Long-term effects of underground mining on surface soil moisture and vegetation environment: evidence from the Xishan mining area.

This research aims to study the prolonged effects of underground mining on the ecological environment, particularly on surface soil moisture (SM) and fractional vegetation cover (FVC). Using 21 years of data (2000-2020) from the Xishan mining area, a novel quantitative relational model was developed to disentangle the effects of mining activities from those of climate, soil type, and topography. The findings reveal that climatic factors, such as precipitation and air temperature, have significant effects on SM and FVC, while soil type and topographic features are important factors affecting SM and FVC.