Ecological Engineering最新文献

{"title":"Natural wastewater treatment system for a gastronomic tourism business in a flood-prone area: Performance and operational challenges","authors":"Gabriel O. Basílico ,&nbsp;Tania Dellepiane ,&nbsp;Gabriela Lastra ,&nbsp;Sofía Carusso ,&nbsp;Laura de Cabo","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107851","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107851","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Treatment wetlands have been studied and applied for decades in different configurations for the purification of many wastewaters; however, their application in natural wetland areas and other potentially floodable zones presents additional challenges. The objective of this work is to evaluate a nature-based treatment system, developed for the purification of wastewater from kitchen and bathrooms generated by a gastronomic tourism venture located in a natural wetland area (lower Paraná River Delta islands, Argentina), with the focus in some relevant physical and chemical water quality variables and operational issues. The hybrid system consists of a series of pretreatments (biodigesters, grease trap), a septic tank (ST), a horizontal subsurface flow wetland (HFW), and a maturation pond (MP). During flood events, the HFW can operate by tidal flow, storing wastewater for later discharge during base flow to prevent surface water pollution by partially treated wastewater. During monitoring period (9 months) the ST and HFW stages allowed for efficient removal of total suspended solids (81 %) and chemical oxygen demand (73 %). A significant reduction (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05) in anionic surfactants levels was also observed, mainly due to the MP stage. For ammoniacal nitrogen, soluble reactive phosphorus, and fats, oils and greases, there was a trend to decreasing concentrations toward the final treatment stage, although no significant differences were found between sampling points (<em>p</em> &gt; 0.05). The autochthonous plant species planted in the HFW grew vigorously and without observable signs of phytotoxicity. The operational challenges encountered are discussed, particularly those related to pumping and overall system operation under flooding conditions. Some improvements are proposed to optimize the application of this type of system in other flood-prone areas and to reuse treated water, plant biomass, and nutrients.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"223 ","pages":"Article 107851"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145568602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dynamics of greenhouse gas emissions and methanogenic communities in sludge treatment wetlands: responses to intermittent loading","authors":"Junyu Liang ,&nbsp;Yubo Cui ,&nbsp;Kedong Ma ,&nbsp;Xu Ma ,&nbsp;Wanjun Zhang ,&nbsp;Ruijie Tian ,&nbsp;Yang Wang ,&nbsp;Hongxuan Qi","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107852","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107852","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sludge treatment wetlands (STWs) offer a sustainable alternative for sludge management; however, a comprehensive assessment of their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is still required. This study investigated the emissions of methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) from three pilot-scale STWs under various seasonal loading cycles. The dynamics of the methanogenic archaeal communities were analyzed. A static transparent chamber was adopted to measure gas emission. The three pilot configurations were an STW1 with PVC vent pipes, an STW2 with PVC vent pipes and reeds, and an STW3 with reeds. Results revealed significant seasonal variations in CH₄ and CO₂ emission rates, with peaks occurring in summer and troughs in winter. During the loading intervals, the CO₂-equivalent emissions (based on CH₄) followed the order: STW3 &gt; STW2 &gt; STW1. The installation of PVC vent pipes in STW2 reduced CH₄ emissions compared to STW3. Leachate chemical oxygen demand (COD) and volatile solids (VS) content consistently exhibited seasonal trends across all units, with levels descending in the order: spring &gt; winter &gt; autumn &gt; summer. Treatment performance was highest in STW2, followed by STW3 and STW1. STW2 had stronger carbon sequestration capacity than STW3. High-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene indicated that both plant presence and ventilation reduced the richness and diversity of the methanogenic archaeal communities in the lower sludge layer. Methanobacteriaceae, Methanosarcinaceae, and Methanoregulaceae were identified as the dominant methanogenic families.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"223 ","pages":"Article 107852"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145568739","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"From leaf to barrier scale: A multisource data evaluation of a spontaneous vegetative barrier to prevent potentially toxic element dispersal","authors":"Lucie Calmon ,&nbsp;Pascale Prudent ,&nbsp;Sophie Fabre ,&nbsp;Laurent Vassalo ,&nbsp;Yoan Labrousse ,&nbsp;Nicolas Montès ,&nbsp;Isabelle Laffont-Schwob","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107854","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107854","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) may threaten both environmental and human health due to their persistence and their potential for widespread dispersal through wind and water erosion. Phytoremediation is often evaluated for soil contamination management although vegetation barriers have been less explored to reduce airborne dispersal of PTEs.</div><div>The current study presents an approach to evaluate trapping capacity of woody species in vegetative barriers by combining field, laboratory measurements and airborne LiDAR point cloud to change scale from a single leaf to the entire vegetative barrier. To upscale leaf PTE concentration to plant and whole barrier estimation, allometric equations were used to evaluate accuracy of LiDAR HD above-ground volume estimation. This approach was tested on a spontaneous vegetative barrier surrounding PTE contaminated brownfields in Marseille (France). Although dense and overlapping shrub and tree canopies made measurements challenging, strong correlations were found between both methods (R² = 0.93 and 0.82 for <em>Pinus halepensis</em> and <em>Pistacia lentiscus</em>, respectively). Although PTE concentrations (As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sb, Zn) in leaves were relatively low compared to those in soils (203 to 6592 times lower), the fraction attributed to atmospheric deposition represented a significant portion of leaf contamination, accounting for 22 % of total Pb and 44 % of total Sb. Similar efficiencies in trapping PTEs were observed between <em>P. halepensis</em> and <em>P. lentiscus.</em> The vegetative barrier, as a whole, can be considered as efficient to restrict contaminated particle dispersal in the studied context. This study underscores the accuracy of combining diverse data sources for robust assessment of nature-based solutions to mitigate contamination, moving beyond leaf-level trapping to a comprehensive barrier-scale evaluation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"223 ","pages":"Article 107854"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145516903","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Synergistic effects of amendments and Vetiveria zizanoides on soil quality and heavy metal bioavailability in a historical mine site: A 2-year field evaluation","authors":"Xiaolong Lan ,&nbsp;Wenjie Lin ,&nbsp;Jiaqi Li ,&nbsp;Yin Li ,&nbsp;Yaqi Zhao ,&nbsp;Yili Gan ,&nbsp;Yanlong Jia ,&nbsp;Zengping Ning ,&nbsp;Tangfu Xiao ,&nbsp;Enzong Xiao","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107847","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107847","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ecological restoration is a recognized sustainable strategy for remediating mine-impacted soils. However, a critical knowledge gap exists regarding the long-term, field-validated efficacy of synergistic multi-component amendments. This two-year field study investigated the combined effects of various multi-component amendments, organic compost (O), lime with organic compost (OL), OL fortified with ferric chloride (OLF), and OL supplemented with potassium permanganate (OLP), alongside <em>Vetiveria zizanoides</em> (<em>V. zizanoides</em>) cultivation, on soil quality and multi-heavy metal (Zn, Cu, Ni, Pb, Cd, As) bioavailability in a tungsten mine wasteland. Results revealed that the rhizosphere of <em>V. zizanoides</em> significantly enhanced soil quality, evidenced by increased soil pH, available nitrogen and phosphorus, enzyme activities, and microbial abundance. Amendment applications further enhanced soil quality and effectively curtailed heavy metal accumulation in <em>V. zizanoides</em>. Notably, the OLF treatment demonstrated superior efficacy, reducing plant accumulation of As, Cd, Pb, Ni, Cu, and Zn by 66.5 %, 66.5 %, 69.4 %, 39.6 %, 52.7 %, and 72.4 %, respectively. Random forest analysis identified amendment-induced increases in soil pH, available phosphorus, acid phosphatase activity, and fungal abundance as pivotal mechanisms for mitigating heavy metal bioavailability. These findings offer crucial insights and practical guidance for optimizing ecological restoration of mine wastelands with complex heavy metal contamination.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"223 ","pages":"Article 107847"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145462691","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhanced treatment and algal suppression of floating constructed wetland integrated with artificial fiber and aeration","authors":"Yaoping Chen ,&nbsp;Jiahao Sun ,&nbsp;Lina Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiaoyang Chen ,&nbsp;Yanfei Xu ,&nbsp;Yongchun Chen ,&nbsp;Lee-Hyung Kim ,&nbsp;Youngchul Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107853","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107853","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Considering the stagnant hydrodynamics and limited oxygen transfer characteristic of isolated or partially isolated aquatic systems, as well as the low oxygen flux and inadequate microbial attachment surfaces in traditional floating wetlands, three configurations of floating constructed wetlands were developed: (1) plant-only system, (2) plant-fiber matrix system, and (3) plant-fiber-aeration integrated system. The plant–fiber–aeration integrated system exhibited superior removal efficiencies for BOD₅ (67.4 %), TN (70.7 %), and TP (61.7 %) compared to the plant-based and plant–fiber matrix systems at the reactive equilibrium. Despite of the influent fluctuation and seasonal change, the integrated system consistently maintained better effluent quality and highest pollutant removal rate. Furthermore, aeration significantly reduced turbidity and chlorophyll-a concentrations. After treatment with the integrated system, turbidity decreased from 35.3 NTU to 8.7 NTU, and chlorophyll-a removal reached 69.6 %. Therefore, the integration of fibers and aeration offers a sustainable and cost-effective approach to addressing the limitations of traditional floating constructed wetlands, enhancing pollutant removal capacity and supporting long-term system stability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"223 ","pages":"Article 107853"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145516901","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Quantitative effects of substrate, vegetation, and hydraulic loading on pollutant removal in constructed wetlands","authors":"Gongliang Zhang ,&nbsp;Qing Li ,&nbsp;Ran Cai ,&nbsp;Guozhu Mao ,&nbsp;Ruipeng Miao ,&nbsp;Miaomiao Liu ,&nbsp;Dexiang Li ,&nbsp;Chenxin Song","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107836","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107836","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pollutant removal efficiency in constructed wetlands (CWs) is governed by substrate composition, vegetation, and hydraulic loading rate (HLR). This study conducted a cross-system quantitative analysis of these factors, revealing that laboratory-based CWs studies concentrated on nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients (92.35 %) and oxygen-consuming organic matter (76.47 %). Core indicators, including total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N), exhibited a median removal efficiency of 59–67 %, with potential negative values observed for TP and NH₄⁺-N at low influent concentrations. Natural materials (41.38 %) constituted the highest proportion of substrates, with layered substrate structure (65.06 %) emerging as the predominant approach. Among common single-substrate configurations, gravel showed optimal COD removal (68.67 %), zeolite enhanced nitrogen removal (NH₄⁺-N is 40 %), and ceramic improved COD degradation (42.86 %). Notably, composite substrates substantially augment removal efficiency compared to single substrates, particularly in scenarios characterized by low initial removal performance. Plant cultivation increased removal efficiency for TN, TP, COD, and NH₄⁺-N by 14.20 %, 16.00 %, 11.55 %, and 17.33 %, respectively, with the most robust conclusion drawn for nitrogen removal enhancement. The optimal HLR for nitrogen and phosphorus removal was 0.5 m³/(m²·d), while COD required a lower HLR (0.25 m³/(m²·d)) to ensure adequate dissolved oxygen availability. High nitrogen and low carbon influent conditions facilitated HLR reduction, thereby improving overall system efficiency. By quantitatively assessing the impact of substrate selection, vegetation configuration, and HLR on CWs operational performance, we have identified the typical values from laboratory results, providing parameter reference values for engineering applications, and ultimately offering a decision-making basis for transitioning CWs from empirical design to data-driven approaches.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"223 ","pages":"Article 107836"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145322238","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hydrological restoration reshapes nitrogen cycling in alpine wetlands: Contrasting denitrification and anammox responses to rewetting","authors":"Niu Li ,&nbsp;Jianqing Zhou ,&nbsp;Chengchai Zhang ,&nbsp;Yaoyao Tang ,&nbsp;Ming Wu ,&nbsp;Xuexin Shao ,&nbsp;Peipei Cao ,&nbsp;Youzheng Zhang ,&nbsp;Long Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107845","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107845","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Alpine wetlands serve as critical nitrogen (N) sinks, yet their stability is threatened by intensified drying–rewetting cycles under climate change. How hydrological restoration modulates coupled N loss pathways in these spatially heterogeneous systems remains unclear. In a before-after restoration experiment, we combined ¹⁵N-tracer incubations to quantify shifts in denitrification and anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) across distinct hydrological zones. Rewetting sharply suppressed denitrification—reducing rates in upstream soils by up to 96 %—but enhanced anammox activity by up to 2.3-fold, with the strongest responses in hydrologically exposed upstream and downstream zones. These contrasting pathways were driven by zone-specific changes in soil moisture, salinity, and NH₄⁺ availability, alongside pronounced microbial restructuring, including increased co-occurrence network complexity and shifts in keystone taxa. Structural equation models revealed that denitrification was positively regulated by salinity and microbial composition, whereas anammox was promoted by NH₄⁺ and TC. Our results show that hydrological restoration selectively reconfigures N loss processes, favoring greenhouse gas-free anammox to sustain N removal under hydrological instability. This provides a mechanistic framework for designing zone-specific strategieses to enhance alpine wetland resilience.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"223 ","pages":"Article 107845"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145462479","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reasonable fragment size and transplant density can effectively improve coral restoration efficiency","authors":"He Zhao ,&nbsp;Junling Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiangbo Liu ,&nbsp;Wentao Zhu ,&nbsp;Baruch Rinkevich ,&nbsp;Shai Shafir ,&nbsp;Yijing Di ,&nbsp;Aimin Wang ,&nbsp;Xiubao Li","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107805","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107805","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Coral restoration technologies are vital for rehabilitating degraded coral reefs, with the gardening approach used as the main global method. However, the success of these efforts depends on restoration-related factors, including coral species selection, fragment size, and transplant density. Here we monitored for over one year period fragments of opportunity from four coral species, <em>Acropora hyacinthus</em>, <em>Acropora microphthalma</em>, <em>Porites cylindrica</em>, and <em>Montipora digitata,</em> that were transplanted on “Framed Reef Modules” located at Wuzhizhou Island, Hainan, China. The fragments were divided into three groups, representing three fragment sizes and two spacing regimens, in four replicates: Group 1 (6 cm size; 16 colonies; spacing 30 cm), Group 2 (3 cm; 32 colonies; spacing 15 cm), Group 3 (6 cm; 32 colonies; spacing 15 cm). Coral survival, growth rates, and physiological parameters were continuously monitored. In <em>A. hyacinthus</em> and <em>P. cylindrica</em>, large fragment size and lower transplant density significantly enhanced growth and survival rates. Under high-density transplant condition, smaller <em>A. microphthalma</em> fragments exhibited higher survival rates. Lower density transplantation significantly improved the survival rate of <em>M. digitata</em>, while its growth rate was not affected by either fragment size or transplant density. Environmental factors, such as seawater temperature, turbidity, and nutrient concentrations, significantly affected coral growth during the 90 to 180 days post-transplantation, when increased environmental stress inhibited coral growth rates. This study adds to our understanding of the selection of fragment size and spacing in direct active transplantation of corals of opportunity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"222 ","pages":"Article 107805"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145097076","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Optimizing watershed ecological management for water conservation by nonlinear effects of meteorological and vegetation drivers","authors":"Zikai Ping ,&nbsp;Jianmin Bian ,&nbsp;Fan Wang ,&nbsp;Tao Li","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107817","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107817","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Water conservation is one of the most important ecosystem services in watershed ecosystems. However, optimizing watershed ecological management to enhance water conservation is a critical challenge, complicated by the nonlinear and spatially heterogeneous responses to meteorological and vegetation changes. This study investigates the nonlinear effects of meteorological and vegetation factors on water conservation by integrating machine learning and hydrological modeling. The results show that: (1) the multi-year average water conservation in the watershed was 179.69 mm, with an overall increasing trend from 2010 to 2023. Spatially, water conservation decreased from the upstream to the downstream regions, with the western and southern regions functioning as key water conservation areas. (2) Meteorological and vegetation factors explained water conservation well across the entire watershed (R² = 0.939, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). Vegetation evapotranspiration reduced water conservation when vegetation exceeded a critical threshold. Precipitation promoted water conservation across all regions, but the degree of promotion varied due to differences in environmental factors among the subregions. (3) We propose differentiated vegetation management strategies: maintaining the NDVI threshold at 0.65 for mountainous areas (elevation &gt; 950 m) and at 0.45 for plain areas (elevation &lt; 400 m). These findings enhance the protection of watershed ecosystems by optimizing the vegetation configuration of the watershed to optimize water-holding services.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"222 ","pages":"Article 107817"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145155784","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Soil thickness and porosity as indicators of the ecological restoration success: The case study of a reclaimed coal-mine slope in a Mediterranean area","authors":"Daphne López-Marcos ,&nbsp;María-Belén Turrión ,&nbsp;Juan García-Duro ,&nbsp;Carolina Martínez-Ruiz","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107783","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107783","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Open-cast mine ecological restoration is challenging due to the total removal of vegetation and soil. Thus, restoring soil functionality is a key goal to underpin long-term ecosystem resilience. Understanding soil properties change during the revegetation process is essential for evaluating restoration success efforts and guiding adaptive management based on reliable soil indicators. We assessed two vegetation patches representing distinct successional stages –grassland (pioneer) and shrubland (mature)– on the same mine slope restored eleven years prior. Within each patch, 18 plots (3 transects × 6 sampling units) were established to analyse topography, plant family cover, and soil physicochemical properties. Soil thickness and porosity emerged as the most explicative indicators (20 % and 17 %, respectively) for vegetation cover variance. These were also strongly associated with both functional soil recovery indicators (C/N ratio, cation exchange capacity, available water) and vegetation progression indicators (Fabaceae and Poaceae %cover), based on structural equation modeling and principal component analysis. Fabaceae and other families, typically associated with late-successional stages, were linked to low porosity and deeper soils, while Poaceae and Asteraceae, indicative of early successional stages, were associated with high porosity and shallow soils. We propose soil thickness and porosity as cost-effective and easily measurable indicators for monitoring ecological restoration on post-mining slopes, as they reflect both soil recovery and vegetation dynamics. We also recommend their inclusion in restoration monitoring protocols to support adaptive management and improve alignment with international ecological restoration standards.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"222 ","pages":"Article 107783"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145005380","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}