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Background and aims <p>The long-term effects of heavy metal contamination on the structure and function of soil microorganisms have not been sufficiently investigated. This is particularly pronounced in China’s tailings reservoir areas, where soil-covered planting is commonly adopted for ecological restoration but lacks long-term monitoring.&#xa0;</p> Methods <p>By applying the space-for-time substitution approach, this study investigated topsoils along a 50-year restoration gradient on the outer slope of a vanadium-titanium magnetite (VTM) tailing reservoir in Panzhihua, China, to elucidate microbial responses to environmental changes.&#xa0;&#xa0;</p> Results <p>The results demonstrated Cd as the most bioavailable and dominant contaminant in soils. Long-term revegetation (i.e., <i>Heteropogon contortus</i>) significantly improved soil quality, evidenced by increased total nitrogen (TN), enzyme activities, and microbial diversity. The Nemerow pollution index (<i>P</i><sub><i>N</i></sub>) decreased with restoration duration, correlating with reduced abundances of oligotrophic phyla like <i>Pseudomonadota</i> and <i>Pseudomonas</i>, while metal-sensitive taxa at the phylum level (e.g., <i>Acidobacteriota</i> and <i>Chloroflexota</i>) gradually increased. Compared to the bioavailable fractions of heavy metals, soil nutrients and enzymes exerted stronger influences on soil microbial community structure, highlighting their pivotal role in driving succession. We also found the limited effect of high metal concentration on soil microbial functions, underscoring the adaptive capacity of key taxa under prolonged extreme stress.</p> Conclusions <p>Despite the persistent heavy metal stress exists, our results show that long-term revegetation with <i>Heteropogon contortus</i> will undoubtedly improve the capping soil quality. Nutrients and enzymes outweighed bioavailable metals in shaping microbial community, and abundant microbial subcommunities dominated functional contributions in VTM tailings reservoir.</p>

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Responses of soil microbial communities in a large vanadium-titanium magnetite tailing dam under half a century of revegetation

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月27日

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  • Xiaofeng Zhou,
  • Jiajia Yang,
  • Ying Lei,
  • Rui Zhang,
  • Shuming Peng,
  • Sihong Li,
  • Yi Huang,
  • Xinyu Wang,
  • Peicong Zhang,
  • Peng He

摘要

Background and aims

The long-term effects of heavy metal contamination on the structure and function of soil microorganisms have not been sufficiently investigated. This is particularly pronounced in China’s tailings reservoir areas, where soil-covered planting is commonly adopted for ecological restoration but lacks long-term monitoring. 

Methods

By applying the space-for-time substitution approach, this study investigated topsoils along a 50-year restoration gradient on the outer slope of a vanadium-titanium magnetite (VTM) tailing reservoir in Panzhihua, China, to elucidate microbial responses to environmental changes.  

Results

The results demonstrated Cd as the most bioavailable and dominant contaminant in soils. Long-term revegetation (i.e., Heteropogon contortus) significantly improved soil quality, evidenced by increased total nitrogen (TN), enzyme activities, and microbial diversity. The Nemerow pollution index (PN) decreased with restoration duration, correlating with reduced abundances of oligotrophic phyla like Pseudomonadota and Pseudomonas, while metal-sensitive taxa at the phylum level (e.g., Acidobacteriota and Chloroflexota) gradually increased. Compared to the bioavailable fractions of heavy metals, soil nutrients and enzymes exerted stronger influences on soil microbial community structure, highlighting their pivotal role in driving succession. We also found the limited effect of high metal concentration on soil microbial functions, underscoring the adaptive capacity of key taxa under prolonged extreme stress.

Conclusions

Despite the persistent heavy metal stress exists, our results show that long-term revegetation with Heteropogon contortus will undoubtedly improve the capping soil quality. Nutrients and enzymes outweighed bioavailable metals in shaping microbial community, and abundant microbial subcommunities dominated functional contributions in VTM tailings reservoir.