Effects of Opencast Mine Restoration on the Vegetation and Soil Carbon Sequestration in Southwest China
In order to explore the vegetation-soil carbon storage variation features and carbon sequestration potential in the opencast mine ecological restoration in southwest China and provide data support for such restorations in the region,fixed sample plots were es-tablished in the restored open pits of Tongluoshan Mining Area in Chongqing Municipality with continuous monitoring in the 1st,3rd and 5th year after restoration.Typical evergreen broadleaved forest in the study area was used as a reference and quadrats were set in the sample plots with a survey of the plant communities and measurements of the organic matter,bulk density and gravel content in the 0～10 cm,11～20 cm and 21～30 cm soil layers.The vegetation-soil carbon storage in different restoration periods was calculated and an analysis was made on the carbon sequestration effects and potential of the vegetation-soil system in the restored opencast mines .The results showed that the vegetation-soil carbon density increased slowly with a significant difference in the 5th year from the end of the 1st year after restoration.The carbon density of each vegetation component was characterized as the sequence as aboveground biosphere>root layer>litter layer.The soil organic carbon content and density in 0～10 cm soil layer were significantly higher than those in 11～20 cm and 21～30 cm soil layers (P<0.05),showing a significant surface-layer aggregation effect.The mean carbon sequestration rate of the vegeta-tion-soil system was 0.039 kg/m2·a from 1 to 5 years after restoration with the rate increasing with succession,and the rate of soil was 1.8 times that of vegetation.The artificial restoration measures mainly based on reclamation and vegetation construction could rapidly improve the vegetation-soil carbon storage in the restoration area,which was an effective way to enhance the ecological carbon sink in the mining area with great carbon sequestration potentials.
Ecological restorationOpencast minesVegetation and soilCarbon storage
万方数据
维普
