A study of the Shengli mining area in China reveals that while ecological restoration can improve vegetation cover, it often fails to fully restore water use efficiency. Remote sensing data shows that surface deformation and soil damage create long term gaps in ecosystem recovery. Researchers found that mining induced terrain subsidence disrupts root zones and soil structure, limiting the ability of plants to assimilate carbon effectively. The findings suggest that successful reclamation requires stabilizing the land surface and repairing soil physics rather than just planting new vegetation.
