Soil Water Movement of Mining Waste Rock and the Effect on Plant Growth in Arid, Cold Regions of Xinjiang, China

• Main Authors: Zizhao Zhang, Qianli Lv, Zezhou Guo, Xuebang Huang, Ruihua Hao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-04-01
• Series: Water
• Subjects: mine lands reclamation; reconstructed soil; water movement; plant growth; arid and cold regions
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/9/1240

Understanding the water movement in reconstructed soil and its efficacy on local vegetation is critical for the ecological reclamation of mine lands. This study employed field experiments and a numerical model to investigate the water movement in reconstructed soil and evaluate the effects of mining waste rock on plant growth in an arid and cold region of Xinjiang. Water contents and matrix potentials were monitored over 1-year period. A numerical model was established based on the observed data to calculate soil water balance and irrigation demand. The results show that the soil water content at a shallow depth could be more vulnerable to the climate variability in uncompacted and compacted soil. The water content at the depth of 50 cm with 30 cm-thick covering soil was the lowest; meanwhile, the barrels with 50 cm- and 70 cm-thick covering soil without compaction had the highest water content. Moreover, the water content of the uncompacted soil could be lower than that of the counterpart attributed to the variation in soil porosity. To maintain the water content as an optimized value to grow a certain plant species in the long run, irrigation could be implemented according to the water balance over time in mine lands.