BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Limestone post-mining land is severely degraded due to losing its topsoil and having very high potential of hydrogen levels and low levels of nitrogen and phosphorus. This circumstance profoundly obstructs the natural course of ecological succession. This study was designed to assess how initial plantings that are inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on accelerating the improvement of site conditions, creating functional safe sites, and facilitating the establishment and growth of later successional plant species.METHODS: The study was performed on a limestone site that had been post-mining for ۱۵ years, comparing three different conditions: an unplanted area (A۰), an initial planting without arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation (A۱), and an initial planting with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation (A۲). The study examined soil indicators including biological elements (spore density, diversity, and colonization of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi), chemical aspects (potential hydrogen, nitrogen, phosphorus, soil organic matter, cation exchange capacity), and physicals (aggregate stability, porosity). To test for a facilitative effect, mid-seral successional species (Alstonia scholaris and Tectona grandis) were planted across all three areas, and their growth, nutrient uptake, and root colonization were monitored over a ۱۲-month periods.FINDINGS: The area inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (A۲) showed significant improvements in all measured soil parameters; an increase of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi spore density by almost ۳۰۰ percent (p < ۰.۰۵), including its richness and diversity. Consequently, the species introduced in A۲ revealed statistically significant improvements in height and diameter, which were consistent with and affirmed the establishment of effective safe sites.CONCLUSION: Initial plantings inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi function as a strong catalyst for the restoration of ecosystems in areas of severe land degradation. This intervention not only improves soil health across biological, chemical, and physical dimensions but also effectively accelerates the natural successional process by facilitating the successful growth of later seral species. This approach is critical for the effective and sustainable restoration of ecosystems, particularly in post-mining limestone regions.
