Soil physical quality indices of mining-induced disturbances in soil within the Loess region of western China
Abstract
Soil sampling and in situ measurements were conducted at 24 locations at three time points from May 2015 to April 2016. The statistical analysis showed that the variabilities of soil water content and soil penetration were moderate, while particle size and soil saturated hydraulic conductivity varied considerably. Rainfall before measurements contributed positively to the mean soil water content and negatively to particle size. This was mainly due to the soil aggregates and large soil particles being broken into smaller particles from rain splash. The detached small-sized soil particles could coalesce into larger-sized ones and even soil aggregates. Stressors in zones differ, resulting in variations between soil physical quality indices. The point-to-point comparisons indicated that the mean measured soil water content and soil saturated hydraulic conductivity were similar, if the measurements for these two indices were conducted under similar weather conditions during the same period between years. The investigation on the relationships among soil physical quality indices showed a negative relationship between the measured soil water content and soil saturated hydraulic conductivity. A positive correlation was also found between soil particle size and soil saturated hydraulic conductivity. Lower soil strength resulted in higher soil saturated hydraulic conductivity.
Keyword : coal mining subsidence, particle size distribution, post-mining period, soil penetration, soil saturated hydraulic conductivity, soil water content
How to Cite
Yang, D., Bian, Z., Zhang, Y., Yu, H., & Wu, Z. (2024). Soil physical quality indices of mining-induced disturbances in soil within the Loess region of western China. Journal of Environmental Engineering and Landscape Management, 32(1), 22–30. https://doi.org/10.3846/jeelm.2024.19015
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
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Reynolds, W. D., & Lewis, J. K. (2012). A drive point application of the Guelph Permeameter method for coarse-textured soils. Geoderma, 187–188, 59–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2012.04.004
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Tripathi, N., Singh, R. S., & Singh, J. S. (2009). Impact of post-mining subsidence on nitrogen transformation in southern tropical dry deciduous forest, India. Environmental Research, 109, 258–266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2008.10.009
Yang, D., Bian, Z., & Lei, S. (2016). Impact on soil physical qualities by the subsidence of coal mining: A case study in Western China. Environmental Earth Sciences, 75, 652. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-5439-2
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Zimmermann, B., & Elsenbeer, H. (2008). Spatial and temporal variability of soil saturated hydraulic conductivity in gradients of disturbance. Journal of Hydrology, 361, 78–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2008.07.027
Ahirwal, J., Maiti, S. K., & Singh, A. K. (2017). Changes in ecosystem carbon pool and soil CO2 flux following post-mine reclamation in dry tropical environment, India. Science of the Total Environment, 583, 153–162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.01.043
Bagarello, V. (1997). Influence of well preparation on field-saturated hydraulic conductivity measured with the Guelph Permeameter. Geoderma, 80, 169–180. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0016-7061(97)00051-7
Bian, Z. F., Lei, S. G., Inyang, H. I., Chang, L. Q., Zhang, R. C., & Zhou, C. J., & He, X. (2009). Integrated method of RS and GPR for monitoring the changes in the soil moisture and groundwater environment due to underground coal mining. Environmental Geology, 57, 131–142. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-008-1289-x
Bian, Z., Inyang, H. I., Daniels, J. L., & Frank, O. (2010). Environmental issues from coal mining and their solutions. International Journal of Mining Science and Technology, 20, 215–223. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1674-5264(09)60187-3
Bormann, H., & Klaassen, K. (2008). Seasonal and land use dependent variability of soil hydraulic and soil hydrological properties of two Northern German soils. Geoderma, 145, 295–302. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2008.03.017
Dexter, A. R. (2004). Soil physical quality: Part I. Theory, effects of soil texture, density, and organic matter, and effects on root growth. Geoderma, 120, 201–214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2003.09.004
Gwenzi, W., Hinz, C., Holmes, K., Phillips, I. R., & Mullins, I. J. (2011). Field-scale spatial variability of saturated hydraulic conductivity on a recently constructed artificial ecosystem. Geoderma, 166, 43–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2011.06.010
He, Y., He, X., Liu, Z., Zhao, S., Bao, L., & Li, Q., & Yan, L. (2017). Coal mine subsidence has limited impact on plant assemblages in an arid and semi-arid region of northwestern China. Ecoscience, 24, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/11956860.2017.1369620
Huang, Y., Tian, F., Wang, Y., Wang, M., & Hu, Z. (2015). Effect of coal mining on vegetation disturbance and associated carbon loss. Environmental Earth Sciences, 73, 2329–2342. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-014-3584-z
Huang, M., Zettl, J. D., Barbour, S. L., & Pratt, D. (2016). Characterizing the spatial variability of the hydraulic conductivity of reclamation soils using air permeability. Geoderma, 262, 285–293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2015.08.014
Hu, Z., & Xiao, W. (2013). Optimization of concurrent mining and reclamation plans for single coal seam: A case study in northern Anhui, China. Environmental Earth Sciences, 68, 1247–1254. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-012-1822-9
Jing, Z., Wang, J., Zhu, Y., & Feng, Y. (2018). Effects of land subsidence resulted from coal mining on soil nutrient distributions in a loess area of China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 177, 350–361. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.12.191
Krümmelbein, J., & Raab, T. (2012). Development of soil physical parameters in agricultural reclamation after brown coal mining within the first four years. Soil & Tillage Research, 125, 109–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2012.06.013
Kuter, N., Dilaver, Z., & Gül, E. (2014). Determination of suitable plant species for reclamation at an abandoned coal mine area. International Journal of Surface Mining Reclamation & Environment, 28, 268–276. https://doi.org/10.1080/17480930.2014.932940
Liu, H., Deng, K., Lei, S., & Bian, Z. (2015). Mechanism of formation of sliding ground fissure in loess hilly areas caused by underground mining. International Journal of Mining Science and Technology, 25, 553–558. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmst.2015.05.006
Li, Z. W., Zhang, G. H., Geng, R., & Wang, H. (2015a). Rill erodibility as influenced by soil and land use in a small watershed of the loess plateau, China. Biosystems Engineering, 129, 248–257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2014.11.002
Li, Z. W., Zhang, G. H., Geng, R., Wang, H., & Zhang, X. C. (2015b). Land use impacts on soil detachment capacity by overland flow in the Loess Plateau, China. Catena, 124, 9–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2014.08.019
MacDonald, A. M., Maurice, L., Dobbs, M. R., Reeves, H. J., & Auton, C. A. (2012). Relating in situ, hydraulic conductivity, particle size and relative density of superficial deposits in a heterogeneous catchment. Journal of Hydrology, 434–435, 130–141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2012.01.018
Moreno-de las Heras, M., Merino-Martín, L., & Nicolau, J. M. (2009). Effect of vegetation cover on the hydrology of reclaimed mining soils under mediterranean-continental climate. Catena, 77, 39–47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2008.12.005
Moreno-de las Heras, M., Espigares, T., Merino-Martín, L., & Nicolau, J. M. (2011). Water-related ecological impacts of rill erosion processes in Mediterranean-dry reclaimed slopes. Catena, 84, 114–124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2010.10.010
Mukhopadhyay, S., Maiti, S. K., & Masto, R. E. (2013). Use of Reclaimed Mine Soil Index (RMSI) for screening of tree species for reclamation of coal mine degraded land. Ecological Engineering, 57, 133–142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2013.04.017
Mukhopadhyay, S., Masto, R. E., Yadav, A., George, J., Ram, L. C., & Shukla, S. P. (2016). Soil quality index for evaluation of reclaimed coal mine spoil. Science of the Total Environment, 542(Part A), 540–550. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.10.035
Pandey, B., Agrawal, M., & Singh, S. (2014). Coal mining activities change plant community structure due to air pollution and soil degradation. Ecotoxicology, 23, 1474–1483. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-014-1289-4
Ren, Z., Zhu, L., Wang, B., & Cheng, S. (2016). Soil hydraulic conductivity as affected by vegetation restoration age on the Loess Plateau, China. Journal of Arid Land, 8, 546–555. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40333-016-0010-2
Reynolds, W. D., & Lewis, J. K. (2012). A drive point application of the Guelph Permeameter method for coarse-textured soils. Geoderma, 187–188, 59–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2012.04.004
Shi, P., Zhang, Y., Hu, Z., Ma, K., Wang, H., & Chai, T. (2017). The response of soil bacterial communities to mining subsidence in the west China aeolian sand area. Applied Soil Ecology, 121, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2017.09.020
Stumpf, L., Pauletto, E. A., de-Castro, R. C., Spinelli-Pinto, L. F., Fontana-Fernandes, F., Stumpf da-Silva, T., Vaz-Ambus, J., Furtado-Garcia, G., Rodrigues de-Lima, C. L., & Nunes, M. R. (2014). Capability of grass in recovery of a degraded area after coal mining. Agrociencia, 48, 477–487.
Tripathi, N., Singh, R. S., & Singh, J. S. (2009). Impact of post-mining subsidence on nitrogen transformation in southern tropical dry deciduous forest, India. Environmental Research, 109, 258–266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2008.10.009
Yang, D., Bian, Z., & Lei, S. (2016). Impact on soil physical qualities by the subsidence of coal mining: A case study in Western China. Environmental Earth Sciences, 75, 652. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-5439-2
Whalley, W. R., Watts, C. W., Gregory, A. S., Mooney, S. J., Clark, L. J., & Whitmore, A. P. (2008). The effect of soil strength on the yield of wheat. Plant and Soil, 306, 237. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-008-9577-5
Zimmermann, B., & Elsenbeer, H. (2008). Spatial and temporal variability of soil saturated hydraulic conductivity in gradients of disturbance. Journal of Hydrology, 361, 78–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2008.07.027