How to improve carbon sequestration through vegetation restoration in arid mining areas

Coal mining inevitably impacts the regional ecological environment. Vegetation restoration in coal mines located in arid regions can restore the damaged habitats while simultaneously increasing the carbon storage of the ecosystem. However, current research still has obvious limitations in some aspects: the mechanism by which vegetation restoration in mining areas enhances ecosystem carbon sinks remains unclear. The specific amount of carbon sequestration increased by vegetation restoration has not been accurately quantified. There is a lack of systematic research on the selection of carbon sink-oriented vegetation species suitable for arid mining areas. To address the above research gaps, this study focused on the ecological restoration areas of coal mines on the Loess Plateau—a typical arid mining region. A targeted field sampling campaign was conducted, where vegetation and soil samples were collected from different vegetation restoration plots including shrublands, forests, and grasslands. Combined with measurements of ecosystem carbon storage vegetation carbon, soil carbon and carbon flux, a comprehensive evaluation framework was constructed to compare and analyze the carbon sequestration capacity of ecosystems under different vegetation restoration measures. The results showed: (1) Different vegetation restoration measures changed the ecosystem's carbon sequestration capacity, with total carbon storage ranking as shrubs (17.32 t·hm -2) > forest (12.77 t·hm -2) > grass (11.83 t·hm -2), indicating that shrubs are the most suitable vegetation type for carbon sequestration in arid mining areas. . (2) Vegetation restoration altered the composition structure of carbon storage in desert ecosystems, with the increase in carbon sequestration primarily attributed to enhanced biomass from vegetation recovery. The carbon storage of artificial shrublands was four times higher than that of naturally restored sites. (3) By screening different carbon-sequestering vegetation in arid mining areas, a carbon-oriented vegetation restoration method suitable for these regions was established. In the early stages of restoration, planting herbaceous species such as Artemisia desertorum and Melilotus suaveolens improved sandy soil, formed aggregate structures, and increased nutrient content. On this basis, planting artificial shrublands achieved higher restoration efficiency and better outcomes.This study clarified the carbon sequestration effect of different vegetation restoration measures in arid mining areas, determined the optimal carbon sink vegetation type, and established a practical restoration method. It provides technical support for the ecological restoration of coal mines and offers a scientific basis for enhancing the carbon sink capacity of arid mining ecosystems.