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Tolerant plant growth improves the conversion of bauxite residue to soil-like substrates by altering aggregate stability

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Abstract

Aims

It is commonly recognized that the bauxite residue can be transformed into a soil-like substrate to support plant growth by altering the physicochemical properties through additives. However, there is still a lack of understanding of the crucial role of tolerant plants in the soil development of bauxite residue. We here explored the role of plant growth in the conversion of bauxite residue to a soil-like substrate.

Methods

In this work, a pot experiment with the salinity-tolerant plant, Elymus dahuricus (Gramineae), was applied to explore the role of plant growth in further regulating the alkalinity, nutrients, enzyme, and physical structure of bauxite residue.

Results

Results showed that the addition of ferrous sulfate significantly reduced the alkalinity of bauxite residue, and organic application further improved the physical structure and nutrient content, providing a favorable matrix condition for tolerant plant colonization. The plant rhizosphere effect and leaching promoted the dissolution of alkaline minerals, resulting in an increase in exchangeable Na and bicarbonate concentrations. Colonization of Elymus dahuricus activated the enzyme activity, which promoted nutrient cycling and increased available P and N content. Further, plant growth induced an increase in the macroaggregate and decreased the silt-clay fraction. Structural equation modeling further confirmed that Elymus dahuricus with a complex root network positively promoted the formation and stability of aggregates in bauxite residue.

Conclusion

The growth of Elymus dahuricus with fibrous root showed an outstanding effect on aggregate formation, structural stability, and biological properties improvement of the bauxite residue.

Highlights

  • The addition of ferrous sulfate reduced the pH and TA of the bauxite residue.

  • Organic additives improved the nutrient content and physical structure.

  • Plant rhizosphere effect and leaching facilitate alkaline minerals dissolution.

  • Plant colonization activated the enzyme activity in bauxite residue.

  • Elymus dahuricus growth facilitates aggregate formation and structural stability.

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41907360).

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Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

Xi Zhang: Methodology, Investigation, Validation, Data curation, Formal analysis, Writing - original draft. Jie Ren: Conceptualization, Methodology, Supervision, Resources, Writing - review & editing, Project administration. Chongkai Hao: Investigation. Renyou Li: Investigation. PinPeng Tuo: Investigation. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jie Ren.

Ethics declarations

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper

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Responsible Editor: Longbin Huang.

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Zhang, X., Ren, J., Hao, C. et al. Tolerant plant growth improves the conversion of bauxite residue to soil-like substrates by altering aggregate stability. Plant Soil 486, 273–292 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-022-05867-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-022-05867-7

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