Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Architecture of soil microaggregates: Advanced methodologies to explore properties and functions

This review covers advanced methodologies for exploring the three-dimensional architecture of soil microaggregates (particles smaller than 250 micrometers), including imaging techniques that reveal pore space, mineral-organic interfaces, and microbial habitats. Understanding microaggregate structure is key to linking soil physical properties with carbon cycling and microbial ecology.

2023 Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Bacterial and fungal predator – prey interactions modulate soil aggregation

This study examined how predator-prey interactions between bacteria, fungi, and their microbial predators influence soil aggregate formation. While focused on soil ecology, the research is relevant to understanding how microplastic contamination — which alters microbial communities — could indirectly affect soil structure and stability.

2020 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Differences, links, and roles of microbial and stoichiometric factors in microplastic distribution: A case study of five typical rice cropping regions in China

Researchers investigated microplastic distribution across five major rice-growing regions in China, finding that microbial community composition and soil stoichiometric factors like carbon-to-nitrogen ratios significantly influenced microplastic accumulation patterns in agricultural soils.

2022 Frontiers in Microbiology 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Types of vegetables shape composition, diversity, and co-occurrence networks of soil bacteria and fungi in karst areas of southwest China

Researchers examined how different vegetable crops influence the composition of soil bacteria and fungi in karst landscapes of southwest China. They found that the type of vegetable grown significantly shaped the diversity and co-occurrence patterns of soil microbial communities. The findings provide a foundation for understanding how agricultural practices affect soil health in ecologically fragile karst environments.

2023 BMC Microbiology 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Nitrogen and phosphorus addition affects community assembly and network structure of phyllosphere and rhizosphere microbiomes in the Inner Mongolia steppe

Researchers examined how nitrogen and phosphorus addition altered bacterial and fungal community assembly and network structure in phyllosphere and rhizosphere microbiomes of an Inner Mongolian steppe, finding that nutrient addition decreased diversity, shifted assembly toward deterministic processes for bacteria and stochastic processes for fungi, and increased network complexity while reducing stability.

2026 Ecological Processes
Article Tier 2

Microplastics shape microbial communities affecting soil organic matter decomposition in paddy soil

Researchers found that microplastics shape soil microbial communities in paddy soils in ways that affect organic matter decomposition, revealing how bacterial succession and carbon cycling are altered by microplastic presence in agricultural systems.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 181 citations
Article Tier 2

Cropping systems reshape the distribution and risks of microplastics in soil aggregates in a karst agricultural region

Researchers investigated how different cropping systems influence the distribution and ecological risks of microplastics within soil aggregates in a karst agricultural region. The study found that cropping system type reshaped microplastic abundance, morphology, and polymer composition across macro-, meso-, and micro-aggregate fractions, with implications for understanding microplastic persistence in fragile karst soils.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Microplastics reduce soil microbial network complexity and ecological deterministic selection

Researchers found that microplastics reduce soil microbial network complexity and shift community assembly from deterministic to more stochastic processes, suggesting that microplastic pollution may fundamentally alter microbial ecological interactions in terrestrial systems.

2022 Environmental Microbiology 106 citations
Article Tier 2

Different Distribution of Core Microbiota in Upper Soil Layer in Two Places of North China Plain

Researchers compared the composition and distribution of core soil microbiota in upper soil layers at two locations on the North China Plain, examining how habitat and dominant plant species shape bacterial community structure relevant to nutrient cycling and carbon storage. The study found meaningful differences in microbial community composition between the two sites, reflecting local environmental influences.

2022 The Open Microbiology Journal 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Response of the Stability of Soil Aggregates and Erodibility to Land Use Patterns in Wetland Ecosystems of Karst Plateau

This is not about microplastics — it is a soil science study examining how different land use patterns in Chinese karst plateau wetlands affect soil aggregate stability and erosion rates.

2024 Forests 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Soil mesofauna alter the balance between stochastic and deterministic processes in the plastisphere during microbial succession

Researchers investigated how soil mesofauna influence microbial community assembly on plastic debris in soil, finding that soil fauna shift the balance between stochastic and deterministic processes in plastisphere microbiome succession.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactions between Sugarcane Leaf Return and Fertilizer Reduction in Soil Bacterial Network in Southern China Red Soil

This study examined how combinations of sugarcane leaf return and fertilizer reduction affect soil bacterial communities, finding that residue management significantly shapes microbial diversity and functional guilds involved in nutrient cycling.

2024 Microorganisms 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Culturomics and Amplicon-Based Metagenomic Insights into the Bacteria of Soils with High Yield of Oryza sativa L. subsp. Japonica

Researchers used culturomics and amplicon-based metagenomics to characterise bacterial communities in rhizosphere and bulk soils of high-yield Oryza sativa japonica paddy fields, identifying the microorganisms contributing to rice growth adaptability. The combined approach revealed the taxonomic composition and functional potential of the bacterial community in the paddy field agroecosystem.

2023 Agronomy 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Soil-Microbial CNP Content and Ecological Stoichiometry Characteristics of Typical Broad-Leaved Tree Communities in Fanjing Mountain in Spring

This paper is not about microplastics; it examines soil microbial carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus stoichiometry across four subtropical forest types in Fanjing Mountain, China, to understand nutrient cycling and microbial nutrient limitations.

2024 Diversity 3 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi attenuate negative impact of drought on soil functions

A meta-analysis combined with greenhouse experiments demonstrated that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi promote soil aggregation, microbial biomass, and nutrient-cycling enzyme activity, effectively buffering soil functions against drought. This protective effect is relevant to microplastic concerns because soil health is increasingly threatened by plastic pollution, and understanding natural soil defense mechanisms is important for protecting agricultural ecosystems.

2024 Global Change Biology 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Effects on Soil Aggregation in Sterilized and Non‐Sterilized Soils

Researchers tested how microplastics affect soil aggregation in both sterilized and biologically active soils, finding that microplastic effects on aggregate stability were strongly mediated by the presence of soil microorganisms. Biologically active soils showed different responses than sterile soils, highlighting the role of the soil microbiome.

2024 Land Degradation and Development
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Influence Dissolved Organic Matter Transformation Mediated by Microbiomes in Soil Aggregates

Researchers conducted a 450-day experiment to study how microplastics alter the transformation of dissolved organic matter within soil aggregates, a process critical for soil stability and fertility. They found that microplastics destabilized organic matter in larger soil clumps while increasing its chemical complexity in smaller ones, with biodegradable plastics having the strongest effects. These changes were driven by shifts in microbial communities, suggesting that microplastic pollution could fundamentally alter how carbon cycles through agricultural soils.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of different sizes of polystyrene micro(nano)plastics on soil microbial communities.

This study tested how polystyrene micro- and nanoplastic particles of three sizes affect soil microbial communities and nutrient cycling, finding that smaller particles caused greater disruption to nitrogen cycling and microbial activity. The results suggest that as plastics in soil fragment into smaller pieces over time, their impact on soil biology and fertility may worsen.

2023 NanoImpact
Article Tier 2

Optimizing Microbial Composition in Soil Macroaggregates Enhances Nitrogen Supply Through Long-Term Straw Return

Despite its title referencing soil nitrogen and straw return, this paper studies how long-term agricultural straw incorporation affects microbial communities and nitrogen cycling within soil aggregates — not microplastic pollution. It examines bacterial and fungal biodiversity changes in soil over 13 years and is not relevant to microplastics or human health.

2025 Agronomy 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Can Inhibit Organic Carbon Mineralization by Influencing Soil Aggregate Distribution and Microbial Community Structure in Cultivated Soil: Evidence from a One-Year Pot Experiment

Researchers conducted a one-year pot experiment to study how different types and concentrations of microplastics affect soil carbon cycling and aggregate stability. They found that microplastics significantly altered soil aggregate size distribution and decreased organic carbon mineralization rates regardless of polymer type. The study suggests that microplastic contamination may slow the natural breakdown of organic carbon in agricultural soils by changing soil structure and microbial communities.

2024 Agronomy 18 citations