5 Conclusion

This study showed the use of unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with multispectral sensors is a promising method for identifying plant species and evaluating vegetation diversity in mining areas. The combination of UAV images, supervised classification algorithms, and field surveys proved to be a cost-effective and flexible approach for fine-scale vegetation monitoring in mine restoration projects. The findings highlight the importance of considering vegetation configuration in restoration projects, as areas dominated by shrubs tend to exhibit lower species diversity. Additionally, vegetation diversity is a critical indicator in evaluating restoration effectiveness beyond the typical focus on vegetation coverage or NDVI by mining companies. Future mine restoration efforts should enhance ecological restoration monitoring and evaluation systems in a scientifically sound manner to provide effective adaptive management that ensure restoration achieves the desired ecosystem outcomes.