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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Polystyrene microplastic pollution induces species-specific shifts in root traits and rhizosphere conditions in a temperate forest
ClearMycorrhizal-specific responses of rhizosphere soil properties and fine-root traits to polystyrene microplastic addition in a temperate mixed forest
Researchers added polystyrene microplastics to a temperate forest and found they disrupted nutrient cycling differently depending on tree type — increasing nitrogen but decreasing phosphorus near oak-type trees, and doing the opposite near maple-type trees — suggesting microplastic pollution could reshape forest ecosystems over time.
Mycorrhizal-specific responses of rhizosphere soil properties and fine-root traits to polystyrene microplastic addition in a temperate mixed forest
Researchers assessed how polystyrene microplastic additions affect rhizosphere soil properties and fine-root traits in a temperate mixed forest, finding increased available nitrogen but decreased available phosphorus, with contrasting responses between ectomycorrhizal and arbuscular mycorrhizal tree species.
Microplastic additions modulate intraspecific variability in root traits and mycorrhizal responses across root‐life history strategies
Researchers examined how environmentally relevant mixtures of microplastics affect root traits and mycorrhizal fungal colonization across six plant species with different root strategies. They found that microplastic effects varied significantly between plant families and individual species, with some showing increased variability in root characteristics. The study highlights that microplastic impacts on plant-soil interactions depend heavily on the specific plant species and its root life strategy.
Uptake and physiological impacts of nanoplastics in trees with divergent water use strategies
Researchers studied how nanoplastics are taken up by tree roots and whether this uptake affects tree health and function. They found that trees did absorb nanoplastics through their root systems, and the particles caused oxidative stress and reduced photosynthetic capacity. The study suggests that plastic pollution in soil could impair the functioning of trees, which play a critical role in carbon sequestration and ecosystem health.
Polymer type more strongly than concentration drives root responses to microplastics: root biomass–efficiency trade-offs and biogeochemical risks in coastal wetlands
Researchers used mesocosm experiments in coastal wetlands to determine whether microplastic polymer type or concentration more strongly drives root biomass and biogeochemical responses in wetland plants. They found that polymer type exerted stronger effects than concentration on root biomass-efficiency trade-offs, with implications for how risk assessments for coastal wetland ecosystems should be designed.
Effects of soil microplastic heterogeneity on plant growth vary with species and microplastic types
Researchers tested how the uneven distribution of microplastics in soil affects the growth and root foraging behavior of seven herbaceous plant species. They found that plant responses to microplastic heterogeneity varied significantly depending on both the plant species and the type of microplastic present. The study suggests that the patchy nature of real-world soil microplastic contamination may affect plant communities in more complex ways than uniform exposure experiments indicate.
Effects of Microplastics on Growth Pattern of Pinus massoniana and Schima uperba
Researchers exposed two economically important tree species (Pinus massoniana and Schima superba) to microplastics and found species-specific differences in how woody plants respond to plastic contamination, with effects on growth, photosynthesis, and oxidative stress.
Impact of various microplastics on the morphological characteristics and nutrition of the young generation of beech (Fagus sylvatica L.)
Researchers examined the effects of various microplastic types on plant morphological characteristics and nutrient uptake, finding that polymer type and concentration differentially impair root growth, leaf development, and mineral absorption.
Root traits and rhizosphere responses as emerging bioindicators of microplastic pollution in agricultural soils: A review
This review examines how microplastic pollution in agricultural soils disrupts root growth, nutrient uptake, and the beneficial interactions between plant roots and soil microbes. Researchers found that microplastics can alter root exudation patterns, change soil structure, and shift microbial communities around roots in ways that may impair crop productivity. The study proposes that root traits and rhizosphere responses could serve as early warning indicators of microplastic contamination in farmland.
Microplastic inclusion in birch tree roots
Fluorescently tagged microplastic beads introduced to soil around silver birch saplings were detected inside root tissues after five months using confocal microscopy, providing the first evidence that microplastics can be physically incorporated into woody plant root tissues.
Can forest trees take up and transport nanoplastics?
Laboratory experiments tested whether forest trees could take up nanoplastics through their roots and transport them to above-ground tissues, finding that uptake was possible and that particle size influenced translocation efficiency. The results indicate that terrestrial trees may be a pathway for nanoplastics to enter land-based food chains.
Type-dependent effects of microplastics on tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.): Focus on root exudates and metabolic reprogramming
Researchers grew tomato plants in the presence of three different types of microplastics and found that each type produced distinct effects on plant physiology, root secretions, and metabolic processes. Polystyrene had the strongest negative impact, significantly altering root exudate composition and triggering metabolic reprogramming in the plants. The study demonstrates that the type of plastic matters when assessing how microplastic pollution affects crop growth and soil chemistry.
Polystyrene nanoplastics induce cell type-dependent secondary wall reinforcement in rice (Oryza sativa) roots and reduce root hydraulic conductivity
Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics penetrating rice roots trigger a cell-type-specific defense response in which the plant reinforces its secondary cell walls with lignin and suberin in key barrier tissues, increasing wall thickness by up to 22% while simultaneously reducing the root's ability to absorb water by nearly 15%.
Cascading effects from soil to maize functional traits explain maize response to microplastics disturbance in multi-nutrient soil environment
Researchers found that microplastics in agricultural soil can dry out the soil and disrupt nutrient availability for maize plants, but the crop partially compensates by growing longer, more efficient roots to forage for nutrients. This adaptive response — more pronounced in nutrient-rich soils — means microplastic impacts on crop yields depend heavily on soil conditions, complicating efforts to predict food security risks from plastic pollution.
Nanoplastic toxicity induces metabolic shifts in Populus × euramericana cv. '74/76' revealed by multi-omics analysis
Researchers used transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling to show that polystyrene nanoplastics accumulate in poplar tree roots, penetrate chloroplasts in leaves causing photosynthesis disruption, and trigger a metabolic shift from normal growth to defensive flavonoid production under severe exposure conditions.
Responses of Physiological, Morphological and Anatomical Traits to Abiotic Stress in Woody Plants
This review examines how trees and woody plants respond to environmental stresses including drought, flooding, extreme temperatures, heavy metals, and microplastics. Microplastics in soil can disrupt water transport and nutrient uptake in trees, potentially affecting forest health and the broader ecosystem. The effects of combined stresses, such as microplastics plus drought, are not simply additive and need further study.
Rhizospheric bacterial communities against microplastics (MPs): Novel ecological strategies based on the niche differentiation
Researchers studied how bacterial communities living around plant roots adapt when exposed to microplastics in soil. They found that rhizosphere bacteria developed distinct survival strategies depending on their ecological niche, with some species thriving while others declined in the presence of plastics. The study reveals that microplastics can reshape the microbial communities that plants depend on for nutrient uptake and disease resistance.
Microplastic-induced alterations in growth and microecology of mulberry seedlings: Implications for sustainable forest–soil systems
This study found that polyethylene and polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics have very different effects on mulberry tree growth and soil microbes. Polyethylene actually stimulated tree growth and boosted soil nitrogen-cycling bacteria, while PLA reduced plant biomass and disrupted soil fungal communities important for nutrient uptake. The contrasting results show that different types of microplastics can have opposite effects on plant-soil systems, complicating predictions about their environmental impact.
Microplastics Can Change Soil Properties and Affect Plant Performance
Researchers tested six different types of microplastics in soil and found that they altered key soil properties including water-holding capacity, bulk density, and microbial activity. These changes in soil structure had cascading effects on plant growth, with some microplastic types reducing above-ground biomass. The study demonstrates that microplastics can fundamentally change how soil functions, with consequences for plant health and ecosystem stability.
Potential impacts of polyethylene microplastics and heavy metals on Bidens pilosa L. growth: Shifts in root-associated endophyte microbial communities
Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics in soil contaminated with heavy metals significantly stunted plant growth, reducing root length by nearly 49% and increasing harmful reactive oxygen species in plant tissues. The microplastics also shifted the soil's microbial communities toward stress-resistant species, demonstrating how plastic pollution can disrupt the soil ecosystem that supports our food supply.
Reprogramming of microbial community in barley root endosphere and rhizosphere soil by polystyrene plastics with different particle sizes
Barley plants grown in polystyrene microplastic- and nanoplastic-contaminated soil showed altered microbial communities in both the root endosphere and rhizosphere, suggesting plastic pollution can reshape plant-associated microbiomes. These shifts could have downstream consequences for plant health and soil nutrient cycling.
Effects of microplastics concentration on plant root traits and biomass: Experiment and meta-analysis
This meta-analysis pools data from multiple studies and combines it with laboratory experiments to show how different concentrations of microplastics affect plant root growth. The findings suggest that microplastics in soil can alter root development, which may reduce crop yields and affect the quality of the food we grow and eat.
Can microplastics mediate soil properties, plant growth and carbon/nitrogen turnover in the terrestrial ecosystem?
This review assessed evidence for microplastic effects on soil properties, plant growth, and carbon and nitrogen cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. Microplastics were found to alter soil structure, water retention, microbial activity, and nutrient cycling, with cascading effects on plant growth and soil organic matter turnover.
Distinct microplastics abundance variation in root-associated sediments revealed the underestimation of mangrove microplastics pollution
This study characterized how microplastic abundance varies across root hair, rhizosphere, and non-rhizosphere zones in mangrove sediments, finding that root structures significantly influence microplastic trapping and migration patterns within mangrove ecosystems.