Dynamics of soil microbiome in topsoil stockpile layers and their alteration by Atriplex lentiformis

The objective of this study was to characterize the microbial diversity and community structure within the topsoil stockpile layers and explore how they influence the revegetation potential of Atriplex lentiformis. Ten soil layers derived from two soil cores, drilled to depths of 20 and 30 meters respectively from a 14-year-old copper mine stockpile in Arizona, USA, were analyzed. Each layer was utilized in a greenhouse experiment where non-invasive root phenotyping technique in rhizoboxes was employed to assess the impact of soil microbial communities on the performance of two Atriplex lentiformis accessions.