Abstract
Ecological restoration in arid coal mining regions of western China faces challenges from severe water scarcity and high soil salinity. This study investigates the combined effects of soil layer reconstruction and microbial remediation on soil water retention and salinity management to promote plant growth. Using an indoor, simulated soil column test, we employed a model with ecological, culvert, and waterproof layers, introducing interlayers of 0, 4, 7, and 10 cm thickness between the culvert and ecological layers. The ecological layer serves as the root zone for plant growth, the culvert layer stores irrigation water and precipitation, and the aquiclude prevents water loss. We tested three conditions for each interlayer thickness: bare soil (CK), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) growth (AL), and alfalfa with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Results showed that interlayer thickness significantly (p < 0.05) influenced soil water and salt distribution. The soil water content in the ecological layer decreased by 12% and 16% under the 7 and 10 cm treatments but increased by 4% with a 4 cm interlayer. Surface soil salt accumulation was reduced by 40% with interlayer treatments. AMF inoculation enhanced alfalfa root development, increasing underground biomass by 2.1 times and boosting water content by 10.5% and salt content by 15.8% in the absence of an interlayer. The AMF + 4 and 7 cm interlayer treatments reduced surface soil salinity by 47% and 41%, respectively, and increased water use efficiency by 42% and 56%, respectively, with aboveground biomass increasing by 96% and 70%. These findings provide strategies for water conservation and salt control in the ecological restoration of mining dumps in arid regions.
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Claims 14
Claim · model-written summary
Interlayer thickness significantly influenced soil water and salt distribution.
- Taxon
- alfalfa
Medicago sativae6 - Treatment
- interlayer thicknesse0
- Outcome
- soil water and salt distributione0
- Setting
- indoor, simulated soil columne5
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Results showed that interlayer thickness significantly (p < 0.05) influenced soil water and salt distribution”
e5“Using an indoor, simulated soil column test”
e6“alfalfa with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil water content in the ecological layer decreased by 12% under the 7 cm interlayer treatment.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae6
- Organ / stage
- ecological layere1
- Treatment
- 7 and 10 cm treatmentse1
- Outcome
- soil water contente1
- Direction
- decreasede1
- Value
- 12%e1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“The soil water content in the ecological layer decreased by 12% and 16% under the 7 and 10 cm treatments but increased by 4% with a 4 cm interlayer”
e6“alfalfa with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil water content in the ecological layer decreased by 16% under the 10 cm interlayer treatment.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae6
- Organ / stage
- ecological layere1
- Treatment
- 7 and 10 cm treatmentse1
- Outcome
- soil water contente1
- Direction
- decreasede1
- Value
- 16%e1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“The soil water content in the ecological layer decreased by 12% and 16% under the 7 and 10 cm treatments but increased by 4% with a 4 cm interlayer”
e6“alfalfa with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil water content in the ecological layer increased by 4% with a 4 cm interlayer.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae6
- Organ / stage
- ecological layere1
- Treatment
- a 4 cm interlayere1
- Outcome
- soil water contente1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- 4%e1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“The soil water content in the ecological layer decreased by 12% and 16% under the 7 and 10 cm treatments but increased by 4% with a 4 cm interlayer”
e6“alfalfa with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)”
Claim · model-written summary
Interlayer treatments reduced surface soil salt accumulation by 40%.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae6
- Treatment
- interlayer treatmentse2
- Outcome
- Surface soil salt accumulatione2
- Direction
- reducede2
- Value
- 40%e2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e2“Surface soil salt accumulation was reduced by 40% with interlayer treatments”
e6“alfalfa with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)”
Claim · model-written summary
AMF inoculation increased alfalfa underground biomass 2.1 times in the absence of an interlayer.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae6
- Treatment
- AMF inoculatione3
- Interactor
- AMFe6symbiont
- Outcome
- underground biomasse3
- Direction
- increasinge3
- Value
- 2.1 timese3
- Qualifier
- in the absence of an interlayere3
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e3“AMF inoculation enhanced alfalfa root development, increasing underground biomass by 2.1 times and boosting water content by 10.5% and salt content by 15.8% in the absence of an interlayer”
e6“alfalfa with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)”
Claim · model-written summary
AMF inoculation boosted soil water content by 10.5% in the absence of an interlayer.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae6
- Treatment
- AMF inoculatione3
- Interactor
- AMFe6symbiont
- Outcome
- water contente3
- Direction
- boostinge3
- Value
- 10.5%e3
- Qualifier
- in the absence of an interlayere3
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e3“AMF inoculation enhanced alfalfa root development, increasing underground biomass by 2.1 times and boosting water content by 10.5% and salt content by 15.8% in the absence of an interlayer”
e6“alfalfa with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)”
Claim · model-written summary
AMF inoculation boosted soil salt content by 15.8% in the absence of an interlayer.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae6
- Treatment
- AMF inoculatione3
- Interactor
- AMFe6symbiont
- Outcome
- salt contente3
- Direction
- boostinge3
- Value
- 15.8%e3
- Qualifier
- in the absence of an interlayere3
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e3“AMF inoculation enhanced alfalfa root development, increasing underground biomass by 2.1 times and boosting water content by 10.5% and salt content by 15.8% in the absence of an interlayer”
e6“alfalfa with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)”
Claim · model-written summary
The AMF plus 4 cm interlayer treatment reduced surface soil salinity by 47%.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae6
- Treatment
- AMF + 4 and 7 cm interlayer treatmentse4
- Interactor
- AMFe6symbiont
- Outcome
- surface soil salinitye4
- Direction
- reducede4
- Value
- 47%e4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“The AMF + 4 and 7 cm interlayer treatments reduced surface soil salinity by 47% and 41%, respectively, and increased water use efficiency by 42% and 56%, respectively, with aboveground biomass increasing by 96% and 70%”
e6“alfalfa with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)”
Claim · model-written summary
The AMF plus 7 cm interlayer treatment reduced surface soil salinity by 41%.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae6
- Treatment
- AMF + 4 and 7 cm interlayer treatmentse4
- Interactor
- AMFe6symbiont
- Outcome
- surface soil salinitye4
- Direction
- reducede4
- Value
- 41%e4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“The AMF + 4 and 7 cm interlayer treatments reduced surface soil salinity by 47% and 41%, respectively, and increased water use efficiency by 42% and 56%, respectively, with aboveground biomass increasing by 96% and 70%”
e6“alfalfa with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)”
Claim · model-written summary
The AMF plus 4 cm interlayer treatment increased water use efficiency by 42%.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae6
- Treatment
- AMF + 4 and 7 cm interlayer treatmentse4
- Interactor
- AMFe6symbiont
- Outcome
- water use efficiencye4
- Direction
- increasede4
- Value
- 42%e4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“The AMF + 4 and 7 cm interlayer treatments reduced surface soil salinity by 47% and 41%, respectively, and increased water use efficiency by 42% and 56%, respectively, with aboveground biomass increasing by 96% and 70%”
e6“alfalfa with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)”
Claim · model-written summary
The AMF plus 7 cm interlayer treatment increased water use efficiency by 56%.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae6
- Treatment
- AMF + 4 and 7 cm interlayer treatmentse4
- Interactor
- AMFe6symbiont
- Outcome
- water use efficiencye4
- Direction
- increasede4
- Value
- 56%e4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“The AMF + 4 and 7 cm interlayer treatments reduced surface soil salinity by 47% and 41%, respectively, and increased water use efficiency by 42% and 56%, respectively, with aboveground biomass increasing by 96% and 70%”
e6“alfalfa with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)”
Claim · model-written summary
The AMF plus 4 cm interlayer treatment increased alfalfa aboveground biomass by 96%.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae6
- Treatment
- AMF + 4 and 7 cm interlayer treatmentse4
- Interactor
- AMFe6symbiont
- Outcome
- aboveground biomasse4
- Direction
- increasinge4
- Value
- 96%e4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“The AMF + 4 and 7 cm interlayer treatments reduced surface soil salinity by 47% and 41%, respectively, and increased water use efficiency by 42% and 56%, respectively, with aboveground biomass increasing by 96% and 70%”
e6“alfalfa with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)”
Claim · model-written summary
The AMF plus 7 cm interlayer treatment increased alfalfa aboveground biomass by 70%.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae6
- Treatment
- AMF + 4 and 7 cm interlayer treatmentse4
- Interactor
- AMFe6symbiont
- Outcome
- aboveground biomasse4
- Direction
- increasinge4
- Value
- 70%e4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“The AMF + 4 and 7 cm interlayer treatments reduced surface soil salinity by 47% and 41%, respectively, and increased water use efficiency by 42% and 56%, respectively, with aboveground biomass increasing by 96% and 70%”
e6“alfalfa with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)”
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Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.