Challenges and Solutions: Selecting Suitable Species for Vegetation Restoration in Arid Mining Areas

Mining resources are essential natural resources for economic development. Arid regions possess abundant mineral resources, and the development of these resources is crucial for local economic growth. However, the fragile ecological environment in arid areas often suffers damage during the mining process, leading to severe ecological problems and impacting regional sustainability. Ecological restoration of mining areas is a pressing issue in arid regions. Restoring surface vegetation is key to repairing the damaged ecological environment in mining areas. In arid mining regions with sparse precipitation, poor soil quality, and scant vegetation, the selection of suitable species for vegetation restoration is a critical challenge. In the case of the Shuixigou Coal Mine Fire Restoration Area in Jimsar County, Xinjiang, China, we conducted experiments involving the planting of 10 types of seeds (including Caragana korshinskii, Calligonum mongolicum, Hedysarum laeve, Corethrodendron scoparium, Caragana roborovskyi, Haloxylon ammodendron, Nitraria tangutorum, Kalidium foliatum, Peganum harmala, and Krascheninnikovia ceratoides). We observed the germination rate of the seeds, the height of seedlings, aboveground biomass, and conducted statistical analysis on the observational data.  The experimental results indicated that in arid restoration areas, where the climate is dry and the soil is poor, the germination rate of plant seeds is extremely low, generally below 10%. Therefore, a large quantity of indigenous species seeds is required for vegetation restoration. There are significant differences in the germination rates of plant seeds in arid regions, with germination rates ranging from highest to lowest as follows: Nitraria tangutorum (8.59%) > Krascheninnikovia ceratoides (7.25%) > Peganum harmala (5.79%) > Caragana korshinskii (5.03%) > Caragana roborovskyi (4.80%) > Haloxylon ammodendron (3.96%) > Kalidium foliatum (3.93%) > Corethrodendron scoparium (2.41%) > Calligonum mongolicum (1.08%). Significant differences also exist in the growth of plant seedlings in arid regions. In the first year, Haloxylon ammodendron exhibited the fastest growth, with individual biomass reaching 65.76 g. This was followed by Kalidium foliatum, with individual biomass reaching 53.86g, and then Peganum harmala, with individual biomass reaching 3.76 g. Caragana roborovskyi exhibited the slowest growth, with only 0.41g. Considering both the germination rate and first-year biomass, Haloxylon ammodendron and Kalidium foliatum are suitable pioneer species for rapid restoration in the Shuixigou Coal Mine Fire Restoration Area in Jimsar County, Xinjiang, China, while the remaining species are suitable as accompanying species.