Fungal Communities Resist Recovery in Sand Mine Restoration

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 practices. 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.

Living Fungi in an Opencast Limestone Mine: Who Are They and What Can They Do?

“…Based on funtional prediction tools used in this study, saprophytic fungi were abundant in all study sites, but they were especially abundant in mining and rehabilitation plots (almost 50% of all detected traits). The result was consistent with a previous study on sand mine restoration [ 64 ]. According to Naranjo-Ortiz and Gabaldón [ 65 ], saprophytic fungi can thrive in a variety of niches and are frequently found in harsh environments.…”

Examining assumptions of soil microbial ecology in the monitoring of ecological restoration

“…There are many reasons why microbial inoculants may fail to achieve desired outcomes, including lack of local adaptation and post‐application evolution of microbial inoculants in the field (Hart, Antunes, & Abbott, 2017). Further, successful inoculant establishment may represent an invasive species threat (Hart et al., 2019). If the invasive microbe replaces or occludes resident taxa, ecosystem functioning may be compromised.…”

Effects of one dark septate endophytic fungal and two Helotiales strains on the growth of plane-leaved willow (Salix planifolia) cuttings on iron ore waste rock

“…The strong demand for mineral resources over the last few decades resulted in habitat degradation (Hudson-Edwards et al 2011;Walker 2012). For example, the removal of the topsoil to access the exploitable ore results in the destruction of the plant community and greatly reduces the abundance and diversity of mycorrhizal propagules (Bois et al 2005;Schnoor et al 2011;Verbruggen et al 2013;Wang 2017;Hart et al 2019). Moreover, mining activities generate large dumps of primary material (mine waste rock and finer mine tailings) with high concentrations of heavy metals (Cooke and Johnson 2002;Walker 2012), leading to a toxic biochemical environment unsuitable for natural plant colonization.…”