Vegetation restoration restricts rill development on dump slopes in coalfields

Area of Science:

• Ecological restoration
• Soil science
• Environmental engineering

Background:

• Rill erosion on mining dump slopes is a significant environmental concern.
• Vegetation restoration is a key strategy for soil erosion control.
• Long-term impacts of vegetation on rill development require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the long-term influence of different vegetation restoration models on rill development on mining dump slopes.
• To compare the effectiveness of natural restoration (CK), Elymus dahuricus (ED), and Artemisia ordosica (AO) in controlling rill erosion.
• To identify key factors influencing rill morphology and development.

Main Methods:

• Investigated rill development characteristics on dump slopes under three restoration models (CK, ED, AO).
• Evaluated rill morphology and erosion modulus over three recovery periods (1, 3, and 5 years).
• Analyzed the contribution of vegetation coverage and root systems to rill control.

Main Results:

• Both ED and AO effectively controlled rills wider than 15 cm and 10-20 cm deep.
• ED demonstrated superior inhibition of rill morphology and network development compared to AO.
• Rill erosion modulus decreased by 76.29%-90.77% for ED and 46.66%-61.49% for AO slopes versus CK.
• Vegetation coverage was the primary factor influencing rill morphology, accounting for 34.99% of variation.

Conclusions:

• Vegetation restoration, particularly with ED, significantly mitigates rill erosion on mining dump slopes.
• Vegetation coverage plays a more critical role in controlling rill development than root systems.
• Findings offer valuable insights for optimizing vegetation strategies in mining areas to combat soil loss.