Abstract
The restoration of vegetation post mining is particularly challenging in extreme conditions such as Mediterranean systems where soil moisture is limiting, soil temperature fluctuates dramatically, and soil carbon is very low. In such systems, soil microbial communities may play an important role in attenuating extreme conditions. Thus, vegetation establishment on such sites may be curtailed by depauperate soil communities. Soil fungal communities, in particular, are essential for nutrient turn over but we know very little about how these communities respond to mining and post mining restoration. Fungi may be significantly affected by restoration practises. For example, the inclusion of deeper soil profiles (i.e. “overburden”) into restoration events is rare, but may expedite fungal community development. We studied a successional gradient of sand mine restoration in a former Banksia woodland in SW Australia to determine whether soil fungal communities recovered after 13 years. We also asked whether the inclusion of overburden into restoration sites improved soil fungal community development. Overall, fungal communities did not return to a pre-disturbance state by 13 years, nor did the inclusion of overburden affect their trajectory. Longer term studies are need to determine when, if ever, fungal communities are restored, and what effect this has nascent vegetation.
Highlights
Base raw material extraction, including sand and gravel, represents the largest and fastest growing share of the global mining industry (United Nations Environment Program, 2014)
We evaluated fungal communities following restoration of a former sand mine location in a trial spanning 15 years, with and without the inclusion of overburden
The Banksia woodlands are a floristic region in SW Australia with a Mediterranean climate and represents a global biodiversity hotspot of over 80% endemic species (Myers et al, 2000)
Summary
Base raw material extraction, including sand and gravel, represents the largest and fastest growing share of the global mining industry (United Nations Environment Program, 2014). In particular, represents a large ecological threat because sand resources are typically vegetated with unique, stress tolerant flora that have developed adaptations to local environments and may be difficult to restore (De Souza et al, 2013). Such soils are extremely low in organic material, highly leached, and can reach extremely high temperatures (Nussbaumer et al, 2016). Coadaptation between plants and soil microbes to cope with edaphic stresses is an essential part of the stability of all ecosystems, in particular these ecosystems which experience extreme environmental stress. Rehabilitation of fungal rhizospheres may be an essential component of vegetation recovery, yet we know little about how to achieve it
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