Kaio Gráculo Vieira Garcia, Arthur Prudêncio de Araujo Pereira, Luís Miguel Alves dos Santos, Ryan Felipe Araújo Sousa, Jônathas Eugênio Silva, Maria Elizeth da Silva Ávila, Geocleber Gomes de Sousa, José de Souza Oliveira Filho, Paulo Furtado Mendes Filho
Mining activities severely degrade soil quality, impairing ecosystem functioning by reducing organic matter and increasing metal toxicity, which limits plant establishment. This study evaluated the effects of vermicompost and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on plant growth, manganese (Mn) dynamics, and plant–soil interactions associated with early ecosystem recovery in Mimosa caesalpiniifolia cultivated in mining-degraded soil. A greenhouse experiment was conducted in a 3 × 2 factorial design, with three vermicompost doses (0, 60, and 120 g kg−1) and two inoculation treatments (with and without Claroideoglomus etunicatum). Vermicompost significantly increased shoot and root biomass. AMF inoculation enhanced shoot and root biomass by 25% and 16%, respectively. Although vermicompost reduced mycorrhizal colonization, AMF increased spore density. The highest vermicompost dose reduced Mn concentrations in shoots and roots by up to 44% and 39%, respectively. AMF altered Mn partitioning by decreasing shoot Mn and increasing root retention, suggesting the potential for phytostabilization. Mn toxicity was reduced by 74% with vermicompost and 24% with AMF. Overall, vermicompost and AMF contributed independently to improved plant establishment and regulated Mn dynamics, supporting early indicators relevant to ecosystem recovery and their potential use in sustainable strategies for the ecological restoration of mining-degraded soils.