Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Effects of three coniferous plantation species on plant‐soil feedbacks and soil physical and chemical properties in semi‐arid mountain ecosystems

Researchers compared how three coniferous tree species (larch, spruce, and pine) affect soil nutrients and water retention in semi-arid mountain forests, finding that larch and spruce significantly outperform pine by improving soil carbon cycling, nutrient availability, and water storage capacity. The study recommends larch and spruce as preferred species for afforestation projects in water-stressed mountain regions.

2021 Forest Ecosystems 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Soil Physico-chemical Properties in a Selectively Logged Forest at Gunung Rara Forest Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia

This paper is not relevant to microplastics research — it examines how different logging methods (supervised versus conventional) affect soil physical and chemical properties in a tropical rainforest reserve in Malaysia.

2023 Journal of Sustainability Science and Management 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Above- and below-ground links mediated by arboreal ants and host tree modify soil aggregation scaling, infiltration, and chemistry

This ecological study examined how arboreal ants and tree species indirectly influence soil structure, water infiltration, and chemistry through above-belowground interactions. The study is focused on soil ecology and is not directly related to microplastic research.

2023
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 Crop Health 8 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 Frontiers in Microbiology 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodiversity in mountain soils above the treeline

Not relevant to microplastics — this paper reviews biodiversity gaps in high-altitude mountain soils, covering microorganisms, fungi, and invertebrates, and identifies major geographic and taxonomic blind spots in soil ecology research, with no connection to plastic pollution.

2023 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbial Community and Enzyme Activity of Forest Plantation, Natural Forests, and Agricultural Land in Chilean Coastal Cordillera Soils

This paper is not relevant to microplastics; it investigates how converting native forests to plantations and cropland affects soil microbial communities and enzyme activity in Chile.

2023 Forests 6 citations
Article Tier 2

A 10-Year Monitoring of Soil Properties Dynamics and Soil Fertility Evaluation in Chinese Hickory Plantation Regions of Southeastern China

A 10-year soil monitoring study in Chinese hickory plantations found that intensive agricultural management caused significant changes in soil chemistry and fertility over time. While not directly about microplastics, understanding soil health in managed agricultural landscapes is relevant to assessing microplastic accumulation in farmland soils.

2021 Research Square (Research Square) 2 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

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.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Appraisal of Microplastics in Forest Ecosystem - Sources, Migration and Mitigation

This review examines microplastic pollution in forest ecosystems, discussing sources including atmospheric deposition and agricultural runoff, mechanisms of migration through soil and water, impacts on forest biodiversity and soil health, and potential mitigation strategies.

2023 Environmental Engineering and Management Journal
Article Tier 2

Effect of Grazing and Mowing on SoilPhysiochemical Properties in a Semi-AridGrassland of Northeast China

This paper is not about microplastics; it is a soil science study comparing the effects of grazing versus mowing on soil moisture, bulk density, electrical conductivity, pH, and nutrient concentrations in a semi-arid grassland in northeast China.

2023 Polish Journal of Environmental Studies 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Soil horizons regulate bacterial community structure and functions in Dabie Mountain of the East China

This paper is not relevant to microplastics research — it examines how soil horizon depth influences bacterial community structure and nutrient cycling functions in mountain forest soils.

2023 Scientific Reports 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Mycorrhizal-specific responses of rhizosphere soil properties and fine-root traits to polystyrene microplastic addition in a temperate mixed forest

Researchers added polystyrene microplastics to a temperate forest and found they disrupted nutrient cycling differently depending on tree type — increasing nitrogen but decreasing phosphorus near oak-type trees, and doing the opposite near maple-type trees — suggesting microplastic pollution could reshape forest ecosystems over time.

2026 Communications Earth & Environment
Article Tier 2

Artificial particles and soil communities interactively change heterospecific plant-soil feedbacks

Researchers conducted a two-phase greenhouse experiment to test how microplastics and glass particles affect plant-soil feedbacks (PSFs) involving three plant species under intact and initially depleted soil communities, finding that particle addition generally increased PSF strength based on plant biomass. Effects were stronger in the depleted soil community, indicating that microplastics interact with soil biota to modulate how plants influence one another through soil pathways.

2024
Article Tier 2

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.

2025 Environmental Pollution 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in soil affect the growth and physiological characteristics of Chinese fir and Phoebe bournei seedlings

Pot experiments with tree seedlings showed that high concentrations of polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics in soil suppressed plant growth by reducing chlorophyll levels, weakening antioxidant defenses, and lowering key nutrients in leaves. Lower concentrations of polyethylene actually had some positive effects, suggesting the impacts depend on dose and plastic type. These findings are relevant to understanding how microplastic-contaminated soils could affect forestry and reforestation efforts.

2024 Environmental Pollution 23 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2022 Ecosystem Health and Sustainability 51 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
Article Tier 2

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.

2022 Frontiers in Plant Science 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Responses of Physiological, Morphological and Anatomical Traits to Abiotic Stress in Woody Plants

This review examines how trees and woody plants respond to environmental stresses including drought, flooding, extreme temperatures, heavy metals, and microplastics. Microplastics in soil can disrupt water transport and nutrient uptake in trees, potentially affecting forest health and the broader ecosystem. The effects of combined stresses, such as microplastics plus drought, are not simply additive and need further study.

2023 Forests 72 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessing the Effects of Conservation Measures on Soil Erosion in Arasbaran Forests Using RUSLE

This paper is not relevant to microplastics research — it assesses how conservation measures and vegetation cover affect soil erosion in protected forests in Iran.

2023 Forests 7 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2020 22 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2019 Environmental Science & Technology 1910 citations