Vegetation restoration is an available way to ameliorate degraded lands. In order to study the response of soil microbes to vegetation restoration in coal mining subsidence areas, the composition and distribution of soil microbes were discussed through three plots: unsubsided area (CA), new subsided area (NSA), and old subsided area (OSA) with different vegetation restoration time in Huabei coal mine. Meanwhile, changes in soil catalase and urease activity were explored and the correlation between soil bacteria, fungi, and environmental factors was analysed. The results demonstrated that Nitrospira was the dominant bacteria in all areas sampled. Microorganisms in the 0–20 cm and 40–60 cm soil layers of OSA had the highest Simpson index, whereas the index in NSA was lowest (at all soil depths). The catalase activity in NSA was significantly higher than that in CA, and there was no significant difference in catalase activity with soil depth, while the urease activity declined gradually with increasing soil depth. The urease activity in the 20–60 cm soil layer of NSA and OSA was significantly higher than that of CA. Furthermore, the distribution of bacteria was mainly affected by soil organic matter, available potassium, available phosphorus, and alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen, whereas pH and catalase activity mainly affected fungal distribution. These results implied that soil catalase activity in NSA and urease activity in the 20–40 cm soil layer of NSA and OSA were significantly enhanced after vegetation restoration, and that long-term plant restoration could improve soil fertility and soil microbial community diversity in coal mining areas.

The maintenance of drinking water safety is a major environmental issue. It is necessary to strengthen environmental protection in water source areas and establish good vegetation coverage. This study examined the effects of secondary forests transformation on chestnut forests on soil nutrient changes in the Fuji Reservoir, Anji County, Zhejiang province, China. Plots were set up in a chestnut plantation and a nearby secondary forest to measure the nutrient contents of soil samples that were collected from different soil depths. Differences of soil nutrient content from the two stands were significant at 0–20 cm soil depth. There were no significant differences in the contents of total phosphorus and total potassium between the two forests; however, the available phosphorus content in chestnut stands was 2.73 mg/kg higher than in secondary forests. Overall, the soil nutrient contents under chestnut stands were lower than those under secondary forests. Some of the soil surface is exposed due to the low diversity of the chestnut forest. The soil nutrients in the chestnut forest are usually carried and transferred in soil particle form and they become dissolved in the runoff during rainfall and lost, which explains the lower soil nutrient contents in the chestnut forest than the secondary forest. Therefore, for economic forests, such as chestnut forests, measures should be taken to protect understory vegetation and enhance soil and water conservation capacity, which is conducive to retaining soil nutrients.