Microarthropod communities act as functional mediators of ecosystem recovery in abandoned metal(loid) mine tailings in semiarid areas.

Sci Total Environ

Department of Agricultural Engineering of the E.T.S.I.A., Technical University of Cartagena, 30203 Cartagena, Spain; Soil Ecology and Biotechnology Unit of the I.B.V., Technical University of Cartagena, 30203 Cartagena, Spain. Electronic address:

Published: July 2023

AI Article Synopsis

  • Abandoned mine tailings exhibit harsh conditions for plant and soil life due to high metal levels and nutrient deficiency, particularly in semiarid climates.
  • Fertility islands, formed by spontaneously growing vegetation, may support beneficial plant-microbe interactions, yet the role of soil invertebrates in these patches is underexplored.
  • Research indicates that plant colonization in mine tailings enhances soil microarthropod diversity and abundance, particularly saprophages and omnivores, which contributes to improved ecosystem functionality and soil quality.

Article Abstract

Abandoned metal(loid) mine tailings show inhospitable conditions for the establishment of above- and below-ground communities (e.g., high metal(loid) levels, organic matter and nutrient deficiency). This worsens in semiarid areas due to the harsh climate conditions. Fertility islands (vegetation patches formed by plants that spontaneously colonize the tailings) can serve as potential nucleation spots fostering beneficial plant-microbial interactions. However, less attention has been paid to the soil invertebrates living beneath these patches and their functional role. Here, we studied whether the spontaneous plant colonization of abandoned metal(loid) mine tailings led to a greater presence of soil microarthropod communities and whether this could contribute to improving ecosystem functionality. Microarthropods were extracted, taxonomically identified and subsequently assigned to different functional groups (saphrophages, omnivores, predators) in bare soils and differently vegetated patches within metalliferous mine tailings and surrounding forests in southeast Spain. Microarthropod communities were significantly different in bare soils compared with vegetated patches in mine tailings and surrounding forests. Plant colonization led to an increase in microarthropod abundance in tailing soils, especially of mites and springtails. Moreover, saprophages and omnivores, but not predators, were favored in vegetated patches. The initial microarthropod colonization was mainly linked to higher organic matter accumulation and greater microbial activity in the vegetated patches within mine tailings. Moreover, soil formation processes already initiated in the tailings were beneficial for soil biota establishment. Thus, below-ground communities created an anchorage point for plant communities by primarily starting heterotrophic activities in the vegetated patches, thereby contributing to recover ecosystem functionality.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163394DOI Listing

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