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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Sugarcane/soybean intercropping with reduced nitrogen addition promotes photosynthesized carbon sequestration in the soil
ClearBiochar Mitigates the Negative Effects of Microplastics on Sugarcane Growth by Changing Soil Nutrients and Microbial Community Structure and Function
Researchers investigated the effects of microplastics with and without biochar amendment on sugarcane growth, soil biochemical properties, and microbial community structure in red soil using a potted experiment, finding that microplastics alone reduced dry biomass, soil pH, and nitrogen and phosphorus contents and decreased bacterial diversity. Biochar addition mitigated the negative effects of microplastics by improving soil nutrients and reshaping microbial community structure and function.
Microplastics Modulate Carbon Sequestration in Paddy Fields by Regulating Rhizosphere Silicon Mobility
Microplastics were found to modulate carbon sequestration in paddy fields by altering microbial activity and organic matter decomposition rates. The study highlights that plastic contamination in rice paddies can disrupt the carbon cycle, potentially offsetting the carbon storage capacity of these ecosystems.
Biochar-amended soil can further sorb atmospheric CO2 for more carbon sequestration
Researchers found that adding biochar to soil not only stores carbon but also helps the soil absorb additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through mineral reactions. While not directly about microplastics, biochar-amended soils could offer dual benefits by both sequestering carbon and potentially trapping microplastics, since biochar has been shown to adsorb plastic particles. This approach could address both climate change and plastic pollution in agricultural settings.
Microplastics Modulate Carbon Sequestration in PaddyFields by Regulating Rhizosphere Silicon Mobility
Researchers investigated how biodegradable PLA and non-degradable PE microplastics alter rhizosphere silicon dynamics, carbon metabolism, and soil carbon storage in a rice paddy growth-cycle microcosm experiment. PLA transiently boosted grain carbon accumulation by 33% via altered silicon translocation, while PE reduced accumulation by 26-40%; both types ultimately disrupted long-term silicon bioavailability and carbon-silicon biogeochemical cycling in paddy fields.
Biochar Mitigates the Negative Effects of Microplastics on Sugarcane Growth by Altering Soil Nutrients and Microbial Community Structure and Function
Microplastic contamination in sugarcane-growing soils in China reduces crop biomass and degrades soil nutrients and microbial diversity. Adding biochar to microplastic-polluted soil helped offset these harms — restoring sugarcane growth, stabilizing soil pH, and improving bacterial community richness. The findings suggest biochar is a practical tool for rehabilitating agricultural land affected by plastic pollution.
Differential impacts of microplastics on carbon and nitrogen cycling in plant-soil systems: A meta-analysis
A meta-analysis of 3,338 observations found that microplastics increased soil CO2 emissions by 25.7% but also boosted soil carbon storage through increases in total carbon (53.3%), soil organic carbon (25.4%), and microbial biomass carbon (19.6%). However, microplastics decreased plant aboveground biomass and reduced nitrate and ammonia volatilization, suggesting that while soil carbon sink capacity may increase, agricultural productivity could suffer.
Stability of organic carbon pools and sequestration potential as affected under different agroforestry systems
This study evaluates how five different agroforestry systems affect soil organic carbon stability and sequestration in degraded Himalayan soils in northeast India. It is not about microplastics and is a false positive for microplastic relevance.
Effects of microplastics on photosynthesized C allocation in a rice-soil system and its utilization by soil microbial groups
Researchers used carbon isotope pulse labeling to track how microplastics affect the allocation of photosynthesized carbon in a rice paddy system. They found that microplastic amendments reduced photosynthetic carbon in roots by 30-54% while PVC microplastics increased soil organic carbon by up to 4.7 times compared to untreated soil. The study reveals that microplastics can significantly alter carbon cycling in paddy ecosystems by redirecting plant carbon inputs and changing how soil microbes utilize those carbon sources.
Microplastic Disguising As Soil Carbon Storage
This study investigated whether microplastics in soil are mistakenly counted as carbon storage, finding that microplastic particles can interfere with soil carbon measurements and may cause overestimates of organic carbon in agricultural and natural soils.
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.
Microplastic effects on carbon cycling processes in soils
Researchers reviewed how microplastics affect carbon cycling processes in soils, including their influence on microbial activity, plant growth, and litter decomposition. Since microplastics are themselves carbon-based materials, they can directly alter soil carbon stocks while also indirectly shifting microbial communities. The study calls for a major research effort to understand the widespread effects of microplastics on soil functioning and terrestrial ecosystem health.
Effect of different polymers of microplastics on soil organic carbon and nitrogen – A mesocosm experiment
Researchers found that adding polyethylene and biodegradable microplastics to agricultural soil altered carbon and nitrogen dynamics, with biodegradable microplastics having stronger effects on soil organic carbon decomposition and nutrient cycling than conventional plastics.
Soil carbon cycling mediated by microplastics: Formation, mineralization, and sequestration
This review examines how microplastic pollution affects soil organic carbon cycling, covering direct participation in carbon processes and indirect effects on soil physicochemical properties and microbial communities. The authors synthesize mechanisms by which microplastics influence organic carbon formation, mineralization, and sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems.
Evidence synthesis of soil carbon dynamics: A multi-scale meta-analysis integrating land-use change, conservation practices, and environmental stressors
This multi-scale meta-analysis found that microplastic contamination enhanced nitrogen-cycling enzyme activities by 7-8% and altered soil organic carbon dynamics in polymer-specific patterns, alongside findings that grassland restoration increases soil carbon by 16% and no-tillage with residue retention boosts it by 13%. The results highlight microplastics as an emerging environmental stressor that interacts with land management practices to shape soil carbon storage.
Effects of microplastics on soil organic carbon and greenhouse gas emissions in the context of straw incorporation: A comparison with different types of soil
Researchers combined microplastic treatments with straw incorporation in different soil types and measured effects on soil organic carbon and greenhouse gas emissions, finding that microplastics altered carbon cycling and in some soils increased CO2 and N2O emissions.
The impacts of microplastics on the cycling of carbon and nitrogen in terrestrial soil ecosystems: Progress and prospects
This review examines how microplastics in soil affect the cycling of carbon and nitrogen, two elements essential for plant growth and soil health. Microplastics alter soil microbial communities and enzyme activity in ways that change greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient availability, which could ultimately affect crop production and the food supply.
Microplastic effects on carbon cycling in terrestrial soil ecosystems: Storage, formation, mineralization, and microbial mechanisms
Microplastics in soil contribute to organic carbon storage through degradation and leaching, but also disrupt carbon cycling by altering plant growth, litter decomposition, and microbial activity. The net effect on soil CO2 and CH4 emissions varies depending on how microplastics reshape microbial community structure and enzyme activity.
Microplastic-Induced Alterations in Soil Aggregate-Associated Carbon Stabilization Pathways: Evidence from δ13C Signature Analysis
Researchers conducted a year-long field experiment to understand how different types of microplastics affect carbon storage in soil. They found that conventional plastics like polyethylene and PVC destabilized soil structures and released stored carbon, while biodegradable plastics like PLA and PHA helped maintain soil integrity. The study provides evidence that the type of plastic contaminating agricultural soils significantly influences whether carbon is retained or lost.
Effect of biodegradable PBAT microplastics on the C and N accumulation of functional organic pools in tropical latosol
Researchers investigated how biodegradable PBAT microplastics affect carbon and nitrogen storage in tropical soil and found that they significantly increased carbon in all major soil organic pools. The largest increase occurred in particulate organic matter, where PBAT debris was incorporated into the soil carbon pool, boosting total carbon by 116-191%. The study suggests that while biodegradable microplastics add carbon to soil, this may create a misleading picture of soil health since the carbon comes from plastic contamination rather than natural organic sources.
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.
Interference of microplastics on autotrophic microbiome in paddy soils: Shifts in carbon fixation rate, structure, abundance, co-occurrence, and assembly process
Researchers found that both conventional polystyrene and biodegradable PHBV microplastics significantly reduced carbon fixation rates in paddy soil by disrupting autotrophic microbial communities. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils may impair natural carbon sequestration processes, with polystyrene having a stronger inhibitory effect than biodegradable alternatives in bulk soil.
Soil Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Nitrogen Dynamics: Effects of Maize Straw Incorporation Under Contrasting Nitrogen Fertilization Levels
Not relevant to microplastics — this study examines how maize straw incorporation into soils with different nitrogen fertilization histories affects greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen cycling in agricultural fields.
Microplastic biodegradability does not modify plant carbon input in soil but accelerate soil carbon loss in agroecosystems
Researchers investigated how non-biodegradable polyethylene (PE) and biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics affect plant carbon input and soil carbon turnover in a dryland agroecosystem over two years using 13CO2 pulse-labeling. They found that both microplastic types did not significantly alter plant carbon fixation but accelerated soil carbon loss, with implications for climate change feedbacks in agricultural soils.
Effects and mechanism of microplastics on organic carbon and nitrogen cycling in agricultural soil: A review
This review summarizes how microplastic pollution in agricultural soils affects carbon and nitrogen cycling by altering soil properties, microbial communities, and enzymatic activity. Evidence indicates that microplastics can change organic matter degradation rates and nutrient cycling processes, with implications for soil health and agricultural productivity.