Ecological network analysis assesses the restoration success of
disturbed mining soil in China
Abstract
Understanding the interactions among soil microbial species and how they
respond to land reclamation is essential to evaluate the success of
ecological restoration actions in disturbed mining soil. In this study,
we strived to reveal the interactions among soil bacterial communities
along the reclamation timeline of a coal mine in Zoucheng, China. To do
so, we investigated changes in the composition of soil bacterial over
time and constructed molecular ecological networks (i.e. microbial
network) following mining soil reclamation into agricultural land. The
relationships between microbial networks and selected soil attributes
(i.e. soil pH, electric conductivity, organic matter, soil nutrients and
enzymatic activities) were also analyzed. The results showed that the
composition of soil bacteria changed significantly along the reclamation
timeline. The microbial network profile revealed that Acidobacteria,
Planctomycetes and Proteobacteria were the key microbial populations.
Soil pH, soil organic matter content, soil dehydrogenase and urease
activities were significantly correlated (0.001 ≤ P < 0.05)
with the microbial network structure, suggesting that the microbial
networks found influenced the provision of relevant soil ecological
functions after reclamation. The variation in complexity of the
microbial networks along the reclamation timeline revealed that
microbial development was promoted by the shift in land use from mining
into agriculture. Overall, our findings shed light on how soil microbial
communities and networks change following mine reclamation into
agricultural land. The results presented herein will undoubtedly aid in
the establishment of success indicators of ecological restoration
activities in disturbed mining soil.