Visual evaluation of land reclamation aesthetics: An example of the Loess Plateau mining area

At present, the national and global level studies on land reclamation from the perspective of esthetics are scarce. In fact, the concept of land reclamation esthetics has not yet been proposed, and the visual evaluation system of land reclamation esthetics is not yet mature. To study this concept in depth, we discuss in this article the esthetic expression of land reclamation in reference to the experience of land reclamation and ecological restoration in the Pingshuo mining area. Following the idea of "ecosystems are a life community", a nested evaluation system composed of element and system evaluations is proposed. By deconstructing some well established landscape visual evaluation systems, including the United States Forest Service visual management system (VMS), Land Administration visual resource management (VRM) system, and Federal Highway Administration visual impact assessment (VIA) system, and combining with the theory of five-stage reclamation for mine ecological restoration, we constructed a indicator system for evaluating land reclamation esthetics applicable to the mining area of the Loess Plateau. The system has 21 indicators: 8 related to structure, 7 for vegetation reconstruction and biodiversity, and 6 for landscape reproduction. All indicators have complete qualitative or semi-quantitative interpretations, with revisions of interpretation criteria for 4 indicators: rock formation, topography, lake, and adjacent landscape. The esthetic evaluation of land reclamation cannot ignore the influence of subjective factors, and it should emphasize diversity and difference in the esthetic expression of landscapes so that the visual expression of land reclamation esthetics is more selective. © 2021, Editorial Office of Earth Science Frontiers. All right reserved.