A systematic review and meta-analysis on ecological restoration of
mining areas in the arid region of China: challenge, capability and
reconsideration
Abstract
The arid region in China with rich mineral resources are belongs to
ecological fragile region with inadequate recovering capacity. Hundred
years of continues mining of mineral resources for economic purposes,
leads to the problem of land degradation caused by the spatial coupling
of large-scale mining disturbance and arid fragile ecological
environment. The environmental problems created by mining have not been
addressed promptly, while at the same time, new problems have emerged.
On the basis of our 20 years of practical experience on ecological
restoration in mining areas, review and synthesis of selective
literature, with interpretation and perspective, the mining situation
and its ecological impacts, the factors impeding ecological restoration
capability in the arid region in China were examined, the key challenges
and promotion strategy were presented. The main findings of this study
are as follows: Land degradation is the most prominent problem resulting
in mining activities, and mainly reflected by immediate disturbance,
long term effects and ecological degradation. The main challenges faced
by mining area restoration in arid areas are unclear objectives of
ecological restoration, lack of ecological water consumption,
unreasonable selection of indigenous plants, serious land degradation
and wide restoration area. Our restoration experiments in typical mining
areas have proved that the micro-topography reconstruction measures can
increase surface roughness, redistribute limited precipitation resources
(especially snow), and make soil water and nutrients carried by surface
runoff and collected in valleys to regulate soil infiltration and water
supply, so as to achieve water-saving and non-irrigated vegetation
restoration .The ideal restoration effects are the mitigation of
geological hazards, the increase of available land resources, and the
improvement of ecosystem services in mining areas. This study would be
helpful to carried out related implementation on ecological restoration
and could act as a valuable reference for the researchers involved in
the ecological restoration.in arid region.