Trait‐based selection of nurse plants to restore ecosystem functions in mine tailings

Metal mining in drylands generates waste tailings with high toxicity, physical instability, as well as water and thermal stresses that hamper their biological colonization. This limits the restoration of ecosystem functions that are essential to re‐integrate these artificial micro‐deserts within the landscape matrix. We assessed the functional role of local nurse plant species and their traits to restore ecosystem functions related to soil...