Abstract
Landscape Ecological Classification (LEC) is the premise and foundation of landscape ecology research. The current research on LEC of Mining Cities in the Semi-arid Steppe (MCSS) is relatively low. Moreover, the question of how to classify the mining landscape into ecologically significant landscape units at a scale suitable for ecological management has not been clear. The research results are as follows: (1) Google Earth, Gaode map, Baidu map, various high-resolution images, unmanned aerial vehicle, and field investigation were used to investigate the landscape types. Based on the land classification of the occurrence model, integrating theories of landscape ecology, mining, ecology, geography, and land resources, this study constructed the LEC system for MCSS using the top-down decomposition classification method, including 4 types of landscape kingdom, 16 types of landscape class, 62 types of landscape family, and more than 200 types of landscape species. (2) Based on LEC, we found the landscape type evolution characteristics of MCSS. Both the open-pit landscape and the dumping landscape were constantly expanding, and ecological restoration of the mining area was carried out simultaneously with coal mining. The trend of Change Intensity (CI) of mining industrial square landscape and industrial storage landscape was very similar. The development of coal has driven the development of the regional industry. The expansion intensity of the town commercial and residential service landscape was gradually decreasing, and the motivation for town expansion was insufficient. The research area was a typical landscape evolution mode of “human advance and grassland retreat”. However, the intensity of humans occupying grassland was decreasing. This study provides a reference for the research of LEC in the semi-arid steppe and provides a theoretical basis for the landscape ecological assessment, planning, and management of mining cities.
Highlights
Coal is the most important component of the world’s energy structure and the most important energy source for the Chinese economy [1]
This study provides a reference for the research of Landscape Ecological Classification (LEC) in the semi-arid steppe and provides a theoretical basis for the landscape ecological assessment, planning, and management of mining cities
Landscape mapping based on the LEC system is the basic work for implementing landscape ecological assessment, evolution, planning, and management
Summary
Coal is the most important component of the world’s energy structure and the most important energy source for the Chinese economy [1]. With the development of the social economy, the demand for mineral resources is increasing, which has pulled or stimulated the rapid development of the mining industry. The mining industry has promoted the rapid development of the social economy [2]. In order to further meet China’s energy demand, the Chinese government focused on the construction of 14 large-scale coal bases and 16 large-scale coal-power bases. Most of them are located in arid/semi-arid areas. Rapid economic growth and the improvement of human living status for China have been accomplished at the expense of environmental integrity [3]. Grassland accounts for about 20% of the total land area of the world [4].
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