Sludge amendment accelerating reclamation process of reconstructed mining substrates

We constructed a mining soil restoration system combining plant, complex substrate and microbe. Sludge was added to reconstructed mine substrates (RMS) to accelerate the reclamation process. The effect of sludge on plant growth, microbial activity, soil aggregate stability, and aggregation-associated soil characteristics was monitored during 10 years of reclamation. Results show that the height and total biomass of ryegrass increases with reclamation time. Sludge amendment increases the aggregate binding agent content and soil aggregate stability. Soil organic carbon (SOC) and light-fraction SOC (LFOC) in the RMS increase by 151% and 247% compared with those of the control, respectively. A similar trend was observed for the glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP). Stable soil aggregate indexes increase until the seventh year. In short, the variables of RMS determined after 3–7 years insignificantly differ from those of the untreated sample in the tenth-year. Furthermore, significant positive correlations between the GRSP and SOC and GRSP and soil structure-related variables were observed in RMS. Biological stimulation of the SOC and GRSP accelerates the recovery of the soil structure and ecosystem function. Consequently, the plant–complex substrate–microbe ecological restoration system can be used as an effective tool in early mining soil reclamation.