Abstract
We constructed a mining soil restoration system combining plant, complex substrate and microbe. Sludge was added to reconstructed mine substrates (RMS) to accelerate the reclamation process. The effect of sludge on plant growth, microbial activity, soil aggregate stability, and aggregation-associated soil characteristics was monitored during 10 years of reclamation. Results show that the height and total biomass of ryegrass increases with reclamation time. Sludge amendment increases the aggregate binding agent content and soil aggregate stability. Soil organic carbon (SOC) and light-fraction SOC (LFOC) in the RMS increase by 151% and 247% compared with those of the control, respectively. A similar trend was observed for the glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP). Stable soil aggregate indexes increase until the seventh year. In short, the variables of RMS determined after 3–7 years insignificantly differ from those of the untreated sample in the tenth-year. Furthermore, significant positive correlations between the GRSP and SOC and GRSP and soil structure-related variables were observed in RMS. Biological stimulation of the SOC and GRSP accelerates the recovery of the soil structure and ecosystem function. Consequently, the plant–complex substrate–microbe ecological restoration system can be used as an effective tool in early mining soil reclamation.
Highlights
We constructed a mining soil restoration system combining plant, complex substrate and microbe
Most previous studies focused on total carbon sequestration and the results showed that the soil organic carbon (SOC) increases with the reclamation time[16,17]
This study demonstrates the positive role of sludge amendment in reconstructed mine substrates (RMS) after ten-year restoration
Summary
We constructed a mining soil restoration system combining plant, complex substrate and microbe. An increasing amount of research has begun to explore the use of industrial solid waste in mining areas to build reconstructed mine substrates (RMS), such as coal g angue[2,3]. On this basis, sewage sludge is one of the amendments used to enrich RMS and speed up the reclamation process. Sludge amendment is an important factor stimulating the microbial activity and development of microbial communities in the soil Soil microbial communities, such as bacteria and fungi, play vital roles in nutrient cycling, reduction in plant stresses, and formation of soil a ggregates[7,8]. The distribution of the different functional SOC pools plays a key role in the SOC accumulation[19,20]
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.