Soil and Vegetation Responses to Mining Disturbance across Substrates in Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests, Prayagraj, India

Abstract

Mining induced landscape degradation poses a critical ecological threat to tropical forests. Grounded in disturbance ecology, this study compares the effects of stone and silica sandstone mining on soil physicochemical properties and vegetation structure to assess whether the ecological responses are generalizable or substrate-specific. Field data were collected along a distance gradient from mining sites, integrating soil analyses with phytosociological assessment. Soil fertility parameters including water holding capacity, total organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, were consistently reduced near mines and increased with distance, indicating clear disturbance gradients, whereas potassium showed an opposite trend. Soil moisture exhibited site-specific pattern, with higher values near the stone mine likely due to sparse vegetation cover. PERMANOVA confirmed strong zonal structuring of soil properties, with depth effects significant only at the stone site, indicating contrasting vertical recovery dynamics. Vegetation responses mirrored these patterns, with low species richness, reduced diversity, and dominance of pioneer taxa near mines, followed by gradual recovery. However, the silica sandstone site retained sparse woody vegetation and more balance IVI near the mines, suggesting greater structural resilience of plant community. Together, these findings show that substrate type mediates soil-vegetation recovery, influencing both successional trajectories and ecosystem stability. The study advances disturbance ecology by highlighting substrate-dependent recovery pathways and provides a transferable framework for restoration of mining-impacted tropical forests.