Appropriate human intervention stimulates the development of microbial communities and soil formation at a long-term weathered bauxite residue disposal area

Bauxite residue discharged to disposal areas, which could generate environmental pollution issues. Long-term natural restoration may improve the physicochemical properties of the residues, in turn supporting vegetation establishment, and effectively managing pollution. Nevertheless, the effects of short-term human intervention on soil formation in the weathered disposal areas are still relatively unknown. Thus, residue samples with different depths from different regions including no vegetation, sparse vegetation, complete vegetation coverage, and complete vegetation coverage following sewage sludge treatment were selected to analyze microbial community using Illumina high-throughput sequencing technology and evaluate soil formation process. Long-term weathering changed pH, the fraction of water-stable aggregates and nutrient concentrations, whilst promoting Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria and Planctomycete populations. Sewage sludge addition enhanced aggregate stability and significantly changed microbial community diversity. Sewage sludge application enriched the relative abundances of Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes, whilst decreasing the relative abundance of Acidobacteria, which may be due to variation in environmental factors. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed that pH and EC were the main factors affecting microbial structure, followed by organic carbon content and aggregate stability. The results enhance the understanding of soil formation in bauxite residue and reveal the potential benefit of human intervention in ecological reconstruction at disposal areas.

Automated summary

The research highlights the potential benefits of long-term natural restoration in improving the properties of bauxite residue, while the effects of short-term human intervention on soil formation remain unknown. Sewage sludge treatment can enhance aggregate stability and alter microbial community diversity, with pH and EC identified as primary factors influencing microbial structure.