<![CDATA[Coal mining activities significantly alter soil physical functions, affecting reclaimed land's capacity to support vegetation recovery. This study aimed to assess soil physical quality and evaluate its potential influence on plant establishment on reclaimed coal-mining land in tropical Indonesia. The study was conducted in reclaimed coal mining areas of Bukit Sunur, Bengkulu Province, Indonesia, using a limited chronosequence approach involving four reclamation ages (2014, 2015, 2018, and 2024). Soil physical properties, including texture, soil moisture, bulk density, particle density, total porosity, permeability, and aggregate distribution, were analysed to evaluate variations in soil functional conditions. An integrated Soil Physical Quality Index (SPQI) was developed using selected physical indicators weighted through Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The results showed that soil physical characteristics varied by reclamation age, particularly soil moisture content, permeability, and aggregate distribution. The 2024 reclamation block exhibited higher water retention capacity due to its clay-dominated texture but showed limited permeability and aggregate development. In contrast, the 2014 reclamation block demonstrated the highest SPQI value (0.822), characterised by better pore functionality, higher permeability, lower bulk density, and more balanced structural conditions. The findings indicate that an integrated soil physical assessment using SPQI provides a useful approach for evaluating reclaimed-soil functionality and identifying its potential to support plant establishment. However, further studies integrating soil physical indicators with direct vegetation measurements are required to validate the relationship between soil quality and plant establishment performance.]]>
