Impact of vegetation restoration patterns on soil erosion in the wasteland of Urat mining area

ZHANG Xin-yu; ZHA Tong-gang; ZHANG Xiao-xia; WANG Dong; ZHANG Ze-yu; PEI Yi-le

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China Environmental Science ›› 2025, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (10) : 5627-5638.

Soil Pollution Control

Impact of vegetation restoration patterns on soil erosion in the wasteland of Urat mining area

ZHANG Xin-yu¹, ZHA Tong-gang^1,2, ZHANG Xiao-xia^1,3, WANG Dong⁴, ZHANG Ze-yu¹, PEI Yi-le¹

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Abstract

This study investigated the impacts of vegetation restoration patch patterns (blank control, checkerboard, horizontal strip, and diagonal strip) and scouring flow rates (3, 4.5, and 6L/min) on slope soil erosion characteristics and vegetation conservation benefits in a mining wasteland of Urat Front Banner. Key findings include: Runoff and sediment yield decreased on vegetation- restored slopes but increased with higher souring flow rates. The horizontal strip pattern slope exhibited the smallest increase in runoff and sediment yield with rising flow rate, achieving the highest overall runoff reduction rate (34.36%) and sediment reduction rate (79.50%), and sediment reduction capacity [35.09g/(min·m²)]. Runoff rates generally increased during scouring, while sediment yield rates varied across patterns. Sediment yield rate within vegetation patches were significantly lower than the slope average and often negative. The horizontal strip slope exhibited stable sediment yield rate, with the lowest patch sediment yield rate [-13.02g/(min·m²)]. Except for the horizontal strip slope, sediment yield rates correlated linearly with runoff rates. Scouring flow rates dominated runoff and runoff rates, contributing 79.37% and 66.21%, respectively. Moreover, vegetation patch patterns exerted stronger effects on erosion than runoff. In conclusion, the horizontal strip pattern is optimal for soil and water conservation in mining wastelands, and drainage design is crucial for erosion control in these areas.

Key words

mining wasteland / ecological restoration / scouring test / vegetation patch pattern / runoff and sediment yield

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ZHANG Xin-yu, ZHA Tong-gang, ZHANG Xiao-xia, WANG Dong, ZHANG Ze-yu, PEI Yi-le. Impact of vegetation restoration patterns on soil erosion in the wasteland of Urat mining area[J]. China Environmental Science. 2025, 45(10): 5627-5638

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