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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to The more microplastic types pollute the soil, the stronger the growth suppression of invasive alien and native plants
ClearIncreasing soil microplastic diversity decreases community biomass via its impact on the most dominant species
Researchers experimentally mixed different numbers and types of microplastics into soil hosting six plant species, finding that greater variety of microplastic types in the soil reduced total plant biomass — mainly by suppressing the growth of the dominant grass species. The results suggest that real-world environments contaminated with multiple types of microplastics may suffer greater ecological harm than studies using a single plastic type would predict.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Microplastic shape, concentration and polymer type affect soil properties and plant biomass
Experiments showed that microplastic shape, concentration, and polymer type all influence soil physical properties and plant biomass, with certain types reducing plant growth. The findings highlight that the wide variety of plastic particle types entering soils creates complex and variable ecological risks.
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.
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.
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.
Microplastic Diversity as a Potential Driver of Soil Denitrification Shifts
Researchers conducted a soil microcosm experiment to study how the diversity of microplastic types (rather than just individual types) affects soil ecosystem functions. They found that increasing microplastic diversity raised soil pH and organic carbon while reducing available nitrogen, and significantly boosted bacterial diversity and denitrifying gene abundance. The findings suggest that realistic mixtures of multiple microplastic types in soil may have stronger impacts on nitrogen cycling than single-type contamination.
Effect of microplastics on the allelopathic effects of native and invasive plants on co-occurring invaders
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.
Soil heterogeneity in the horizontal distribution of microplastics influences productivity and species composition of plant communities
Researchers grew experimental plant communities in soils with either homogeneous or heterogeneous horizontal distributions of six common microplastic types, finding that spatial heterogeneity in microplastic distribution significantly influences plant community productivity and species composition in terrestrial ecosystems.
Microplastic abundance thresholds shape the growth of 18 wild plant species: the importance of soil pH
A large experiment exposed 18 wild plant species to a gradient of polypropylene microplastics in soil and found that the impacts were surprisingly mixed: 50% of species were unaffected, 39% actually grew better with microplastics present, and only 11% were inhibited. Growth responses followed a hump-shaped curve, peaking at moderate microplastic concentrations, and soil pH emerged as a key factor mediating the effects by altering nutrient uptake and leaf chlorophyll. These results challenge the assumption that microplastics always harm plants, suggesting that ecosystem-level effects depend heavily on concentration, species, and soil chemistry. The findings underscore the complexity of predicting how plastic pollution affects terrestrial food webs.
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.
Multifaceted effects of microplastics on soil-plant systems: Exploring the role of particle type and plant species
Researchers tested how three different types of microplastics — fibers, fragments, and spheres — affect soil properties and vegetable growth. The effects varied significantly depending on both the type of plastic and the plant species, with some microplastics actually promoting root growth in certain vegetables. These mixed results highlight that the impact of microplastic contamination on food crops is complex and depends on the specific conditions in each field.
Co-exposure to microplastics and soil pollutants significantly exacerbates toxicity to crops: Insights from a global meta and machine-learning analysis
A large-scale analysis of 68 studies found that when microplastics combine with other soil pollutants, the harm to crops is significantly worse than from the other pollutants alone. Microplastics intensified damage to plant growth, increased oxidative stress, and reduced photosynthesis efficiency. Interestingly, microplastics did reduce the amount of other pollutants that accumulated in the crops, but the overall toxic effects on plant health were still greater.
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.
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.
Effects of multiple microplastic types on growth of winter wheat and soil properties vary in different agricultural soils
Researchers tested the effects of ten different types of microplastics, applied individually and in combinations, on winter wheat growth across three agricultural soil types. They found that the same microplastic type could have drastically different effects depending on the soil, and that combined microplastic mixtures did not simply add up to the sum of individual effects. The study highlights the importance of considering both soil type and microplastic mixture composition when assessing agricultural impacts.
Microplastics meet invasive plants: Unraveling the ecological hazards to agroecosystems
This study examined how microplastic contamination in soil combines with invasive plant species to affect rice crops. The combination of both stressors caused greater changes in rice metabolism and antioxidant responses than either stressor alone. These findings highlight how microplastic pollution in agricultural soil can interact with other environmental challenges to threaten food safety and crop health.
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.
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.
Microplastic residues in wetland ecosystems: Do they truly threaten the plant-microbe-soil system?
Researchers used a controlled pot experiment to assess microplastic effects on wetland plant growth, soil microbial communities, and nutrient cycling, finding that MPs altered soil enzyme activity and shifted bacterial community composition but had variable effects on plant growth depending on plastic type.