Microbial carbon and nitrogen dynamics during soil development in post-mining sites

Microorganisms play a key role in the cycling of elements in soil systems by driving organic matter decomposition and regulating nutrient availability. Biomarkers provide an effective approach to studying microbial communities and their functions. In this study, phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) and amino sugars (ASs) are used as complementary indicators of short- and long-term microbial processes involved in the cycling and storage of carbon and nitrogen. While PLFA and amino sugar analyses are not interchangeable, their combined application allows for a clear distinction between living microbial biomass and accumulated microbial residues.

The study is set at two chronosequences using heaps of various stages of soil development, differing in type of reclamation (alder reclamation vs. spontaneous succession), at post-mining sites in northwestern Czech Republic. Carbon and nitrogen cycling during soil development are tightly coupled through microbial activity, particularly via the formation and persistence of microbial biomass and necromass. These microbially derived pools form an important link between microbial activity and biogeochemical processes during soil development.

The aim of this study is to monitor changes in PLFA and amino sugar concentrations along two chronosequences and to evaluate how microbial processes contribute to the long-term storage of carbon and nitrogen in soil. By combining biomarkers of living microbial biomass and microbial necromass across different successional pathways, this study improves our understanding of microbial community development during soil formation.