Abstract:In order to analyze the infiltration characteristics and the effects of vegetation restoration of dumps, infiltration characteristics of dumps with different restoration ages were studied and evaluated by using field double-ring infiltration and principal component analysis method. The results indicated that: (1) The initial infiltration rate of two-month (P1), two-years (P2), four-years (P3) dump and mulberry land (P4) was 11.32, 9.34, 15.84, and 19.38 mm/min, respectively; the stable infiltration rate was 4.64, 3.62, 6.71, and 7.81 mm/min, respectively. The stable infiltration rate of mulberry land was 1.68, 2.16, and 1.16 times greater than that of the other three dumps, respectively. (2) The fitting effect of Kastiakov model was better than that of the common empirical infiltration model, the Philip model, and the Horton model, with the determination coefficient ranging from 0.905 to 0.956. (3) The eigenvalues of soil infiltration had significantly negative correlations with soil bulk density, and 20-5 mm and 5-2 mm gravel content, but showed significantly or very significantly positive correlations with non-capillary porosity, organic matter content, and 2-0.075 mm soil particle content. (4) Soil infiltration capacity was evaluated by principal component analysis, and was in the order of P4 (2.398) > P3 (0.792) > P1 (-1.104) > P2 (-2.089). The infiltration capacity of dump was improved with the increasing restoration ages, and was close to that of the mulberry land.