Accelerating soil aggregate formation: a review on microbial processes as the critical step in a post-mining rehabilitation context

One of the most difficult challenges facing coal mining industry is rehabilitation open cut mines in absence sufficient quality and quantity topsoil. As a result, growth medium for often mine spoil that has poor chemical structural properties. Microorganisms play critical role natural soil forming processes, nutrient cycling aggregate stabilisation. However, microbiota their impact on chemistry structure traditionally been overlooked site remediation amelioration. Soil bioengineering, using microbial inoculants to modify structure, novel approach potential positively alter physical limitations prevented by improve outcomes. This review focuses importance microbiology spoil-to-soil transformation after discusses ways could be used accelerate amelioration during rehabilitation. The work seeks establish platform bioengineering approaches considered mines. Australian but application all with limited substrates and/or saline or sodic prone erosion.