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Effects of waste slag soil reconstruction on the growth of Elymus nutans and microbial diversity in the western Sichuan Plateau
Summary
Researchers examined how mixing railway engineering waste slag with subgrade, guest, and reclaimed soils in 15 different volume ratios affected the growth of Elymus nutans grass and soil microbial diversity on the western Sichuan Plateau, finding that a 25% waste slag and 75% subgrade soil combination performed best across two growing seasons.
This study explored the effects of mixing different proportions of railway engineering waste slag with other types of soils to improve waste resource utilization of railway engineering waste slag in high-altitude areas. Waste slag, subgrade soil, guest, and reclaimed soils were mixed in different volume ratios for a total of 15 treatments and used to grow Elymus nutans spanning two growing seasons. Subsequently, the diversity of the soil microbiome was assessed using high-throughput sequencing analyses. The L9 treatment (25% waste slag + 75% subgrade soil) resulted in the highest plant cover and aboveground biomass, while the L15-treated (100% waste slag) plants were unsuccessfully established in the first year. The soil's total nitrogen, available phosphorus and potassium, and organic matter content were significantly increased (p < 0.05) in the L9 treatment when compared to the L15 treatment. The bacterial and fungal communities at the genus level were more abundant and diverse in all other types of soil treatments compared to the 100% waste slag treatment. The bacteria and fungi in the L4 (75% subgrade soil + 25% soil + 25% guest soil & reclamation soil), L5 (100% subgrade soil), L6 (25% subgrade soil + 75% guest soil and reclamation soil), and L9 treatments were clustered in one quadrant, according to β-diversity analysis, indicating the similarity in the microbial community structure in these treatments. Therefore, the addition of other types of soil can improve slag and positively affect plant growth, soil nutrient content, and the soil microbiome. The study recommends mixing 25% waste slag with 75% subgrade soil to improve railway engineering waste slag utilization in high-altitude ecological restoration areas.
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