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Effect of microplastics on the allelopathic effects of native and invasive plants on co-occurring invaders
Summary
Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics in soil enhanced the growth of both native and invasive plant species under competitive and non-competitive conditions. The microplastics also induced negative allelopathic effects from the native plant Achyranthes on neighboring plants, mediated through changes in leaf chemistry. The study suggests that microplastic pollution could alter competitive dynamics between native and invasive species by modifying plant chemical interactions.
The presence of PE microplastics enhanced the biomass of both Achyranthes and Amaranthus under competitive and non-competitive growth conditions. Furthermore, PE microplastics were found to induce a negative allelopathic effect for the native plant Achyranthes on co-occurring plants, which appeared to be mediated through changes in leaf chemistry. Bisdemethoxycurcumin, ethylparaben, salicin 6'-sulfate and 5-hydroxy-3',4',7-trimethoxyflavone glucoside were proven important compounds for allelopathic enhancement. Overall, these results suggest that microplastic pollution has the capability to influence the co-existence of invasive and native plants by altering their allelopathic potential. This insight into the interactions between microplastics and plant allelopathy provides a novel perspective on how microplastic pollution could modify plant species interactions and ecosystem dynamics. Future studies could aim to answer how microplastics might affect plant root exudates and whether this process would mediate biological invasion.