Microbes living in a metal-rich mine survive by feeding on iron minerals in the rock, while soil higher up the slope supports a plant-friendly microbial community. Knowing which microbes are already there could guide cheaper, low-effort ways to restore damaged mining land.
1
A ~260 m vertical gradient at the Zhulan Iron Mine showed strong stratification: the lower section was rich in vanadium and Fe(II)-bearing minerals, with lower microbial diversity but a more highly connected co-occurrence network.
2
Lower-section taxa (Thiobacillus, Sulfuricaulis, Chloroflexota) carried genes for vanadium redox transformation, Fe/S metabolism, extracellular electron transfer, and autotrophic carbon fixation, suggesting magnetite may act as an inorganic electron source.
3
The upper section had lower vanadium stress, higher microbial diversity, sparse vegetation, and enrichment of heterotrophic and plant-associated taxa such as Sphingomonas, Flavisolibacter, and Actinomycetota, indicating early plant-supported recovery.
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