Effects of Underground Coal Mining on Soil Spatial Water Content Distribution and Plant Growth Type in Northwest China

[Image: see text] The impact of coal mining subsidence on surface ecology involves the influence of several ecological elements such as water, soil, and vegetation, which is systematic and complex. Given the unclear understanding of the synergistic change patterns of the water–soil–vegetation ecological elements in the influence of coal mining in the west, this paper investigates the impact of coal mining on the surface ecology, especially the distribution of soil water content (SWC). In 2020, this study collected 3000 soil samples from 60 sampling points (at depth of 0–10 m) and tested the SWC. All samples come from three different temporal and spatial areas of coal mining subsidence in the desert mining area of Northwest China where soil types are mainly aridisols. At the same time, the interactions among deep SWC and surface soil physical and chemical properties, surface SWC and soil fertility, and pH were analyzed. The spatial variability of soil moisture is reflected by kriging interpolation, and SWC values at different depths are predicted as a basis for monitoring the environmental impact of different coal mining subsidence years. The research has shown that the ground subsidence leads to a decrease in SWC value and changes in surface soil pH, physical and chemical properties, and covering vegetation, which have occurred from the beginning of coal mining. The impact of coal mining on the SWC of the unsaturated zone is mainly at the depth of 0–6 m, where SWC is not directly related to the nutrient content of the surface soil. The overall settlement of the ground will stir up simultaneous decline in the quality of deep SWC and topsoil. The findings of this investigation suggest that changes in the soil structure caused by coal mining subsidence are the key factor in SWC loss. Timely monitoring and repairing 0–6 m ground fissures, as well as selecting shrubs on the surface is the best choice for the restoration of the ecological environment and prevention of soil erosion in this area.