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Differential fungal assemblages and functions between the plastisphere of biodegradable and conventional microplastics in farmland
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Researchers compared the fungal communities growing on biodegradable and conventional plastic microplastics buried in farmland soil in China. Biodegradable plastics attracted more fungi capable of breaking down plastic, but also harbored more plant and animal pathogens than conventional plastics. This suggests that even biodegradable microplastics in farm soil could pose risks to crop health and potentially introduce harmful organisms into the agricultural environment.
The heterogeneity of plastisphere and soil can lead to variation in microbiome, potentially impacting soil functions. Current studies of the plastisphere have mainly focused on bacterial communities, and fungal communities are poorly understood. Biodegradable and conventional microplastics may recruit specific microbial taxa due to their different biodegradability. Herein, we collected polyethylene (PE) and polybutylene adipate terephthalate/polylactide (PBAT/PLA) microplastics in farmland (Hebei, China) and characterized the fungal community in PE and PBAT/PLA plastisphere. Results from high-throughput sequencing showed significantly lower alpha diversity and distinct composition of fungal community in PBAT/PLA plastisphere compared to PE plastisphere. Additionally, the PBAT/PLA plastisphere demonstrated a significant enrichment of fungal taxa with potential plastic-degrading capability such as Nectriaceae, Pleosporaceae and Didymellaceae. The stochasticity of drift (28.7-43.5 %) and dispersal limitation (38.6-39.4 %) were dominant in the assembly of PE and PBAT/PLA plastisphere fungal community. Higher stable and more complex network in PBAT/PLA plastispheres were observed as compared to PE plastisphere. Besides, the total relative abundance of plant and animal pathogens were higher in PBAT/PLA plastisphere than that in PE plastisphere, suggesting that biodegradable microplastics may pose a higher threat to soil health. This study contributes to our understanding of the characteristics of plastisphere fungal communities in soil environments and the associated risks to terrestrial ecosystems resulting from microplastic accumulation.
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