Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastics could alter invasive plant community performance and the dominance of Amaranthus palmeri

This study examined how microplastics interact with invasive and native plant species in mixed plant communities, finding that microplastics altered competitive dynamics and affected the dominance of the invasive species Amaranthus palmeri. The results suggest that microplastic pollution could modulate the outcomes of plant invasions.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Antagonistic Interaction Between Microplastics and Herbivory on the Growth of Native and Invasive Plants

This study tested the individual and combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and herbivory on native and invasive plants, finding an antagonistic interaction where herbivore damage and MP stress partially offset each other's growth effects, with implications for invasive plant management.

2025 Plants
Article Tier 2

Microplastics promote the invasiveness of invasive alien species under fluctuating water regime

Researchers found that microplastic pollution in soil can enhance the invasiveness of alien plant species, particularly under fluctuating water conditions that simulate extreme rainfall events. The microplastics altered soil properties in ways that gave invasive plants a competitive advantage over native species. The study highlights a previously overlooked interaction between two major environmental threats: microplastic contamination and biological invasions.

2024 Journal of Applied Ecology 10 citations
Article Tier 2

The promoting effects of soil microplastics on alien plant invasion depend on microplastic shape and concentration

A greenhouse experiment showed that soil microplastic pollution can help invasive plant species outcompete native plants. The invasive goldenrod grew better in soil contaminated with certain shapes and concentrations of polyethylene microplastics, while the native species was less affected. This suggests that microplastic pollution in soil could worsen the spread of invasive plants, with knock-on effects for ecosystems and agriculture.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics amplify the invasive potential of Flavidium bidentis in invaded communities

Researchers examined how microplastics affect the competitive interactions and invasive potential of Flavidium bidentis in native plant communities, measuring growth traits and interspecific relationships across microplastic exposure treatments. Results indicated that microplastics amplified the invasive advantage of F. bidentis over native species, raising concern that widespread soil microplastic contamination may accelerate plant invasions.

2025
Article Tier 2

The more microplastic types pollute the soil, the stronger the growth suppression of invasive alien and native plants

Researchers grew 16 plant species in soil contaminated with varying numbers of microplastic types and found that plant growth declined more as the diversity of microplastics increased. Invasive species were particularly affected, losing their typical growth advantage over native plants when exposed to multiple microplastic types. The study suggests that real-world soil contamination, which typically involves a mix of different plastics, may suppress plant growth more than single-plastic experiments have shown.

2024 Journal of Ecology 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic particles and their additives promote plant invasion through physicochemical mechanisms on seed germination

Scientists found that microplastic particles in soil harmed the germination of native European grassland plants, reducing sprouting speed and total germination by up to 30%. Invasive plant species, however, were mostly unaffected by the same microplastic exposure. This suggests that plastic pollution in soil could shift the balance between native and invasive plants, potentially threatening biodiversity.

2025 Journal of Ecology 10 citations
Article Tier 2

RhizosphereKeystoneMicrobiomes Promote InvasivePlant Growth under PLA and PVC Microplastic Stress: A ComparativeStudy with Native Species

A mesocosm experiment compared the growth responses of invasive and native plant species to PLA (biodegradable) and PVC (conventional) microplastics in soil. Invasive plants outperformed native species under MP stress partly due to shifts in rhizosphere keystone microbiomes, suggesting microplastics may amplify invasion success.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Rhizosphere Keystone Microbiomes Promote Invasive Plant Growth under PLA and PVC Microplastic Stress: A Comparative Study with Native Species

Researchers compared how invasive and native plant species respond to soil contaminated with biodegradable and non-biodegradable microplastics. Invasive plants experienced less growth inhibition and selectively enriched beneficial bacteria in their root zones, forming more stable microbial networks. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in soils may inadvertently give invasive species a competitive advantage over native plants.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Soil pollution and the invasion of congener Sphagneticola in crop lands

Researchers examined how agricultural pollutants, including microplastics and nanopesticides, affect competition between native and invasive Sphagneticola plant species in croplands. The study found that microplastic and nanopesticide pollution in soil may facilitate the invasion of non-native plant species by altering growth dynamics, suggesting that agricultural contamination could compound ecological disruption in farming ecosystems.

2023 Journal of Environmental Management 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Microplastics, Fertilization and Pesticides on Alien and Native Plants

A full factorial greenhouse experiment found that microplastics promoted biomass production of native plants at higher nutrient availability while having differential effects on alien plant dominance, suggesting plastic mulch and fertilizer accumulation in soil could alter plant community composition.

2024 Plants 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro(nano)plastics and Terrestrial Invasive Plants

This research review summarizes 26 studies showing that tiny plastic particles in the environment usually help invasive weeds grow stronger and outcompete native plants. These microplastics, which come from things like plastic bottles and bags breaking down, change the soil in ways that often give invasive plants an advantage over the plants that naturally belong in an area. This matters because it could make invasive species problems worse, potentially affecting food crops and natural ecosystems that humans depend on.

2026 Toxics
Article Tier 2

Nitrogen deposition modulates invasibility and stability of plant communities in microplastic-contaminated wetlands

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.

2024 Global Ecology and Conservation 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and cadmium affect invasion success by altering complementarity and selection effects in native community

Researchers tested how microplastics and cadmium individually and together affect invasive plant success in native plant communities of varying diversity. Microplastics alone reduced invasion success by up to 63% in high-diversity communities, while cadmium increased invasive plant biomass by 40%, but microplastics suppressed this cadmium-driven boost.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics enhance the invasion of exotic submerged macrophytes by mediating plant functional traits, sediment properties, and microbial communities

This study found that polystyrene microplastics in water helped invasive aquatic plants grow stronger and spread more effectively, while native plants were not similarly boosted. The microplastics changed soil chemistry and disrupted bacterial communities in ways that specifically favored the invasive species. This research shows that microplastic pollution could accelerate the spread of invasive plants in lakes and rivers, further threatening aquatic ecosystem health.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 16 citations
Article Tier 2

The effects of microplastics on crop variation depend on polymer types and their interactions with soil nutrient availability and weed competition

Researchers investigated how different types of microplastics interact with soil nutrient availability and weed competition to affect crop growth. The study found that the effects of microplastics on plant performance depend on the polymer type and are modulated by fertilization levels and competition from weeds, suggesting that real-world agricultural impacts of microplastic pollution may be more complex than laboratory studies indicate.

2024 Plant Biology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

The effect of soil microplastics on Oryza sativa L. root growth traits under alien plant invasion

Researchers studied how microplastics in soil interact with an invasive weed species to affect rice root growth. Both stressors individually harmed rice roots, but their combination produced complex interactive effects that altered root architecture and nutrient uptake. This suggests that microplastic pollution in farmland may compound the damage caused by invasive plants, creating compounding threats to crop productivity.

2023 Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined Inhibitory Effect of Canada Goldenrod Invasion and Soil Microplastics on Rice Growth

Researchers found that the combination of invasive Canada goldenrod plants and soil microplastics reduced rice biomass and disrupted antioxidant enzyme activity more severely than either stressor alone, suggesting that microplastic pollution can amplify the agricultural harm caused by invasive plant species.

2022 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and co-pollutant with ciprofloxacin affect interactions between free-floating macrophytes

Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics and ciprofloxacin co-pollutants altered competitive interactions between free-floating macrophytes, with combined exposure affecting plant growth and physiological responses differently than individual pollutant exposure.

2022 Environmental Pollution 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Alter Growth and Reproduction Strategy of Scirpus mariqueter by Modifying Soil Nutrient Availability

Researchers exposed the coastal wetland plant Scirpus mariqueter to four microplastic types (PP, PE, PS, PET) at three concentrations and found microplastics altered plant biomass, vegetative traits, and reproductive allocation, with PET and PS causing the strongest effects by disrupting soil nutrient availability.

2025 Diversity