Microbial Composition on Abandoned and Reclaimed Mining Sites in the Komi Republic (North Russia)

• Published in: Microorganisms (Basel) Vol. 11; no. 3; p. 720
• Main Authors: Zverev, Aleksei O, Gladkov, Grigory V, Kimeklis, Anastasiia K, Kichko, Arina A, Andronov, Evgeny E, Abakumov, Evgeny V
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 10.03.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing; Abandoned mines; Abiotic factors; Ammonium; Anthropogenic factors; Clay; Clay minerals; Clay soils; Climatic conditions; Composition; disturbed soil microbiota; Ecological succession; Ecosystems; Environmental aspects; Environmental restoration; Forest soils; Limestone; Microbial activity; Microbial populations; Microbiota; Microorganisms; Mine reclamation; Mine soils; Mining; Nitrogen; northern soil microbiota; Organic carbon; overgrown soils; Permafrost; pH effects; Potassium; Quarries; Quarries and quarrying; quarry reclamation; Reclamation of land; Restoration; Rock properties; Rocks; Soil analysis; Soil biology; Soil formation; Soil microbiology; Soil profiles; Soil properties; Soil research; Topsoil; Total organic carbon; Veganism; Russia; quarry reclamation; disturbed soil microbiota; 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing; northern soil microbiota; overgrown soils
• ISSN: 2076-2607; 2076-2607
• DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11030720

Restoration of anthropogenically disturbed soils is an urgent problem in modern ecology and soil biology. Restoration processes in northern environments are especially important, due to the small amounts of fertile land and low levels of natural succession. We analyzed the soil microbiota, which is one of the indicators of the succession process is the soil. Samples were obtained from three disturbed soils (self-overgrown and reclaimed quarries), and two undisturbed soils (primary and secondary forests). Primary Forest soil had a well-developed soil profile, and a low pH and TOC (total organic carbon) amount. The microbial community of this soil had low richness, formed a clear remote cluster in the beta-diversity analysis, and showed an overrepresentation of (Desulfobacteriota). Soil formation in clay and limestone abandoned quarries was at the initial stage, and was caused by both a low rate of mineral profile formation and severe climatic conditions in the region. Microbial communities of these soils did not have specific abundant taxa, and included a high amount of sparse taxa. Differences in taxa composition were correlated with abiotic factors (ammonium concentration), which, in turn, can be explained by the parent rock properties. Limestone quarry reclaimed by topsoil coverage resulted in an adaptation of the top soil microbiota to a novel parent rock. According to the CCA analysis, the microbial composition of samples was connected with pH, TOC and ammonium nitrogen concentration. Changes in pH and TOC were connected with ASVs from Chloroflexota, Gemmatimonadota and Patescibacteria. ASVs from Gemmatimonadota also were correlated with a high ammonium concentration.