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Development of population structure and spatial distribution patterns of a restored forest during 17-year succession (1993–2010) in Pingshuo opencast mine spoil, China

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Abstract

Afforestation of native tree species is often recommended for ecological restoration in mining areas, but the understanding of the ecological processes of restored vegetation is quite limited. In order to provide insight of the ecological processes of restored vegetation, in this study, we investigate the development of the population structure and spatial distribution patterns of restored Robinia pseudoacacia (ROPS) and Pinus tabuliformis (PITA) mixed forests during the 17 years of the mine spoil period of the Pingshuo opencast mine, Shanxi Province, China. After a 17-year succession, apart from the two planted species, Ulmus pumila (ULPU), as an invasive species, settled in the plot along with a large number of small diameter at breast height (DBH) size. In total, there are 10,062 living individual plants, much more than that at the plantation (5105), and ROPS had become the dominant species with a section area with a breast height of 9.40 m2 hm−2 and a mean DBH of 6.72 cm, much higher than both PITA and ULPU. The DBH size classes of all the total species showed inverted J-shaped distributions, which may have been a result of the large number of small regenerated ULPU trees. The DBH size classes of both ROPS and PITA showed peak-type structures with individuals mainly gathering in the moderate DBH size class, indicating a relatively healthy DBH size class structure. Meanwhile, invasive ULPU were distributed in a clear L shape, concentrating on the small DBH size class, indicating a relatively low survival rate for adult trees. Both ROPS and PITA species survival in the plantation showed uniform and aggregated distribution at small scales and random with scales increasing. ULPU showed a strong aggregation at small scales as well as random with scales increasing. Both the population structure and spatial distribution indicated that ROPS dominates and will continue to dominate the community in the future succession, which should be continuously monitored.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Foundation for Public Welfare of the Ministry of Land and Resources of China (no. 201411017). We are grateful to Prof. Hao Zhanqing for the guidance during the plot establishment and vegetation survey, and Pingshuo Opencast Coal Mining Company for providing the study site. We are also grateful for the help provided by Dr. Guo Donggang and Prof. Li Jinchuan for the vegetation survey and basic data processing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Land Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences, No. 29 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, 100083, Beijing, People’s Republic of China

    Zhongqiu Zhao, Zhongke Bai, Ziguan Pan & Yun Wang

  2. College of Information, Beijing Wuzi University, 101149, Beijing, People’s Republic of China

    Lianhua Wang

  3. Key Laboratory of Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation, Ministry of Land and Resources, 100035, Beijing, People’s Republic of China

    Zhongqiu Zhao & Zhongke Bai

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  1. Zhongqiu Zhao
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  2. Lianhua Wang
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  5. Yun Wang
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Correspondence to Zhongke Bai.

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Zhao, Z., Wang, L., Bai, Z. et al. Development of population structure and spatial distribution patterns of a restored forest during 17-year succession (1993–2010) in Pingshuo opencast mine spoil, China. Environ Monit Assess 187, 431 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-015-4391-z

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