Authors: Deepak Chouhan, Vandana Sharma
Abstract: Microbial communities are fundamental to the structure and function of ecosystems, and their responses to pollution provide critical insights into environmental degradation and recovery. This study investigates how microbial dynamics—community structure, diversity, and metabolic functions—can act as sensitive bioindicators of ecological recovery in polluted habitats. Using high-throughput sequencing, functional gene profiling, and ecological modeling, we examined microbial community transitions in heavy metal-contaminated riverbeds, hydrocarbon-polluted soils, and nutrient-enriched wetlands undergoing restoration. The results show that microbial diversity and the re-establishment of functional guilds such as nitrogen-fixers and sulfate-reducers coincide with improvements in physicochemical conditions. Shifts in microbial taxa and functions were predictive of ecosystem resilience and aligned with known ecological recovery benchmarks. We propose a Microbial Recovery Index (MRI) based on taxonomic and functional traits as a tool for ecological monitoring. Our findings demonstrate that microbial indicators can detect early stages of recovery, often before changes in macroscopic biota are observable. This microbial lens provides a cost-effective, high-resolution approach to track restoration progress and inform adaptive management strategies. By placing microbial communities at the core of ecological assessment frameworks, we contribute to a more nuanced understanding of how ecosystems respond to remediation interventions.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16869589
