Effects of regenerating vegetation on soil enzyme activity and microbial structure in reclaimed soils on a surface coal mine site

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of reclaimed scenarios on soil enzyme activities and microbial community in a reclaimed surface coal mine on the Northwest Loess Plateau of China. Soil samples were collected from a bare land (CK), and a plantation (PL) and four mixed forests (MF1-4). Soil physicochemical characteristics, four enzyme activities and microbial abundance and T-RFLP (terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism) profiles were measured. Effects of reclaimed scenarios on soil nutrients content, enzyme activities and microbial community were pronounced. Soil organic carbon could be well used to predict the major differences in enzyme activities, and microbial..