (M2) was more prominent.
- (3)
- Supplementing the soil seed bank method can effectively improve the soil condition, With the leaching effects of this method, its effect on restoring the soil–rock ratio in the plant root layer, e.g., 30–40 cm, is more significant.
- (4)
- Under both supplementary planting methods, the water storage function of soil has significantly improved. However, the remediation effect of method M1 on the soil bulk density is mainly reflected in the surface layer, while the effect of method M2 on the soil bulk density is reflected in deeper, e.g., 40–50 cm, layer.
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Latin Name | Family & Genera | Important Value of Plants | |
---|---|---|---|
Primitive Grassland | Abandoned Mines | ||
Alopecurus pratensis | Gramineae, Alopecurus | 64.99 | |
Poaannua | Gramineae, Poa genus | 62.83 | |
Polyonum alpinum | Polygonaceae, Polygonum genus | 51.56 | |
Ferula ferulaeoides | Umbelliferae, Ferula genus | 48.54 | |
Festuca valesiaca | Gramineae, Festuca genus | 48.33 | |
Deschampsia caespitosa | Gramineae, Deschampsia | 47.96 | 41.13 |
Polyonum amphlibium | Polygonaceae, Polygonum genus | 39.43 | |
Trifolium lupinaster | Leguminosae, Plantago genus | 28.65 | |
Taraxacum, mongolicum | Compositae, Pogostemon genus | 26.72 | |
Myosotis sylvatica | Boraginaceae, Myosotis | 19.11 | |
Medicago falcata | Leguminosae, Alfalfa genus | 15.58 | |
Spiraea hypericifolia | Rosaceae, Spiraea genus | 11.34 | |
Sonchus oleraceus | Compositae, Sophora genus | 12.78 |
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Xu, Q.; Xu, H.; Wei, Y.; Aili, A. Restoration Effects of Supplementary Planting Measures on the Abandoned Mining Areas in the Altay Mountain, Northwest China. Sustainability 2023, 15, 14974. https://doi.org/10.3390/su152014974
Xu Q, Xu H, Wei Y, Aili A. Restoration Effects of Supplementary Planting Measures on the Abandoned Mining Areas in the Altay Mountain, Northwest China. Sustainability. 2023; 15(20):14974. https://doi.org/10.3390/su152014974
Chicago/Turabian StyleXu, Qiao, Hailiang Xu, Yan Wei, and Aishajiang Aili. 2023. "Restoration Effects of Supplementary Planting Measures on the Abandoned Mining Areas in the Altay Mountain, Northwest China" Sustainability 15, no. 20: 14974. https://doi.org/10.3390/su152014974