Remote sensing monitoring of ecological environment quality in mining areas under the perspective of ecological engineering

Abstract

The extraction of minerals on an extensive scale, though a catalyst for economic advancement, precipitates notable ecological concerns. In recent years, due to decarbonization initiatives and the closure of numerous open-pit mines, increasing attention and research focus have been directed toward evaluating the effectiveness of ecological restoration in mining areas. This study leverages Landsat series imagery and employs the pseudo-invariant feature (PIF) method for radiometric normalization of remote sensing images, all within the framework of ecological engineering. In light of the significant consideration given to soil erosion and air pollution factors in the acceptance standards for ecological engineering, the Mine Remote Sensing Ecological Index (MRSEI) is developed based on the Pressure-State-Response (PSR) framework. This index is employed to perform spatiotemporal analysis and dynamic monitoring of the ecological quality in the restoration area of Wangping coal mine. The results illustrate that: Compared to the Remote Sensing Ecological Index (RSEI), the first principal component of the MRSEI consolidates the information of various sub-indicators more effectively. This allows for a more objective representation of the ecological quality. From 1990 to 2021, the average value of the MRSEI in the Wangping coal mining area shows an overall upward trend, increasing from 0.429 in 1990 to 0.731 in 2021, representing an improvement of 70.40%. The validation of the MRSEI indicates that this index accurately reflects the objective patterns of local ecological quality changes. Moreover, it is strongly correlated with various individual ecological indicators. The application and promotion of the MRSEI offer valuable insights for policymakers in developing plans for mine ecological restoration projects and strategies for regional coordinated development.