Soil and ecological assessment of the technogenically disturbed landscape in the area of a coal mine dump

Abstract

Study of the soil‐ecological state of technogenic landscapes of Kuzbass through the example of coal mine dumps.Soil samples were taken in places with disturbed landscapes due to the action of the coal industry, namely the external dump on the site of the coal mine in the area of the village of Zarinskoye, Belovsky district, Kemerovo region in the south‐east of Western Siberia. The indicators were determined in accordance with GOST standards.Diagnostics of the surface of the coal mine dump were carried out. The main physical and chemical indicators were determined, according to which the possibility of soil formation and biological reclamation was assessed. In analyzing chemical composition, the following indicators were determined: aqueous pH, hydrolytic acidity, total alkalinity, dry residue, ash content, humus content and ion content (Cl–, SO42–, HCO3–, Ca2, Mg2+, Al3+). Physical indicators of the degree of suitability of soils for reclamation, such as hygroscopic moisture, soil moisture, soil density and soil porosity, were also studied.The results obtained allow us to characterise the technogenically disturbed areas in terms of physical and chemical properties as being limitedly favourable for plant growth, which can be used for biological reclamation following agrotechnical activity.