Resource demand by soil microorganisms critically influences microbial metabolism and then influences ecosystem resilience and multifunctionality. The ecological remediation of abandoned tailings is a topic of broad interest, yet our understanding of microbial metabolic status in restored soils, particularly at the aggregate scale, remains limited. This study investigated microbial resources within soil aggregates from revegetated tailings and applied a vector model of ecoenzymatic stoichiometry to examine how different vegetation patterns (grassland, forest, or bare land control) impact microbial resource limitation. Five-year vegetation restoration significantly elevated carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) concentrations and their stoichiometric ratios in soil aggregates (approximately 2-fold), although these increases were not translated to in the microbial biomass and its stoichiometry. The activities of C- and phosphorus (P)-acquiring extracellular enzymes in these aggregates increased substantially postvegetation, with the most pronounced escalation in macroaggregates (>0.25 mm). The vector model results indicated soil microbial metabolism was colimited by C and P, most acutely in microaggregates (<0.25 mm). This colimitation was exacerbated by monotypic vegetation cover but mitigated under diversified vegetation cover. Soil nutrient stoichiometric ratios in vegetation restoration controlled microbial resource limitation, overshadowing the impact of heavy metals. Our findings underscore that optimizing resource allocation within soil aggregates through strategic revegetation can enhance microbial metabolism in tailings, which advocates for the implementation of diverse vegetation covers as a viable strategy to improve the ecological development of degraded landscapes.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.4c06081 | DOI Listing |
J Hazard Mater
December 2024
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil and Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China. Electronic address:
Understanding the behavior and fate of microplastics (MPs) in aquatic environment is crucial for assessing their potential risks. This study investigated the heteroaggregation behaviors of MPs with representative 2D nanosheets, MoS and graphene oxide (GO), under various conditions, focusing on the transport behavior of the resulting aggregates. It was found that the destabilization capabilities of 2D nanosheets are notably stronger than those of well-reported nanoparticles.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Environ Manage
January 2025
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Vanderbilt University, PMB 351826, Nashville, TN, 37235-1826, USA. Electronic address:
Increased usage of electric arc furnace (EAF) slags as soil amendments and surface aggregates raises concerns regarding heavy metal release. However, no standardized leaching characterization approach exists for EAF slags and other industrial materials. This study compares test results for three EAF slags using several testing approaches: (i) total content analysis, (ii) single-batch extractions (i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
January 2025
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Patna, Patna, Bihar, India.
Biochar has emerged as a promising soil amendment material, offering the potential to enhance mechanical and water retention properties. Geo-environmental structures constructed with biochar-amended soils (BAS) might experience a change in strength and water retention capacity due to extreme climactic changes, resulting in structural failures. The existing literature lacks a comprehensive study on the strength of BAS under prolonged curing, freeze-thaw cycles, and water retention behaviour for varying compaction conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Microbiol
December 2024
College of Animal Science and Technology/Laboratory of Functional Microbiology and Animal Health, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China.
Sci Rep
December 2024
Department of Historical Geology-Paleontology, Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, School of Earth Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784, Panepistimiopolis, Zografou, Greece.
Rock aggregates have been extensively exploited in the construction sector, and the associated engineering features play a critical role in their application. The main aim of this research is to assess the impact of petrographic characteristics on the engineering properties of carbonate rocks. A total of 45 carbonate rock samples from different geological formations within the Salt Range (Western Himalayan Ranges, Pakistan) were subjected to comprehensive petrographic analyses and standard aggregate quality control tests.
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