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Remote Sensing-Based Revegetation Assessment at Post-Closure Mine Sites in Canada

Author

Listed:
  • Sam Gordon

    (Institute for Management & Innovation, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada)

  • Xiaoyong Xu

    (Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
    Department of Geography, Geomatics and Environment, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada)

  • Yanyu Wang

    (College of Environmental and Resources Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China)

Abstract

The environmental legacy of post-closure mine sites poses a significant risk to the sustainability of mining operations and natural resource development. This study aims to advance the understanding of sustainable mine site reclamation behavior in Canada by using multi-temporal Landsat satellite images to examine the long-term land cover changes at post-closure mine sites. Six representative post-closure mine sites were selected for the evaluation and comparison. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) analysis, Landsat image classification, post-classification change detection, and Regrowth Index (RI) analysis were conducted to assess the speed and extent of landscape and vegetation recovery at the target mine sites. A significant vegetation recovery was quantified for the mine sites that have experienced active reclamation activities. In contrast, the post-closure mine area undergoing only passive revegetation typically demonstrated a slow and minor increase in vegetation over time. The actively revegetated mine sites can typically be restored to a vegetation cover level that equals or is better than the pre-mining situation. This work confirms that active reclamation and revegetation at post-closure mine sites is critically important in sustainable mining. The quantified mine site reclamation behavior and the relevant sustainable practices would be useful for evidence-based sustainable resource management in Canada.

Suggested Citation

  • Sam Gordon & Xiaoyong Xu & Yanyu Wang, 2023. "Remote Sensing-Based Revegetation Assessment at Post-Closure Mine Sites in Canada," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-14, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:14:p:11287-:d:1198105
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sarah Holcombe & Deanna Kemp, 2020. "From pay‐out to participation: Indigenous mining employment as local development?," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(5), pages 1122-1135, September.
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