Arid Zone Research ›› 2023, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (12): 2043-2052.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2023.12.16

• Ecology and Environment • Previous Articles    

Study on water-holding capacity of litters from typical artificial forests in reclaimed regions of the opencast coal mine in Shanxi Province

ZHANG Jianhua1(),ZHANG Kun1,LIU Yong2,ZHANG Hong2,ZHANG Kaiquan1,ZHOU Xiaoyang3,XU Longchao3()   

  1. 1. Department of Biology, Xinzhou Normal University, Xinzhou 034000, Shanxi, China
    2. Institute of Loess Plateau, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, Shanxi, China
    3. College of Ecology, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, Shanxi, China
  • Received:2023-04-14 Revised:2023-08-30 Online:2023-12-15 Published:2023-12-18

Abstract:

To study the important effects of the water-holding capacity of litter in plantation plants in coal mine dumps on soil and water conservation and ecosystem restoration in mining areas, litter accumulation amount, the thickness, water-holding rate, water-holding capacity, and water absorption rate of different decomposition stages were investigated in four typical plantations of the same age (Populus simonii, Ulmus pumila, Pinus tabulaeformis, and Robinia pseudoacacia forests) in the Antaibao opencast coal mine reclamation area, through field investigation and soaking extraction. The results showed that the litter accumulation amount in the P. simonii forest was higher than that in the R. pseudoacacia and U. pumila forests (P < 0.05). The water-holding capacity and litter rate at different decomposition degrees changed logarithmically with immersion time (P < 0.01). The order of the water absorption rate of litter was R. pseudoacacia forest > U. pumila forest > P. simonii forest > P. tabulaeformis forest, and the water absorption rate showed a significant power function with immersion time (P < 0.01). In conclusion, the litter of the P. simonii forest had the strongest water-holding capacity, whereas the R. pseudoacacia forest had the fastest water absorption rate. Therefore, from the perspective of the water conservation capacity of litter, P. simonii forest should be prioritized and mixed with the R. pseudoacacia forest, which is more conducive to water conservation in the reclamation area of opencast coal mines.

Key words: reclamation area, plantation, litters, water-holding capacity, Shanxi Province