AMD-Sed Contamination Significantly Affects Soil Bacterial Communities and Ecological Functions in Desert Grassland
2024-06-28
Soil bacteria are an important component of desert grassland ecosystems and play an important role in maintaining ecosystem stability and function. However, acid mine drainage and sediment (AMD-Sed) contamination caused by the process of mine waste stockpiling exerts a strong influence on soil and severely affects the sustainable development of desert grasslands.
In a recent study published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, researchers from the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences analyzed the effects of AMD-Sed contamination on soil bacterial communities and ecological functions in desert grasslands.
The researchers collected a total of 18 samples from the sediment layer (0-40 cm), the buried soil layer (40-80 cm), and the control soil layer (0-40 cm) in Fuyun county, Xinjiang, China. Based on these samples, they then performed geochemical elemental analyses and genome sequencing analyses to identify changes in the structure and diversity of soil bacterial communities, and variations of soil ecological functions.
The researchers found that AMD-Sed contamination altered the composition of soil bacterial communities in desert grasslands, reduced the complexity and stability of the bacterial network, and ultimately led to increased vulnerability of bacterial communities in desert grasslands.
In addition, they founded that AMD-Sed contamination increased the sulphur-cycle functions but decreased the carbon/nitrogen-cycle functions of grassland soil.
"AMD-Sed pollution is persistent, and timely remediation measures are the key to restoring the ecological functions and productive capacity of desert grasslands,” said SHI Jianfei, first author of the study.
This study provides preliminary information about the effects of AMD-Sed contamination on soil bacterial communities and ecological functions in desert grasslands, and can be used as a reference for ecological restoration of polluted grassland ecosystems.
Article link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304389424014110?via%3Dihub
Contact
LONG Huaping
Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography
E-mail: longhp@ms.xjb.ac.cn