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Reclaiming Coal Mine Wastelands: How Afforestation Is Rebuilding Soil From the Ground Up

A recent Scientific Reports study compared three afforestation approaches on hard‑coal post‑mining Technosols: succession on barren spoil, succession on reclaimed topsoil, and plantation on reclaimed topsoil. The research found that applying reclaimed topsoil markedly improved nutrient stocks, water‑holding capacity, and soil structure, while plantations delivered the highest capillary water capacity. However, bulk density increased with topsoil use due to machinery compaction, and total soil organic carbon remained similar across treatments. Natural succession on reclaimed topsoil performed comparably to active planting for many key metrics, suggesting a cost‑effective alternative.