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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Mycorrhizal-specific responses of rhizosphere soil properties and fine-root traits to polystyrene microplastic addition in a temperate mixed forest
ClearMycorrhizal-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.
Polystyrene microplastic pollution induces species-specific shifts in root traits and rhizosphere conditions in a temperate forest
Researchers added polystyrene microplastics to soil around four temperate forest tree species and found species-specific root responses: thin-rooted trees decreased root biomass but increased surface area to compensate, while thick-rooted trees increased biomass proliferation but reduced root thickness to cut maintenance costs.
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.
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.
Emerging Microplastics Alter the Influences of Soil Animals on the Fungal Community Structure in Determining the Litter Decomposition of a Deciduous Tree
Researchers investigated how microplastics in forest soil affect the interactions between soil animals and fungal communities during leaf litter decomposition. They found that the presence of microplastics altered fungal community structure and disrupted the beneficial influence that soil animals normally have on decomposition processes. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in forest ecosystems could interfere with nutrient cycling by changing how decomposer communities function.
Effect of forest planting patterns on the formation of soil organic carbon during litter lignocellulose degradation from a microbial perspective
Not relevant to microplastics — this study investigates how different urban forest planting patterns (broadleaf, coniferous, mixed) affect soil organic carbon formation through litter decomposition using metagenomics and metabolomics, without any connection to microplastic pollution.
Effect of different microplastics on the mobilization of soil inorganic phosphorus by exomycorrhizal fungi
Researchers examined how different microplastic types affect soil inorganic phosphorus mobilization, finding that polymer type and particle size influence phosphorus release from soil minerals, with implications for nutrient cycling in plastic-contaminated soils.
Microplastics indirectly affect soil respiration of different-aged forest by altering microbial communities and carbon metabolism
Researchers explored how microplastics affect soil respiration in forests of different ages by altering microbial community structure and carbon metabolism. The study found microplastic levels ranging from approximately 600 to 3,858 items per sample across forest ages, and that their presence indirectly influences soil carbon cycling processes.
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.
Effects of different microplastics on the activation of soil potassium by ectomycorrhizal fungi
This study found that both polypropylene (PP) and polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics hindered the growth of an ectomycorrhizal fungus and reduced how much potassium it could release from soil for plants, with PLA being the more harmful of the two. The findings matter because mycorrhizal fungi are critical for forest nutrient cycling, and microplastic contamination of soils could quietly degrade this ecosystem service.
Effects of microplastic types and shapes on the community structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in different soil types
Researchers examined how different types and shapes of microplastics affect arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi communities across various soil types. The study found that microplastics alter soil structure and chemistry in ways that disrupt these beneficial fungi, which play crucial roles in nutrient exchange, soil stability, and water movement.
Migration and accumulation of microplastics in soil-plant systems mediated by symbiotic microorganisms and their ecological effects
This study found that beneficial soil fungi (mycorrhizal fungi) actually accelerate the uptake of smaller microplastics by plant roots while slowing the uptake of larger ones. The microplastics disrupted the symbiotic relationship between the fungi and plants, reducing plant nutrient absorption and growth, which matters because crops grown in microplastic-contaminated soil may be less nutritious.
Interactive Effects of Microplastic Pollution and Global Warming on Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics in Subtropical Forests
Scientists studied how tiny plastic particles (microplastics) affect forest soil when combined with warming temperatures, and found that these plastics disrupt how soil processes carbon and nitrogen - key nutrients that keep ecosystems healthy. The plastic pollution made soils more sensitive to temperature changes and altered important chemical cycles that plants depend on for growth. This matters because microplastics are everywhere in our environment, and this research shows they could harm the forest ecosystems that clean our air and water, especially as the planet continues to warm.
Legacy effect of microplastics on plant–soil feedbacks
Researchers examined the legacy effects of microplastic contamination on plant-soil feedbacks using soil previously conditioned with various microplastic types, finding that residual microplastics altered soil microbial communities and nutrient cycling in ways that affected subsequent plant growth.
Differential carbon accumulation of microbial necromass and plant lignin by pollution of polyethylene and polylactic acid microplastics in soil
This study found that both conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics changed how carbon is stored in soil. The plastics increased carbon from dead microbes while decreasing carbon from plant material, with most of the additional soil carbon coming from fungal remains. These changes to soil chemistry matter because they could affect agricultural productivity and the ability of soil to store carbon, with broader implications for climate and food systems.
Polyethylene Microplastic Particles Alter the Nature, Bacterial Community and Metabolite Profile of Reed Rhizosphere Soils
Researchers found that polyethylene microplastic particles alter the bacterial community composition, soil environmental factors, and metabolite profiles of reed rhizosphere soils, with effects increasing at higher microplastic concentrations and showing distinct interactions with reed biomass.
Physiological response of ectomycorrhizal fungi (Lactarius delicious) to microplastics stress
The ectomycorrhizal fungus Lactarius deliciosus was exposed to polystyrene microplastics in soil, showing disrupted growth, altered enzyme activity, and oxidative stress responses. The findings highlight microplastics as a threat to soil fungi that play critical roles in forest nutrient cycling and tree health.
Microplastic effects on soil organic matter dynamics and bacterial communities under contrasting soil environments
Researchers compared microplastic effects on soil organic matter dynamics and bacterial communities across contrasting soil environments, finding that the type of microplastic polymer and soil conditions together determine whether microbial activity and carbon cycling are stimulated or suppressed.
Quantifying, and assessing the impact of, microplastics in terrestrial samples
Researchers developed methodologies to quantify microplastics (1 to 1000 micrometers) in terrestrial woodland environments, addressing the significant knowledge gap about microplastic concentrations and ecological impacts in soil ecosystems compared to the more extensively studied aquatic compartments.
Potential Effects of Microplastic on Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi
This review examines how microplastics in soil affect arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, finding evidence that microplastics can alter fungal colonization of plant roots, spore production, and the broader soil microbiome, with cascading effects on plant nutrient uptake.
Microplastic pollution alters forest soil microbiome
The impact of aged low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and polyester (PET) fibres on forest soil microbiome composition was examined. Microplastic pollution altered forest soil microbial community structure, with both polymer types affecting microbial diversity and function in ways that could influence soil health and nutrient cycling.
Illuminating the nexus between non-biodegradable microplastics and soil nitrogen dynamics: A modulation through plant-derived organic matter
This research examined how different vegetation types (shrub, grassland, and bare soil) influence the impact of polystyrene microplastics on nitrogen cycling in soil. Microplastics disrupted nitrogen processes across all vegetation types, but shrub soils showed greater resistance, while grassland soils were most vulnerable to disruption of nitrogen-fixing microbial communities. Since nitrogen cycling is fundamental to soil fertility and plant growth, this finding has implications for agricultural lands where microplastic contamination from plastic mulch films is increasingly common.
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.
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.