Aerobic composting is an effective method for resource utilisation of livestock manure. Microbial inoculations have become a key strategy to overcome limitations of traditional composting, attracting significant research interest. Our study evaluated the changes in microbial inoculation during the composting process using spectroscopic analysis, suggesting that microbial inoculation promoted the degradation of cellulose, lignin, and carbohydrates and the conversion of organic matter into humus. This study can provide theoretical guidance for optimising composting conditions, improving composting quality and soil fertility.

Regreening (fertilising and tree planting) industrially degraded forest areas can improve ecosystem function in the short-term, but uncertainties exist regarding the long-term effects. Our study investigated whether nutrient distribution and cycling changed with stand age in regreened forests on a mining and smelting degraded landscape in the City of Greater Sudbury, Canada. The lack of change in foliar nutrients and nutrient cycling with stand age suggest that nutrient limitation is not inhibiting forest function 40 years following a one-time regreening treatment.