We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Nitrogen deposition modulates invasibility and stability of plant communities in microplastic-contaminated wetlands
Summary
A greenhouse experiment found that polyethylene microplastics combined with nitrogen deposition reduced morphological traits of invaded wetland plant communities, altering competitive dynamics between invasive and native plants.
Invasive plant species pose a significant threat to the integrity and biodiversity of local ecosystems. Microplastic pollution and nitrogen deposition, as detrimental consequences of human activities, impact the growth of wetland plants. However, the combined impacts of nitrogen deposition and microplastics on invaded plant communities remain unexplored. Here, we conducted a greenhouse experiment to examine the effects of simulated nitrogen deposition on the performance of invaded plant communities under polyethylene addition (PE, polyethylene addition alone, at ratios of 0.1 %, 0.5 %, 1 %; PEN, polyethylene addition combined nitrogen deposition, 30 kg N hm −2 a −1 ). Our findings suggested that both PE and PEN treatments reduced the morphological traits of invaded plant communities, including plant community abundance, height and biomass. Notably, the height and stem diameter of Amaranthus palmeri increased with higher PE ratios, indicating that invasive species has greater pollution tolerance than native plant Chenopodium album . Additionally, our results showed that the diversity and stability values of the PEN treatments were higher than those of the PE treatments, suggesting that the detrimental effects of microplastics on the community diversity and stability can be mitigated to some extent by the combined nitrogen deposition. We also demonstrated changes in the soil may have altered interspecific relationships among dominant plant species, with A. palmeri potentially modifying these relationships to enhance its survival. Overall, most PE and PEN treatments resulted in a decrease of 1.05∼41.44 % in community invasibility and 2.02∼88.73 % in invasion intensity of invasive species, which could be linked to changes in community diversity. This research enhances our understanding of the influence of microplastics alone or combined nitrogen deposition on the invaded plant communities, providing valuable insights for the environmental management of these ecosystems. • Invasive species has greater pollution tolerance than native plants. • Nitrogen deposition mitigates the negative impacts of microplastics on community diversity and stability. • Community invasibility and invasion intensity were reduced under microplastics alone or combined nitrogen deposition.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Mechanistic insights into microplastic-mediated shifts in nitrogen metabolism and sensory quality across emergent and submerged-plant wetlands: Evidence from metagenomics and physiological indicators
Researchers exposed surface-flow constructed wetlands planted with emergent and submerged macrophytes to polystyrene microplastics and found a 12.64% reduction in total nitrogen removal in the emergent plant system, driven by shifts in nitrogen-cycling microbial communities. PS-MPs also altered sensory water quality indicators, with effects varying by plant type.
Microplastic residues in wetland ecosystems: Do they truly threaten the plant-microbe-soil system?
Researchers used a controlled pot experiment to assess microplastic effects on wetland plant growth, soil microbial communities, and nutrient cycling, finding that MPs altered soil enzyme activity and shifted bacterial community composition but had variable effects on plant growth depending on plastic type.
Nanoplastics Disturb Nitrogen Removal in Constructed Wetlands: Responses of Microbes and Macrophytes
The impact of nanosized plastics on nitrogen removal in constructed wetlands was investigated by examining microbial community responses and denitrification processes. Nanoplastics disturbed biological nitrogen removal in the wetland system, with microorganisms showing altered community structure and reduced denitrification efficiency.
Nitrogen supply neutralizes the nanoplastic-plant interaction in a coastal wetland
Researchers investigated how nitrogen fertilization affects plant communities exposed to polypropylene nanoplastics in coastal wetlands, finding that nanoplastics alone reduce plant biomass and alter community structure, while combined nitrogen supply can partially offset these effects — suggesting nitrogen inputs may mitigate nanoplastic stress in restored saline-alkaline ecosystems.
The effects of polypropylene microplastics on the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from water by Acorus calamus, Iris tectorum and functional microorganisms
Researchers investigated how polypropylene microplastics affect the ability of aquatic plants and their associated microorganisms to remove nitrogen and phosphorus from water. They found that microplastic stress reduced the nutrient absorption capacity of the plants and altered the microbial communities responsible for nitrogen and phosphorus cycling. The study suggests that microplastic pollution may undermine the effectiveness of wetland-based water purification systems.