The ecological environment of resource-based cities is threatened by multiple ecological risks. The main objective of this study is to investigate the dynamics of land use and landscape ecological risk in resource-based cities. Huaibei, a typical resource-based city in China, was taken as a case study. By using the Markov model and landscape metrics, this study first analysed the land use changes in 1989, 2002 and 2016. Then an assessment model was developed to examine the ecological risk caused by the land use changes. Additionally, a spatial autocorrelation analysis was adopted to reflect the spatial heterogeneity of the landscape ecological risk. The results showed that urbanization has a greater impact on land use than the mining activity in Huaibei. The level of landscape ecological risk showed a tendency to initially increase and then decrease. In 1989 and 2002, the extremely high and high-risk regions were concentrated in the northern mining area, but these regions were reduced and scattered throughout the northern and middle areas of Huaibei in 2016. The area of medium-risk regions continuously increased throughout the study period. The spatial autocorrelation of the landscape ecological risk was positive and was weakened in 2016. The results suggest that the pattern of land use and the landscape ecological risk in resource-based cities showed an obvious spatiotemporal variation. Understanding the phase characteristics is necessary for ecological restoration.

The eastern region of the Huang-Huai area is vital for China’s coal production, with high water table mining causing significant surface subsidence and the formation of interconnected coal mining subsidence wetlands. Restoring these wetlands is crucial for biodiversity, environmental quality, and sustainable development. Aquatic vegetation plays a crucial role in wetland ecosystems, underscoring its importance in restoration efforts. Understanding and managing water level fluctuations is essential due to their impact on vegetation. This study examines the Qianshiliying coal mining subsidence wetland in the Yanzhou Mining Area, China, with the goal of devising a water level regulation plan based on the minimum ecological water level to improve the growth and recovery of aquatic vegetation. The research delves into landscape ecological restoration techniques for aquatic vegetation in coal mining subsidence wetlands in the eastern Huang-Huai region, emphasizing the importance of water level management. The results reveal that the minimum ecological water level in the Qianshiliying coal mining subsidence wetland is 32.50 m, and an area of 78.09 hectares is suitable for the reconstruction of aquatic vegetation. This paper utilizes lake morphology, minimum biological space, and water level demand methods for aquatic plants in the landscape to promote restoration of coal mining subsidence wetlands. A notable strength of this approach is its ability to quantitatively predict the survival range and area of aquatic vegetation in these wetlands, enabling a more scientifically informed restoration of ecological balance and promoting landscape ecological restoration in the eastern Huang-Huai region.

Coal mining activities, while promoting urban development, also lead to significant ecological and environmental issues that directly impact regional habitat quality and perception levels. The effective assessment of habitat services and zoning optimization can facilitate ecological restoration in coal mining subsidence areas and enhance public awareness of the ecological service value of habitats. Taking the Longdai River Basin in Huaibei City as a case study, this research constructs a “habitat quality–habitat perception” assessment framework from a social–ecological coupling perspective, integrating the InVEST and SolVES models for a comprehensive evaluation. The coupling coordination degree model is used to analyze the relationship between habitat quality and perception, allowing for the zoning of habitat services. The results indicate that the average habitat quality in the study area is 0.373, reflecting an overall low level. Its spatial distribution exhibits a trend of “higher in the central–southern and northwestern regions and lower in the southwestern and northeastern regions”. Habitat perception mainly presents a “multi-patch” spatial pattern. The coupling degree C between habitat quality and habitat perception is 0.676, while the coupling coordination degree D is only 0.377, indicating a state of mild imbalance in the coupling coordination development. Moreover, disordered units account for as much as 69.22%. Based on the matching and coupling coordination between habitat quality and perception, the study area can be classified into four main categories and eight smaller habitat service zones. Considering the differences in urban–rural gradient spaces, optimization strategies for habitat services based on social–ecological coupling are proposed.

The Eastern Huang–Huai region of China is a representative mining area with a high groundwater level. High-intensity underground mining activities have not only induced land cover and land use changes (LUCC) but also significantly changed the watershed hydrological behavior. This study integrated the land use prediction model PLUS and the hydrological simulation model MIKE 21. Taking the Bahe River Watershed in Huaibei City, China, as an example, it simulated the hydrological response trends of the watershed in 2037 under different land use scenarios. The results demonstrate the following: (1) The land use predictions for each scenario exhibit significant variation. In the maximum subsidence scenario, the expansion of water areas is most pronounced. In the planning scenario, the increase in construction land is notable. Across all scenarios, the area of cultivated land decreases. (2) In the maximum subsidence scenario, the area of high-intensity waterlogging is the greatest, accounting for 31.35% of the total area of the watershed; in the planning scenario, the proportion of high-intensity waterlogged is the least, at 19.10%. (3) In the maximum subsidence scenario, owing to the water storage effect of the subsidence depression, the flood peak is conspicuously delayed and attains the maximum value of 192.3 m³/s. In the planning scenario, the land reclamation rate and ecological restoration rate of subsidence area are the highest, while the regional water storage capacity is the lowest. As a result, the total cumulative runoff is the greatest, and the peak flood value is reduced. The influence of different degrees of subsidence on the watershed hydrological behavior varies, and the coal mining subsidence area has the potential to regulate and store runoff and perform hydrological regulation. The results reveal the mechanism through which different land use scenarios influence hydrological processes, which provides a scientific basis for the territorial space planning and sustainable development of coal mining subsidence areas.