Effects of Different Vegetation Restoration Types on Soil Bacterial Communities and Ecosystem Functions in Mining Area

This study compared soil bacterial communities and ecosystem functions across revegetation types in a coal gangue mining area, where long‐term ecological impacts and optimal restoration strategies are poorly understood. We aimed to evaluate the effects of bare soil (CK), grassland (GL), poplar plantation (GPL), and mixed forest (ML) on soil quality and microbial dynamics. We analyzed topsoil bacterial diversity, composition, and potential functions via 16S rRNA gene sequencing and evaluated integrated soil fertility using PCA. Results showed significant differences ( p < 0.05) in soil properties: ML had the highest organic carbon (19.35 ± 0.14 g/kg) and total nitrogen (1.76 ± 0.04 g/kg) but the lowest electrical conductivity (190.17 ± 12.80 µS/cm). GL exhibited the highest available phosphorus (0.0052 ± 0.0040 mg/kg), available potassium (73.56 ± 3.26 mg/kg), sucrase (4.77 ± 0.25 mg Glu/g), and urease activities (1.40 ± 0.44 mg NH 3 ‐N/g). Soil bacterial communities also differed significantly. GL had the highest bacterial diversity ( p < 0.05), while ML had lower diversity but the most complex co‐occurrence network. KEGG analysis revealed GL soils had the highest abundance of pathways for carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur metabolism; GPL soils had the lowest. The integrated fertility index was highest in GL soils and lower in the others. In summary, all vegetation restoration types improved soil quality and bacterial diversity compared to bare soil. However, herbaceous restoration (GL) supported the highest overall soil fertility levels and enhanced bacterial community functioning, providing key empirical data for guiding future revegetation in similar mined areas.