18 research outputs found
Links in the functional diversity between soil microorganisms and plant communities during natural succession in coal mine spoil heaps
The successful establishment of vegetation, soil
development and biogeochemical cycling during the
restoration process of mine tailings requires a diverse and
metabolically active microbial communities. The objective
of this study was to test whether there is any link between
the functional groups of both the dominant plant species
and soil microbial communities on unreclaimed coal mine
spoil heaps of different age located in the Silesian Upland
(Poland). At each sampling site the dominant plant species
were recorded and characterised based on their Raunkiaer’s
life form, socio-ecological group and their potential
to form mycorrhiza. The functional diversity of the plantassociated
microbial communities was assessed using the
microbial carbon-utilisation guilds generated using the
Biolog method. We observed no differences in the
microbial functional diversity, but a gradual increase in
the plant functional diversity with the age of the heap. Our
results indicate that trees, plants with the potential to form
ectomycorrhiza, and deciduous plants strongly affected
the carbon-utilisation profiles. The mean proportion of
microbe guilds in dominant plant patches accounts for
60 % of the variance while the soil physicochemical
parameters explained only 30 % of the variance. This
suggest that in post-industrial habitats the biotic features
of the soil substratum are more important for the vegetation
development than the abiotic parameters