Effects of ecological restoration patterns on runoff and sediment in abandoned coal mine of southern China

AbstractEvaluating the ecological economical benefits of different ecological restoration patterns in abandoned mines is important in ecological restoration study. Taking the abandoned coal mines in Luoshi Township of Fengcheng county, Jiangxi province as case, this study conducted 4 different ecological restoration patterns (Pattern I- grapefruit with grass vegetation, Pattern II - pine with grass vegetation, Pattern III - only grapefruit, Pattern IV - bare slope) to study the runoff and sediment yield under natural rainfall condition. The results showed that the ecological restoration patterns and rainfall intensity significantly affect runoff and sediment yield. The runoff and sediment yield increased as rainfall intensity increased: Pattern IV > Pattern III > Pattern II > Pattern I. At the optimal ecological restoration Pattern I, the average runoff and sediment reduction was 59.01% and 77.1%, respectively, in all rainfall intensities. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) showed that runoff and sediment were significantly affected by ecological restoration patterns and rainfall intensity (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis of runoff and sediment yields indicated that the reduction effect on sediment yield increased with the decrease in runoff, and the relationships between runoff and sediment at different ecological restoration patterns could be fitted with a linear function. Moreover, the vegetation configuration that combines fruit farming with grass can be not only beneficial to control soil and water conservation but produce considerable economic benefits and good ecological benefits.