Evaluation of the trade-off between water use efficiency and nutrient use efficiency in two semiarid coniferous tree species growing on an organic amended metalliferous mine tailing substrate.

We evaluated the ecophysiological responses of two semiarid coniferous tree species, Pinus halepensis and Tetraclinis articulata, growing on a nutrient-poor metalliferous mine tailings substrate to organic amendments (biochar and/or organic municipal waste). The trees were grown in mesocosms under irrigated conditions for 20 months. Then, a comprehensive characterization of soil and plant parameters (including stable isotopes) was carried out.

Evaluation of the rhizospheric microbiome of the native colonizer Piptatherum miliaceum in semiarid mine tailings.

The study of the rhizospheric microbiome in native plants should be a prerequisite before carrying out the phytomanagement of mine tailings. The goal of this work was to evaluate the rhizospheric microbiome of Piptatherum miliaceum in semiarid mine tailings. A comprehensive edaphic characterization was performed including the description of soil microbial composition in the rhizosphere of P.

Biochar and urban solid refuse ameliorate the inhospitality of acidic mine tailings and foster effective spontaneous plant colonization under semiarid climate.

Phytomanagement is considered a suitable option in line with nature-based solutions to reduce environmental risks associated to metal(loid) mine tailings. We aimed at assessing the effectiveness of biochar from pruning trees combined with compost from urban solid refuse (USR) to ameliorate the conditions of barren acidic (pH ~5.5) metal(loid) mine tailing soils (total concentrations in mg kg: As ~220, Cd ~40, Mn ~1800, Pb ~5300 and Zn ~8600) from Mediterranean semiarid areas and promote spontaneous plant colonization.

Effects on metal availability of the application of tree biochar and municipal waste biosolid in a metalliferous mine tailings substrate.

The phytostabilization of mine tailings requires a previous assessment of the effects of soil amendments on metal mobility. The goal of this work was to evaluate the response of metal availability (both labile and potentially available pools) to the addition of two organic amendments (a municipal waste biosolid and a tree biochar), separately and in combination, in a mine tailings substrate. For this purpose, a comprehensive comparison among several single extraction procedures and a sequential extraction procedure was performed.

A critical assessment on the short-term response of microbial relative composition in a mine tailings soil amended with biochar and manure compost.

Phytomanagement of tailings requires the use of soil conditioners to favour plant establishment, but their benefits on soil microbial composition need to be assessed. The goal of this work was to evaluate the effect of two organic amendments, manure compost and biochar, on soil bacterial and fungal composition at metallic mine tailings. The addition of compost caused stronger effects in most of soil parameters and microbial composition than biochar, especially at the initial stage of the experiment.