A team of Chinese researchers has discovered a cooperative dynamic among soil microorganisms that could help improve vegetation restoration on tropical coral islands — offering a promising new strategy to strengthen these fragile ecosystems.
The study, conducted by scientists from the South China Botanical Garden under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was published in the journal Soil Ecology Letters.
Tropical coral islands are known for their isolated ecosystems and harsh environments marked by high temperatures, intense sunlight, high salinity, and seasonal droughts. With low biodiversity and weak self-regulation capacity, their ecological balance is easily disrupted.
Efforts to restore vegetation have long faced setbacks, as artificially planted greenery often degrades over time. The study found that while artificial vegetation can enhance soil quality and nutrient content, it still falls short of natural vegetation in terms of soil fertility, microbial biomass, enzyme activity, and biodiversity during the early stages of restoration.
The researchers observed that during the initial restoration phase, soil fungi play a key role in breaking down hard-to-decompose organic matter due to their resilience to drought and salinity. This process creates a more favorable environment for plant growth and helps stabilize the microbial network.
As restoration progresses, soil bacteria gradually take over as the main drivers of ecosystem stability by accelerating the cycling of vital nutrients such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus.
The study also revealed that microbial activity in both artificial and natural vegetation is constrained by limited carbon and phosphorus, identifying nutrient deficiency as a major barrier to ecological recovery on tropical coral islands.
To address this, the research team proposed nutrient-targeted optimization strategies for vegetation establishment and called for extended monitoring to evaluate the long-term sustainability of different restoration models.
The findings are expected to guide the development of improved ecological restoration frameworks for tropical coral islands — contributing to global efforts to protect and rehabilitate vulnerable ecosystems.
Source: Xinhua