Soil fungal diversity and functionality are driven by plant species used in phytoremediation

Soil biodiversity loss due to pollution may affect ecosystem services negatively. This environmental problem be solved by phytoremediation, which is an effective strategy manage and remediate contaminated areas. During this remediation process, the establishment of plant communities improve soil fungal community structure and, in particular, favour mycorrhizal symbiotic associations. As a consequence, afforestation degraded lands will have different outcomes on diversity functionality, depend selected tree shrub species. We analysed functional guilds high-throughput sequencing DNA trace element area, part large scale phytoremediation project running for 20 years. five habitats comparison purposes: three under canopy species (wild olive, white poplar stone pine), adjacent treeless areas (grassland) non-remediated (bare soil). richness seemed enhanced phytoremediation. White had highest compared wild olive pine. Fungal were especially between pine, with soils rich organic C high C:N ratio, grassland soils. identified 9,428 OTUs from 1,283 assigned unique guild; most abundant belonging saprotrophic, pathogenic ectomycorrhizal guilds. Ectomycorrhizal fungi more host trees. Saprotrophs soils, while pathogens The (clean-up amendment addition) allowed natural throughout study increasing diversity, richness, taxonomy when Tree forest type bringing further recruitment taxa, mainly guild. Afforestation showed species-specific effects N, C, Ca ratio led increased spatial heterogeneity potential recruit wider fungi.