Restoration mechanism and ecological application model of dark septate endophytic fungi in western mining area

The process of coal mining damages the ecological environment and disturbs the growth environment of soil and vegetation. In addition, the climate of the western mining area is arid and semi arid, which affects the self repair process of the ecological environment in the mining area. The application of microbial remediation technology in the field of ecological environment in mining area is a sustainable method based on the function and structure of ecological system. Dark septate endophytes (DSE) are different from arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), which are more widely colonized in plant roots and play important ecological functions in the microbial soil host plant ecosystems. Compared with AMF, the DSE can be cultivated in pure culture. It is more significant to use beneficial microorganisms such as DSE to carry out ecological restoration in mining areas. The taxonomic characteristics of DSE and the DSE colonization in different host plants and habitats were summarized. It was revealed that the DSE promoted mineral nutrient absorption and enhanced abiotic and biological stress resistance of host plants. Especially in abiotic stress, the DSE can help host plants resist water stress, salt stress, heavy metal stress and cold stress. The role of DSE metabolites in host plants was proposed. Based on this, in order to maintain the biological activity of DSE, prolong the survival time and exert its ecological value to a greater extent, new ecological restoration modes, such as the DSE seed soaking with unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the DSE solid fungal agent research and development, and the DSE foliar fertilizer application technology, were proposed. It can promote the rapid absorption of nutrients by plants, improve the rate of stress resistance, maximize the ecological function of DSE, stimulate soil potential fertility, improve soil structure, accelerate the recovery of vegetation in mining areas, and lay a technical foundation for ecological restoration in western coal mining areas.