Assessing the functional suitability of sewage sludge-derived Technosols for the ecological rehabilitation of degraded areas

Urban and industrial activities have lasting effects on Earth ecosystems, impairing their functionality. Technosols offer a sustainable solution for restoring degraded urban and industrial ecosystems. In a 30-day microcosm experiment, a mixture of six pioneer plant species was sown in three substrates: a sewage sludge-based Technosol (GF), a zeolite-enriched Technosol (GZ), and a commercial potting mix control (GC). The plant population dynamics, final performance, and substrate biochemical properties were monitored. A strong environmental filter allowed only two species (Bromus inermis Leyss. and Lolium perenne L.) to establish. Technosols exerted a demographic bottleneck, delaying emergence and reducing the total biomass relative to the control. Zeolites in the GZ Technosol mitigated this delay, accelerating early establishment due to their microporous structure and high cation exchange capacity. However, GZ caused the greatest reduction in individual biomass and functional plant performance index, corresponding to a microbial shift toward oxidative activity at the expense of hydrolytic nutrient mineralization. These results show that sewage sludge Technosols can initiate functional ecological succession. While zeolites positively affect germination, their microbial interaction suggests a temporary decoupling between the establishment speed and final productivity. Integrated monitoring of demographic and biochemical dynamics is therefore essential to optimize Technosol-based environmental restoration.