Impact of Different types of plantation systems on physico-Chemical properties of mined soils

IJEP 46(7): 680-689 : Vol. 46 Issue 7 (July 2026)

Full Text

Praveen Shrivastava, Ankit Pandey, S.C. Tiwari* and Chowlani Manpoong

Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Environmental Science, Bilaspur – 495 009, Chhattisgarh, India

Abstract

The physico-chemical characteristics of soil are being lost at a considerably faster rate due to mining operations and the waste they generate; hence, afforestation is crucial to restoring the physico-chemical characteristics of mined soil. Establishing multi-purpose trees and shrubs (MPTS) is crucial for accelerating the natural restoration and productivity of degraded soils, supporting biological diversity and ecosystem stability and serving agricultural purposes. This study was conducted to analyze the impact of various plantation systems on the physico-chemical properties of soil in a coal-mining area. Soil samples were collected from the mined area and brought to the laboratory for analysis of the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil. At the study site, soil samples were collected from horticultural plantations of different ages, a Miyawaki plantation and 5- and 10-year-old dumps and compared with soil from a natural forest near the mining area. The results showed that soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC) organic carbon (OC), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and sulphur (S) ranged from 5.33-6.20, 0.10-0.20 dS/m, 0.03-0.19%, 112.57-163.0.35 kg/ha, 2.74-8.76 kg/ha, 117.99-216.65 kg/ha and 5.20-10.11 mg/kg, respectively. The availability of micronutrients, zinc (Zn) (0.7-2.65 mg/kg), boron (B) (1.0-4.05 mg/kg), iron (Fe) (85.79-169.91 mg/kg), manganese (Mn) (31.61-71.56 mg/kg) and copper (Cu) (1.73-3.36 mg/kg), was measured in soil under different plantations. Among the applied plantation systems, horticultural plantations of different ages showed the greatest reclamation, followed by Miyawaki plantations, compared with the natural forest. Minimum reclamation was observed in 5-year old dump soil, where reclamation was achieved through naturally established vegetation.

Keywords

Afforestation, Coal mining, Plantation system, Microbial biomass, Miyawaki, Soil properties

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