Effective Ecological Restoration Research Articles

Metagenomic Insights into Coal Slag Remediation Effects on Soil and Microbial Health in Qinghai’s Muli Coal Mine

Long-term coal mining in the Muli coal mine area of Qinghai Province has degraded soil quality and reduced microbial diversity, making it imperative to implement effective ecological restoration measures to restore soil quality and enhance ecosystem functions. This study evaluated soil samples under 11 ecological restoration treatments using metagenomic sequencing combined with soil quality analysis to explore the responses of the microbial community structure and function to identify effective restoration measures. This study demonstrated that ecological restoration significantly increased the soil microbial diversity and richness, with the MLII1 (soil samples treated with a chemical weathering agent, attapulgite, and a microbial agent) and MLIII1 (soil samples treated with sheep manure (2.4 kg/m2), granular organic fertilizer (1.2 kg/m2), and the microbial agent) treatment groups performing exceptionally well. Further analysis of the functional networks revealed that although the MLII2 (soil samples treated with the chemical weathering agent and attapulgite) treatment group did not exhibit the highest species diversity, it exhibited the highest functional network complexity. The results of hierarchical clustering analysis showed that the microbial community of the MLII2 treatment group was most similar to that of the natural meadows compared to the other treatment groups. From the perspective of overall ecological restoration, this study concluded that the MLII2 treatment group exhibited the most favorable ecological restoration outcomes. This finding emphasizes the importance of not only enhancing microbial diversity but also prioritizing the restoration of community functions, especially for the recovery of fragile high-altitude ecosystems.

Benefit evaluation of sloping land conversion program in the upper reaches of the Yellow River

This study used forestry statistical data and field survey data from 2000 to 2018 to analyze the ecological restoration effect of the returning farmland to forest project in the upper reaches of the Yellow River, considering four perspectives, namely, project construction goals, ecosystem quality, ecosystem service functions, and ecological restoration driving factors. One-way ANOVA and logit regression analysis methods were used for comparison. The results show that the implementation of the Grain for Green Project has reduced the carrying capacity of rural land, effectively curbed the continuous deterioration of the ecological environment, and protected and benefited the forest ecosystem. (1) Initiatives of the return farmland to forest project have achieved the expected goals, and the forest coverage rate has increased significantly from 5.26 % (in 2000) to 15.63 % (in 2019); the proportion of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries related to forestry has reached a reasonable level, and the economic benefits thereof continue to improve. (2) Indicators such as total forest and grass vegetation coverage, vegetation net primary productivity, and forest and grass health index reflect that the functional quality of the regional forest and grass ecosystem is gradually improving. (3) The ecosystem service function of the project region has improved considerably, and the ecological benefits are significant. (4) In terms of the contribution value of the driving forces for this ecological restoration project, they can be ranked as follows: government investment > reducing land carrying capacity > policy of returning farmland to forest > government management > hydrological factors > meteorological factors. (5) After the implementation of the Grain for Green Project, farmers' income has increased significantly, but the changes in livelihood capital income are not synchronized. As the ecological environment in the Grain for Green project areas gradually improved from deterioration, the natural capital and social capital of farmers' livelihood capital decreased significantly, while the physical capital and financial capital increased significantly, with no significant change in human capital. Farmers' satisfaction with the Grain for Green Project is as follows: natural capital has a significant negative impact, while financial capital and social capital have significant positive impacts, and there are no significant changes in physical capital and human capital. Finally, the consistency test results show that the fit is as high as 95 %, and the accuracy exceeds 90 %. Notably, the implementation of the Grain for Green Project has played a pivotal role in ecological restoration and contributed greatly to ecological benefits. These achievements provide a scientific basis and theoretical support for the country to formulate relevant policies for forestry projects, which holds great significance for the country in addressing the contradiction between economic and social development and ecological protection.

Changes in soil quality during different ecological restoration years in the abandoned coal mine area of southern China

AbstractUnderstanding the effects of abandoned coal mine ecological restoration on soil quality and function is important to protect the regional ecological environment. This study aims to evaluate the ecological restoration effects of soil quality in abandoned coal mine area. Taking Fengcheng County, a typical coal‐rich area in southern China, as a case, this study took 120 soil samples to investigate the influence of restoration years on soil quality by using an integrated soil quality index (SQI). Results indicated that restoration years had significant effects on the saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) by affecting the soil bulk density, clay content, and soil water content. Furthermore, clay, soil organic matter, Ks, and pH were selected to assess the effect of ecological restoration years on soil quality. It was found that the ecological restoration 8 years (ER8) site had higher SQI value, indicating ecological restoration years showed a positive correlation with SQI in abandoned coal mine area. Since there was a 4‐year gap between ecological restoration 4 years site and ER8 site, the ecological restoration may be effective between 5 and 8 years. The results of this study are of great significance for improving the effects of ecological restoration and management in abandoned coal mine area.

Evaluation of the stock enhancement effect of Phascolosoma esculenta on macrobenthic communities using diversity and biotic indices in Yueqing Bay, East China Sea

Stock enhancement activities have many benefits but also negative impacts. The macrobenthic diversity index and the M-AMBI index were adopted to assess the effects of stock enhancement of Phascolosoma esculenta on macrobenthic communities and the local ecosystem in Yueqing Bay. The results revealed that the Shannon–Wiener diversity index (H’) and Margalef richness index (d) increased in October 2022 after stock enhancement, indicating a positive ecological restoration effect. The average M-AMBI in the intertidal zone of Yueqing Bay was 0.59, indicating good benthic ecological quality. Excluding seasonal factors, the M-AMBI in the intertidal zone increased after stock enhancement, indicating that stock enhancement by Phascolosoma esculenta had a certain positive effect on the intertidal ecological environment of Yueqing Bay. The increase in the M-AMBI occurred mainly in the low-tide zone, increased slightly in the mid-tide zone, and remained basically unchanged in the high-tide zone. On the one hand, Phascolosoma esculenta can accumulate heavy metals from the environment and release a large amount of organic matter throughout its lifecycle, promoting nutrient cycling, which plays a positive role in the environment. On the other hand, Phascolosoma esculenta is an economic species; however, the planting of mangroves in the low tide zone causes fishers to fish in the mid- and high-tide zones, so the changes in the M-AMBI values in each tidal zone are related mainly to Phascolosoma esculenta and anthropogenic disturbances.

Evolution and driving mechanism of multiple ecosystem services in resource-based region of Northern China

Understanding the spatiotemporal characteristics and comprehensive service capabilities of various ecosystem services is crucial for maintaining regional ecosystem security, and clarifying the driving mechanisms of ecosystem services plays a guarantee for achieving regional sustainable development. Based on the ecological issues of Shanxi Province (SXP) in China, an assessment system covering eight targeted ecosystem services were constructed to quantitatively analyze the spatio-temporal patterns and contribution rates of driving factors. The water conservation, sand fixation, environment purification and habitat quality in the Loess Hills of western SXP have improved, with significant increase in hotspots. The comprehensive service capacity of ecosystem services in the Fenwei Basin (central SXP) has deteriorated, and the coldspots have expanded. The water conservation, carbon storage, habitat quality and recreation culture in the Yanshan-Taihang Mountains (eastern SXP) were enhanced, while product supply, carbon storage and environment purification were deteriorated. Land use is the dominant influencing factor on product supply. Water and soil conservation, sand fixation, and environment purification are dominated by climate factors. Carbon storage, habitat quality and recreation culture are influenced by underlying surface conditions. The current study provided a research paradigm, which will help the government with appropriate management policies to ensure the effectiveness of ecological protection and restoration, and offers insights for facilitating ecological sustainability and economic transformation in resource-based regions worldwide.

Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Drivers of Coastal Wetlands in Tianjin–Hebei over the Past 80 Years

Coastal wetland ecosystems are critical due to their diverse ecological and economic benefits, yet they have been significantly affected by human activities over the past century. Understanding the spatiotemporal changes and underlying factors influencing these ecosystems is crucial for developing effective ecological protection and restoration strategies. This study examines the Tianjin–Hebei coastal wetlands using topographic maps from the 1940s and Landsat satellite imagery from 1975, 2000, and 2020, supplemented by historical literature and field surveys. The aim is to analyze the distribution and classification of coastal wetlands across various temporal intervals. The findings indicate an expansion of the Tianjin–Hebei coastal wetlands from 7301.34 km2 in the 1940s to 8041.73 km2 in 2020. However, natural wetlands have declined by approximately 44.36 km2/year, while constructed wetlands have increased by around 53.61 km2/year. The wetlands have also become increasingly fragmented, with higher numbers of patches and densities. The analysis of driving factors points to human activities—such as urban construction, cultivated land reclamation, sea aquaculture, and land reclamation—as the primary contributors to these changes. Furthermore, the study addresses the ecological and environmental issues stemming from wetland changes and proposes strategies for wetland conservation. This research aims to enhance the understanding among researchers and policymakers of the dynamics and drivers of coastal wetland changes, as well as the major challenges in their protection, and to serve as a foundation for developing evidence-based conservation and restoration strategies.

Integrating local knowledge into public policy instruments for enhancing restoration: A study case from western Mexican tropical dry forest

Local knowledge (LK) is often overlooked in the decision-making process during landscape restoration process. In this study, we focus on the Zicuirán-Infiernillo Biosphere Reserve as a case study. We propose a framework to incorporate LK into public policy instruments for implementing restoration interventions in Mexican protected natural areas (PNAs). Through semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and informal talks, conducted with residents from two communities located in the buffer zone and the border area of the reserve, we gathered valuable insights regarding the following: (1) the inhabitants' LK of the ecology and contributions of tropical dry forest, (2) the socioeconomic and environmental issues identified by these communities in their localities, (3) ecological and socioeconomic actions suggested by the residents to recover the forest or halt its degradation, and (4) the role of institutions and local organizations in restoration and conservation processes. Our findings indicate that residents recognized changes in species distribution and identified native trees that are tolerant to drought. Moreover, they acknowledged the beneficial contributions provided by forests, including climate and water cycle regulation, oxygen supply, and raw materials. Local people also demonstrated their awareness of environmental and socioeconomic issues and proposed activities to reverse vegetation cover loss and halt forest degradation. While reforestation emerged as the primary solution for forest recovery, assisted natural regeneration and natural regeneration were also suggested. Based on our results, we propose a framework that emphasizes a robust knowledge exchange among stakeholders, for facilitating the inclusion of LK in an ecological restoration-based education program. It is crucial for Mexican public policy instruments operating in PNAs to consider local knowledge to enhance the effectiveness of ecological restoration.

Research on Sediment Deposition Characteristics and the Vegetation Restoration of Ecological Riverbanks in the Deep Waterway Regulation Scheme of Yangtze River

In order to explore the sediment deposition characteristic of ecological riverbanks associated with vegetation restoration in the deep waterway regulation scheme of Yangtze River, two kinds of typical ecological riverbanks and a traditional riprap riverbank (TRR) in engineering areas were investigated. The vegetation community characteristics, sediment aggregate compositions, nutrient contents, total organic carbon (TOC), sediment microbial biomass carbon (MBC), sediment microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), and sediment microbial biomass phosphorus (MBP) were determined. The results indicated that the ecological restoration effect of the lattice gabion ballasted vegetation mat riverbank (LGBVR) was best, followed by the mesh grid riverbank (MGR), and that of the TRR was relatively poor. In different ecological riverbanks, the sediment aggregated compositions were not significantly varied. The sediment contents of NH4+-N, available phosphorus (AP), and TOC in ecological riverbank areas were relatively higher than those of the TRR. In the LGBVR, the sediment contents of MBC were relatively higher than those of the others. The sediment deposition characteristics and ecological restoration effects in the study area should be monitored for a long time.

Spatiotemporal differentiation of water–carbon–light compound use efficiency and its sensitivity to the dominant factor

ABSTRACT Taking the South China karst as an example, this study constructed compound use efficiency (COM) through water, light, and carbon use efficiency (WUE, LUE, and CUE), analysed the divergence characteristics of COM, and clarified the dominant factors of COM variation and their sensitivity. It showed that from 2000 to 2018, WUE, LUE, CUE, and COM showed significant non-linear characteristics, spatially, which were distributed in a “northeast–southwest” pattern. Different factors on COM exhibited significant spatial heterogeneity. The COM first stabilized and then exhibited a fluctuating decrease with rising elevation and slope. The COM increased sharply and then slightly decreased as the temperature and precipitation increased but decreased with enhanced solar radiation and human activity intensity (HAI). HAI had the greatest effect on COM change, and the COM-HAI sensitivity first decreased and then increased; 2006 was the most abrupt year, and this may be related to the time-lagged effect of ecological restoration on vegetation.

Research on the Purification Effect of Aquatic Plants on Polluted Water

Aquatic plants are an effective ecological restoration method for water purification. This article reviews the importance and role of plants in water purification, and explores their research progress in the purification mechanisms of pollutants such as nitrogen and phosphorus, their impact on water ecosystems, and their applications in water pollution prevention and control. The importance and future research directions of aquatic plants in water pollution control were analyzed based on their adaptability and biodiversity. Research has found that aquatic plants have significant purification effects and a wide range of applications in water purification. Future research can continue to delve into the purification mechanisms and ecological effects of aquatic plants, in order to promote the advancement of water technology. The importance of aquatic plants in water purification cannot be ignored and is expected to become an important means of future water environment restoration.

Exploring the restoration stability of abandoned open-pit mines by vegetation resilience indicator based on the LandTrendr algorithm

Open-pit mining causes serious damage to the ground surface and vegetation. Remote sensing technology helps assess and monitor the effectiveness of ecological restoration in abandoned open-pit mines, offering vital information for exploring the ecosystem recovery process. However, previous studies have mostly focused on changes in characteristics and lack quantitative characterization of restoration stability and its dynamics. In this study, we applied the vegetation resilience indicator based on the LandTrendr algorithm, which can combine vegetation disturbance and recovery characteristics for abandoned open-pit mines. Eighteen abandoned open-pit mines around Dongting Lake in China were taken as the research areas. Google Earth Engine and all available Landsat remote sensing images for June-September 1984–2022 were utilized. The effectiveness of mine restoration was determined according to the vegetation resilience indicator and recovery magnitude. The results showed that eighteen abandoned open-pit mines had a range of vegetation resilience between 5.06 and 9.45, indicating that the overall open-pit mines around Dongting Lake were well-restored. The recovery curves of the abandoned open-pit mines had an “inverted S-shape” and “S-shape,” indicating that the overall recovery characteristics of the different types of abandoned open-pit mines before and after the implementation of ecological restoration measures differed. Mine type and restoration measures affect the restoration stability of open-pit mines. The average values of vegetation resilience of the three types of mines were 7.73, 6.91, and 5.79, respectively, indicating that the resilience of the abandoned open-pit mines with serious damage was lower, and at the same time, the restoration was more dependent on the degree of input of artificial restoration. This study provides a reference for the selection of measures and the determination of restoration costs in the future ecological restoration of abandoned open-pit mines.

Aridity threshold of ecological restoration mitigated atmospheric drought via land‒atmosphere coupling in drylands

Land‒atmosphere coupling intensifies the vulnerability of ecosystems in drylands. However, whether and how ecological restoration would modify the land‒atmosphere coupling across drylands remains unclear. To address these gaps, here we use structural equation model to separate two pathways of land‒atmosphere coupling: vegetation and soil moisture pathways, and investigate the effect of ecological restoration in China’s drylands on land‒atmosphere coupling. Analysis reveals that, land‒atmosphere coupling regulates approximately 30% of atmospheric drought, among which soil moisture pathway contributes twice as much as vegetation pathway. Vegetation greening mitigates atmospheric drought in areas where the aridity index ranges from 0.3 to 0.5, while soil drying exacerbates atmospheric drought in areas where the aridity index ranges from 0.5 to 0.65. The findings identify the optimal regions where ecological restoration helps alleviate the vulnerability of ecosystems under anthropogenic warming. Additionally, the proposed method enhances the understanding of how restored ecosystems contribute to mitigating atmospheric drought.

Integrating Future Multi-Scenarios to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Ecological Restoration: A Case Study of the Yellow River Basin

Ecological restoration is an important strategy for mitigating environmental degradation, and the effectiveness evaluation of ecological restoration is of profound significance for the scientific implementation of restoration projects. This study improved the Patch-generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) model. It was used to simulate the land use patterns under multi-scenarios such as natural development (ND), economic priority (EP), and ecological restoration (ER) in 2030. An evaluation framework covering ecological “Restoration–Monitoring–Effectiveness” (RME) was proposed. Based on 30 m high-resolution remote-sensing data from 2000 to 2020, the land use distribution, landscape pattern changes, and ecosystem services under different scenarios were evaluated and predicted in the Yellow River Basin of Sichuan to verify the effectiveness of the evaluation framework. The results showed the following: (1) Under the ER scenario, the transfer of land use types in 2020–2030 was mainly characterized by an increase in the area of wetlands and a decrease in the area of built-up land. (2) There were obvious differences in land use and landscape patterns under different scenarios. Compared with the ND and EP scenarios, the growth of the construction rate was suppressed in the ER scenario, and the coverage of grassland and wetlands increased significantly. (3) The mean values of ecosystem services in the ER scenario were higher than those in the ND and EP scenarios. These findings clearly indicate that the RME evaluation system can accurately evaluate the ecological restoration effects under multi-scenarios in the future, providing a new perspective for ecological restoration evaluation in other regions.

Ecological restoration enhanced the stability of epiphytic microbial food webs of submerged macrophytes: Insights from predation characteristics of epiphytic predators

The application of various submerged macrophytes for ecological restoration has gained increasing attention in urban lake ecosystems. The multitrophic microbial communities that colonized in various submerged macrophytes constitute microbial food webs through trophic cascade effects, which affect the biogeochemical cycles of the lake ecosystem and directly determine the effects of ecological restoration. Therefore, it is essential to reveal the diversity, composition, assembly processes, and stability of the microbial communities within epiphytic food webs of diverse submerged macrophytes under eutrophication and ecological restoration scenarios. In this study, we explored the epiphytic microbial food webs of Vallisneria natans and Hydrilla verticillata in both eutrophic and ecological restoration regions. The obtained results indicated that the two regions with different nutrient levels remarkably affected the diversity and composition of epiphytic multitrophic microbial communities of submerged macrophytes, among them, the community composition of epiphytic predators were more prone to change. Secondly, environmental filtering effects played a more important role in driving the community assembly of epiphytic predators than that of prey. Furthermore, the generality and intraguild predation of epiphytic predators were significantly improved within ecological restoration regions, which increased the stability of epiphytic microbial food webs. Additionally, compared with Hydrilla verticillata, the epiphytic microbial food webs of Vallisneria natans exhibited higher multitrophic diversity and higher network stability regardless of regions. Overall, this study focused on the role of the epiphytic microbial food webs of submerged macrophytes in ecological restoration and uncovered the potential of epiphytic predators to enhance the stability of microbial food webs, which may provide new insights into the development of ecological restoration strategies.

Research on ecological restoration and green reclamation technology of goaf in phosphorus mines

The subsidiary of Yunnan Phosphate Group Co., Ltd., Kunyang Phosphate Mine’s mining area is the subject of study. The mining of open-pit phosphate mines has caused significant damage to the ecological environment. Therefore, carrying out ecological restoration and green reclamation of the ecosystem in the mining area has become the top priority for current development. This article establishes an evaluation system for ecological restoration indicators, selecting four indicators including vegetation coverage, soil and water conservation, restoration of native plants, and Plant Species Diversity Index to assess the effects of ecological restoration and green reclamation of phosphate mines. The techniques of reconstructing soil ecological structure using phosphate tailings substrate and improving acidic soil with soil conditioner and calcium-magnesium phosphate compound fertilizer were applied. A series of other measures were taken, including: drafting scientific ecological restoration plans; employing physical, chemical, and biological methods for ecological restoration and green reclamation; selecting suitable plant species for planting; enhancing planting techniques; and strengthening post-restoration ecological monitoring and regulation. After ecological restoration and green reclamation, the Ecological Remediation Effect Index (EREI) for the years 2020, 2021, and 2022 were 48.40, 87.38, and 93.23 respectively, indicating significant improvement in the ecological environment. Furthermore, the difficulties encountered during the ecological system restoration process of the mine and the future development directions were summarized, providing practical and guiding significance for ecological restoration and green reclamation of abandoned mining areas both domestically and internationally.

A methodological study on the identification of ecological security change processes and zoning control strategies —— Based on the perspective of sustainable development

Ecological security (ES) is a crucial indicator for assessing the sustainable development of a region. Currently, most studies on ES primarily focus on process analysis, and the integration of environmental variability into the development of tailored control strategies for regions with varying ecological quality is overlooked. Therefore, in this study, we identified regional ES change processes, employed an optimized system to calculate the ecological security index (ESI), and identified ecological corridors (ECs) through the Minimum Constrained Resource (MCR) model to determine zoning strategies for typical arid regions, using the Ningxia region in the Yellow River Basin of China as an example. The findings showed that (1) from 2006 to 2020, the ESI values of most regions were between 0.2 and 0.4, with small but consistent increases in the ESI values over the years. (2) The proportion of regions with high ES ratings increased by 9.08 % across all districts and counties, and the center of gravity of ES shifted in a north–south and east–west direction. (3) The ESI exhibited a strong positive spatial correlation, characterized by spatial diffusion and spillover effects in most regions. (4) The ECs were predominantly distributed in a north–south direction, involving a total of 20 districts and counties. Based on the principles of sustainable development, we developed a model for the dynamic identification and zoning control of regional ES, aiming to provide a practical framework for effective ecological restoration and protection measures. Additionally, the strategies and methodologies presented in this study serve as important references for similar regions worldwide to facilitate the zoning control of ES, highlighting the broader significance and applicability of the study.

Effect of ecological restoration on evapotranspiration and water yield in the agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China during 2000–2018

Evapotranspiration (ET) and water yield (WY) play a crucial role in sustaining available water resources, and are greatly affected by climate and anthropogenic activities. The agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China (APENC) has been undergoing ecological restoration projects since 2000 to rehabilitate ecosystem services such as food production and water availability. Previous studies have primarily accessed the combined effect of vegetation greening and climate change on ET. However, the independent influences of these factors, particularly land use/cover change (LUCC) and vegetation greening on both ET and WY remain poorly understood. In this study, we systematically investigated the effect of LUCC, vegetation greening, and climate change scenarios on regional ET and WY variations from 2000 to 2018 in the APENC using a coupled carbon and water model. Results showed a significant increase in the mean annual ET, with a trend of 5.8 mm/y while the WY had a statistically insignificant trend of −0.6 mm/y from 2000 to 2018. Areas with significant increases in ET and decreases in WY mainly occurred in the southeastern part of the APENC. Vegetation greening induced by ecological restoration had a more pronounced impact on ET variation than climate change, while LUCC resulted in relatively minor changes in ET in the APENC. The variations in WY were primarily influenced by changes in precipitation, the increase in precipitation effectively offset the decrease in WY caused by vegetation greening. These findings provide valuable information to policy/decision markers for sustainable management of large-scale ecological restoration programs in dry regions.

Remote Sensing Application in Ecological Restoration Monitoring: A Systematic Review

In the context of the continuous degradation of the global environment, ecological restoration has become a primary task in global environmental governance. In this process, remote sensing technology, as an advanced monitoring and analysis tool, plays a key role in monitoring ecological restoration. This article reviews the application of remote sensing technology in ecological restoration monitoring. Based on a comprehensive analysis of the literature in the field of ecological remote sensing, it systematically summarizes the major in-orbit spaceborne and airborne sensors and their related products. This article further proposes a series of evaluation indicators for ecological restoration from four aspects: forests, soil, water, and the atmosphere, and elaborates on the calculation methods for these indicators. In addition, this paper also summarizes the methods for evaluating the effectiveness of ecological restoration, including subjective evaluation, objective evaluation, and comprehensive evaluation methods. Finally, we analyze the challenges faced by remote sensing technology in evaluating ecological restoration effectiveness, such as issues with the precision of indicators extraction, the limitations of spatial resolution, and the diversity of evaluation methods. This review also looks forward to future ecological restoration technologies, such as the potential applications of integrated aerospace and terrestrial remote sensing, multi-data fusion, and machine learning technologies. This study reveals the effectiveness of remote sensing technology in ecological restoration monitoring, aiming to provide efficient tools and innovative strategies for future remote sensing monitoring and assessment of ecological restoration.

Research on Monitoring and Application of Ecological Restoration Engineering in Open Pit Backfilling Mines Based on Satellite Remote Sensing Data

Abstract. The restoration and management of mining ecological environment is an important component of China's ecological civilization construction. The implementation of restoration projects is to avoid the serious impact caused by the continuous deterioration of mining ecological structure, and is a key way to maintain regional ecological security and energy and mineral security. Therefore, efficient and rapid monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of mining ecological restoration is an essential and important link. With the rapid development of remote sensing technology, remote sensing monitoring has become an important means to objectively, quickly, and accurately obtaining changes in the mining environment. It can provide timely and long-term monitoring of mining and backfilling conditions in mining areas. This article uses the multi temporal stereo images of the Resource 3 satellite over four years to monitor the mining and backfilling situation of the Zhungeer open-pit coal mine area in Inner Mongolia. By reconstructing the Digital Surface Model (DSM) of the open-pit mining area, the changes and thresholds of the multi temporal DSM data are statistically analyzed to extract the mining and backfilling areas, and the earthwork volume is calculated. The results showed that from 2013 to 2016, the main large-scale mining faces in the study area of Zhungeer open-pit mining area had a total mining operation of about 563.5 million cubic meters, and a total backfilling operation of about 604.29 million cubic meters; During the period from 2016 to 2018, the main large-scale mining faces in the region had a total of approximately 721.71 million cubic meters of mining operations and a total of approximately 805.42 million cubic meters of backfilling operations. The overall operational intensity increased from 2016 to 2018. The research results show that based on satellite image data, it is convenient and efficient to obtain DSM and corresponding changes of multiple time periods in mining areas. Monitoring results can provide important support for regional environmental governance and protection, as well as safety production in mining areas.

AMF symbiosis drives the rhizosphere microbiome to synergistically improve herbage growth in saline–alkaline soils

AbstractPlant–microbe interactions are essential in shaping plant performance and overall ecosystem functioning. However, the regulatory mechanisms underlying plant–microbe interactions mediated by mycorrhizal symbiosis in saline–alkaline soils are still not fully understood. Here, we aimed to clarify the synergistic regulatory mechanism through which arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) symbiosis drives the rhizosphere microbiome to improve perennial herbage growth in saline–alkaline soils and evaluate phytoremediation efficiency. This study revealed that Funneliformis mosseae inoculation (i) strongly promoted the growth of all three herbage species (with values ranging from 21.62% to 233.33%), Na+ accumulation in plants (with values ranging from 24.63% to 188.89%), and decreased soil electrical conductivity (with values ranging from 7.68% to 12.87%), potentially suggesting improved phytoremediation efficiency with AMF symbiosis; (ii) increased nutritional content and decreased C:P and N:P ratios (with values ranging from 27.20% to 92.87%) and improved K+/Na+ and P/Na+ ratios (with values ranging from 2.60% to 302.96%); (iii) increased the abundance of some beneficial bacterial taxa and strengthened the significant strong relationships among most of these bacteria and plant biomass, ion homeostasis as well as stoichiometric ratio constants, and AMF inoculation treatments also consisted the higher proportion of differential genera significantly correlated with these plant factors as well as plant nutrient contents, potentially reflecting that AMF mediated the enrichment process of beneficial bacterial taxa and may strength functional interaction between plant and bacterial taxa, which may be importance for the enhancement of saline–alkaline tolerance of plants; and (iv) enhanced stability of the rhizosphere bacterial community and complexity of interaction networks, and the related indictors also established significant correlations with plant/soil factors, suggesting that the improvement of stability and functional complexity driven by AMF may also be beneficial for enhancing phytoremediation efficiency. These findings indicate that AMF inoculation plays its own beneficial role by simultaneously activating the potential of beneficial rhizosphere bacterial taxa and that their synergistic interaction is more beneficial for enhancing plant growth in salt‐affected soils and enhancing phytoremediation efficiency. This study helps to elucidate the underlying mechanisms through which AMF‐mediated rhizosphere bacterial community improve plant growth and tolerance to saline–alkaline stresses, and provides evidence that effective ecological restoration of saline–alkaline degraded grasslands can be achieved via the use of mycorrhizal symbiosis herbage.