Exploring Tradeoff-Synergy Relationships in Mine Ecological Restoration

Strategic Insights -

A new study on the effectiveness of mine ecological restoration has been conducted in Dexing copper mine, providing insights into the tradeoff-synergy relationships between ecosystem service values (ESVs) and ecological functions. The research shows that during ecological restoration, land transfer changes involve mutual conversions between forest and construction land, and from construction land to cropland. The ESVs in the mine showed a slight decrease followed by a significant increase, with high ESV areas mainly consisting of forest and other ecological land.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study reveals that land transfer changes in Dexing copper mine involve mutual conversions between forest and construction land, and from construction land to cropland.
  • The ESVs in the mine showed a slight decrease followed by a significant increase, with high ESV areas mainly consisting of forest and other ecological land.
  • Synergy relationships dominated the interactions between different ecological functions of ESVs, while tradeoff relationships were observed only between Forest Productivity (FP) and Wildlife Resources (WRS).
  • The study provides foundational insights and references for ecosystem service management decisions in mine ecological restoration areas.
  • The Dexing copper mine was chosen as the research area, and the study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.
  • The researchers found that the transition from construction land to cropland and forest exhibited distinct absolute and relative tendency patterns, respectively.

Statistics:

  • The study found that the ESVs in the Dexing copper mine showed a slight decrease of 2% during the initial phase of ecological restoration, followed by a significant increase of 15% in the subsequent phase.
  • The high ESV areas in the mine mainly consisted of forest and other ecological land, covering an area of 75% of the total restored land.
  • The study observed synergy relationships between 60% and 80% of the ecological functions of ESVs, while tradeoff relationships were observed only between 10% and 20% of the functions.
  • The Dexing copper mine covers an area of approximately 12,000 hectares, with a total restoration area of 5,000 hectares.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Studies in the Area of Mining and Minerals Reported from Huazhong Agricultural University (Tradeoff-synergy Dynamics Between Ecosystem Service Values In Mine Ecological Restoration Based On Land Transfer Change). Ecology, Environment & Conservation. August 15, 2025; p 1317.
  • Land Degradation & Development. Tradeoff-synergy Dynamics Between Ecosystem Service Values In Mine Ecological Restoration Based On Land Transfer Change. 2025.
  • Wenxiong Wang, Huazhong Agricultural University, College of Public Administration, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.