Abstract: Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing approach was applied to investigate arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AM fungi) community and relevant soil factors were analyzed in coal gangue hills with different restoration patterns (i.e., artificial restoration and natural restoration coal gangue hill of Jinhua palace in Datong City; natural restoration coal gangue hill of Xinzhou kiln). The results showed: α-diversity (Chao index and Shannon-Weiner index) of AM fungi community differed significantly between artificial restoration coal gangue hill of Jinhua palace and natural restoration coal gangue hill of Xinzhou kiln, but comparable α-diversity was observed between artificial restoration and natural restoration coal gangue hill of Jinhua palace. A total of 67 AM fungal OTUs assigned to 3 genus were recovered with Glomus being the predominant genus in all three coal gangue hills, while Diversispora and Paraglomus populations were exclusive to natural restoration coal gangue hill of Jinhua palace in Datong city. Integrated the permutational multivariate analysis and nonmetric multidimensional scaling analysis suggested that AM fungi community were similar between the two restorations of Jinhua palace coal gangue hill, while the community significantly differed between coal gangue hill of Jinhua palace and Xinzhou kiln. The AM fungal community appeared to significantly correlate with soil total nitrogen, soil organic matter and AM fungi spore density. In conclusion, artificial restoration for 10-20 years can exert a comparable effect on AM fungal community as natural restoration 50-60 years in coal gangue hill of Jinhua palace. AM fungal community of the two locations showed great variance, and soil total nitrogen, soil organic matter and soil AM fungi spore density were the main driving factors.

Key words: Coal gangue hill, Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi community, Glomus, Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing