Abstract
Opencast coal mining causes serious damage to the natural landscape, resulting in the depletion of the carbon sequestration capacity in the mining activity. There are few studies on the variation of carbon sequestration capabilities caused by land use changes in opencast mining areas. This paper uses six images were used to quantify the changes in land use types from 1986 to 2015 in the Pingshuo mining area in northwest China. At the same time, used statistical analysis and mathematical models to study soil and vegetation carbon sequestration. Results indicate that the total carbon sequestration exhibits a significant downward trend from 4.58 × 106 Mg in 1986 to 3.78 × 106 Mg in 2015, with the decrease of soil carbon sequestration accounting for the largest proportion. The carbon sequestration of arable land accounted for 51% of the total carbon sequestration in the mining area, followed by grassland (31%) and forestland (18%). Land reclamation contributed to the greatest increase in carbon sequestration of arable land from 17,890.15 Mg (1986) to 27,837.95 Mg (2015). Additionally, the downward trend in the carbon sequestration capacity of the mining ecosystem was mitigated after 2010 as the positive effects of land reclamation gradually amplified over time and as the mining techniques were greatly optimized in recent years in the Pingshuo mining area. Thus, terrestrial carbon sequestration can be improved through land reclamation projects and optimized mining activities. These results can help guide the utilization of reclaimed land in the future.
Highlights
In 2015, the Chinese government submitted an emissions reduction plan to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
The coal mining is an important industry in China; reducing emissions and increasing carbon sinks in mining areas is the focus of many scholars
Cvegetation = C f orestland + Cgrassland + Carable−land where PC is the total carbon sequestration in t; Csoil is the soil carbon sequestration in t; Cvegetation is the vegetation carbon sequestration in t; Di is the average soil carbon density of the land use type (i) in t/hm2; Ai is the area of the land use type in hm2; Cf orestland is the forestland carbon sequestration in t; Cgrassland is the grassland carbon sequestration in t; and Carable−land is the arable land carbon sequestration in t
Summary
The coal mining is an important industry in China; reducing emissions and increasing carbon sinks in mining areas is the focus of many scholars. Implementation of land reclamation in mining areas significantly increase the carbon sequestration capacity of soil and [3]. Carbon sequestration in opencast mining areas mainly comes from reclaimed forest and grassland, with 51% of the carbon pool in reclaimed land being stored in vegetation [26]. Scholars use advanced methods and techniques to estimate the carbon sequestration potential of soil and vegetation pools in terrestrial ecosystems at various scales. The carbon sequestration of different land use types was estimated from 1986 to 2015 and the impact of mining activities and land reclamation on the dynamic changes of carbon sequestration in opencast mining areas of the Loess Plateau were analyzed. Tsehienpmuirnpionsge aorfetahsisanstdupdryoivsidtoespsroompoesereafenreewncepserfospr epcotliivceytroelgautiindge tfoutruergeiolnanaldsuussetaiinnambilneidnegvaerleoapsmaenndt.provides some references for policy relating to regional sustainable development
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
