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Correlation of soil nutrients and plant community in ecological reclamation of opencast coal mine in a semiarid area.

LIU Wei-hua1, ZHAO Bing-qing2, BAI Zhong-ke3,4, SHANGGUAN Tie-liang1,2, DUAN Yi-hao2, ZHANG Jie5, GUO Dong-gang2**   

  1. (1Institute of Loess Plateau, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China; 2 College of Environmental and Resource Sciences of Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China; 3 School of Land Sciences & Technology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China; 4Key Laboratory of Land Cosolidation and Rehabilitation, Ministry of Land and Resources, Beijing 100035, China; 5College of Life Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China)
  • Online:2014-09-10 Published:2014-09-10

Abstract:

A 0.8hm2 plot at the ecoreclamation area in Antaibao Opencast Coal mine of ChinaCoal Pingshuo Coal Company Limited was established for monitoring the plant community and soil after reforestation of a mixed plantation of locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) and pine (Pinus tabuliformis). The relationships among the factors of soil pH, nutrients, vegetation density, tree height and DBH were examined. The results showed that the organic matter, total N and available K were similar to or higher than those of the original landscape, while the pH, available N and P were far lower than those prior to mining activities. In the same profile, the soil nutrients at 0-20 cm depth were significantly higher than at 20-40 cm depth. For both tree species, the tree density was negatively correlated to the mean height and DBH and well fitted through simple linear regressions. The density, height and DBH of R. pseudoacacia population were significantly correlated with the soil pH, available N and P. The principal component analysis revealed that the contributions of soil factors to the R. pseudoacacia population were in the order of available N > pH > available P. The regression models obtained in the study are expected to be useful in providing guidance to the reforestation of R. pseudoacacia population at ecoreclamation areas.
 

Key words: ecosystem assets, ecosystem accounting, ecosystem services