An assessment method of habitat quality in small watershed with mining area: A case study of Guobayan Mineral District in the Baoxing River Basin

Abstract

This study aims to explore the impact assessment method of geologic engineering activities on the habitat quality of small watershed. This paper utilized remote sensing technology to fetch the land-use change information of the Guobayan Mineral District, a key project in the Baoxing River Basin, and also quantitatively assess the habitat quality there by InVEST model. The assessment results show that from 2000 to 2020:In the Guobayan Mineral District, the land use types mainly changed from woodland to bare land, and the proportion of woodland area decreased by 15.11%, while that of bare land increased by 12.30%;The habitat quality index decreased from 0.9234 to 0.8618, the standard deviation increased from 0.2389 to 0.3134, and the proportion of low-grade area of habitat quality increased by 4.84%, suggesting an slight overall decrease. The proportion of areas with strong habitat degradation increased by 3.40%, and the habitat degradation index increased from 0.0113 to 0.0159, indicating a slight degradation. In conclusion, although the habitat quality of small watershed could be disturbed by human activities, the impact on the environment can be controlled at a very low level through appropriate mining methods, scientific optimization of land-use pattern and effective ecological restoration.

Keywords

• habitat quality
• geologic engineering
• invest model
• mine restoration
• guobayan mineral district