Gross ecosystem product (GEP) accounting for the ecological restoration of mine sites

Abstract： This study developed a gross ecosystem product (GEP) accounting framework for small-scale mining areas and applied it to systematically evaluate the dynamics of ecosystem service values before and after ecological restoration in a typical karst mining region in Jinsha County, Guizhou Province. The total regional GEP after ecological restoration increased significantly from 68.20 ten thousand yuan before restoration to 1212.90 ten thousand yuan, representing an increase of 1144.70 ten thousand yuan. Ecological regulating services were the primary contributors to this growth, with the soil conservation value increasing from 50.56 to 920.34 ten thousand yuan , providing the core driving force of GEP growth. An analysis of land use structure revealed that the proportional contribution of services from dry land within the GEP increased from 26.88% to 58.95%, becoming the dominant land type driving the growth of regional ecological economic value. Therefore, ecological restoration projects in karst mining areas effectively improve the quality of the regional ecological environment and also significantly enhance the value of ecosystem service functions. The study provides a quantitative basis and methodological support for the scientific transformation from lucid waters and lush mountains to invaluable assets, and for promoting the sustainable ecological management of small and medium-sized mining areas.