Soil nematode communities and functions: Ecological package restoration responses in damaged desert steppe open‐pit mining ecosystems

Abstract Ecological restoration of open‐pit mine wasteland is critical to the sustainable development of the mining industry. Using high‐throughput sequencing, we analyzed soil properties and nematode community structure and function to evaluate the impact of ecological package restoration on the quality of underground ecosystem reclamation in desert steppe open‐pit mine wasteland. After 7 years of ecological package restoration at an open‐pit quarry, two management methods (annual removal of dominant plant genera and annual reseeding of missing plants) achieved the expected outcomes of the restoration project (return to the conditions of the pre‐disturbed ecosystem). Based on LEfSe multi‐level discriminant analysis and shared genera analysis, we suggest that Oxydirus , Dorylaimus , Trichotylenchus , Plectus , Scutylenchus , Paratylenchus , Tylencholaimus , and Cephalobus may be the key soil nematode genera in the damaged open‐pit quarry ecosystem. We also evaluated the soil health status of different ecological package restoration time periods (2 and 5 years) at an abandoned desert steppe open‐pit iron mine by analysis of the soil properties and nematode communities. We suggest that ecological package restoration for 5 years achieved the expected restoration outcomes in the open‐pit iron mine wasteland. Based on LEfSe analysis and shared genera analysis, we suggest that Acrobeles , Microdorylaimus , Cehalobus , Tripylina , and Ecumenicus may be the key soil nematode genera in the damaged open‐pit iron mine ecosystem. Our findings provide a reference for evaluating the reclamation effect of ecological package restoration in open‐pit mine areas.