Landscape ecological network construction controlling surface coal mining effect on landscape ecology: A case study of a mining city in semi-arid steppe

Abstract

Surface coal mining leads to a series of landscape ecological disturbances and ecological environmental problems. Landscape ecological network plays an important role in maintaining ecological balance, protecting biodiversity, preventing pollution diffusion, and increasing landscape connectivity. However, previous studies on the landscape ecological network of mining cities have not thoroughly considered the impact of mining on landscape ecology. This study proposed a framework of landscape ecological network construction controlling surface coal mining effect on landscape ecology. The minimum cumulative resistance model was used to simulate the landscape ecological network by constructing a resistance surface based on the multi-regulation integration. The newly constructed landscape ecological network is helpful for improving the landscape function of the mining areas, preventing the impact process of mining, and the self-restoration of mining cities in semi-arid steppes. The research results can provide a reference for the ecological restoration, urban planning, and landscape ecological management of mining cities in semi-arid steppes.