Active permanent greening - a new slope greening technology based on mineral solubilizing microorganisms

Lingjian Wang; Xinggang Tang; Xin Liu; Jinchi Zhang

doi:10.3389/fpls.2023.1219139

Active permanent greening - a new slope greening technology based on mineral solubilizing microorganisms

Front Plant Sci. 2023 Aug 29:14:1219139. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1219139. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Lingjian Wang¹, Xinggang Tang^{2

3}, Xin Liu¹, Jinchi Zhang¹

Affiliations

¹ Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation and Ecological Restoration, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
² Jiangxi Institute of Land Space Survey and Planning, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
³ Technology Innovation Center for Land Spatial Eco-protection and Restoration in Great Lakes Basin, MNR, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.

Abstract

Introduction: With social and economic development and the associated large-scale exploitation of natural resources, the number of slopes has significantly increased. As slope instability can lead to serious geological disasters, the ecological protection and reconstruction of slopes has become a hot topic of common global concern.

Methods: In order to achieve scientific slope management and overcome the difficulty of maintaining slope greening in the long term, this study explored eight strategies (A, B, C, AB, AC, BC, ABC, CK), involving different patented mineral solubilizing microorganisms (MSMs), and analyzed the field application of active permanent greening (APG) based on MSMs.

Results: The results revealed that MSMs significantly increased the content of effective metal ions and available nutrients in soil and enhanced soil enzyme activity. Among all strategies, strategy A showed significant superiority, with soil effective calcium, magnesium, potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus and organic matter contents increasing by 51.62%, 55.41%, 30.42%, 39.77%, 181.69% and 76.92%, respectively, while urease, sucrase and peroxidase activities increased by 89.59%, 74.68% and 85.30%. MSMs strongly promoted the growth of Amorpha. Strategy A showed the best performance, with plant seedling height, ground diameter, leaf area, root length, and root volume increasing by 95.75%, 47.78%, 124.14%, 108.83%, and 139. 86%, respectively. According to a comprehensive evaluation using the entropy-analysis hierarchy process, strategy A has great potential for application. The field test results verified that APG has significantly better greening performance than the traditional greening method, with high vegetation cover and stable soil layer.

Discussion: The results of this study provide a reliable practical basis and technical reference for the development, promotion, and application of APG.

Keywords: analytic hierarchy process; greening; mineral weathering; slope management; vegetation restoration.

Grants and funding

Postgraduate Research & Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province [KYLX16_0864]; Innovation and Promotion of Forestry Science and Technology Program of Jiangsu Province [LYKJ (2021) 30]; Scientific Research Project of Baishanzu National Park [2021ZDLY01]; Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions [PAPD]. Jiangsu Science and Technology Plan Project [BE2022420].