Soil heterogeneity in the horizontal distribution of microplastics influences productivity and species composition of plant communities
Contamination of soils by microplastics can have profound ecological impacts on terrestrial ecosystems and has received increasing attention. However, few studies have considered the impacts of soil microplastics on plant communities and none has tested the impacts of spatial heterogeneity in the ho...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Plant Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.1075007/full |
| _version_ | 1811177947348860928 |
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| author | Xiao-Mei Zhang Xiao-Xiao Cao Xiao-Xiao Cao Lin-Xuan He Wei Xue Jun-Qin Gao Ning-Fei Lei Jin-Song Chen Fei-Hai Yu Mai-He Li |
| author_facet | Xiao-Mei Zhang Xiao-Xiao Cao Xiao-Xiao Cao Lin-Xuan He Wei Xue Jun-Qin Gao Ning-Fei Lei Jin-Song Chen Fei-Hai Yu Mai-He Li |
| author_sort | Xiao-Mei Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Contamination of soils by microplastics can have profound ecological impacts on terrestrial ecosystems and has received increasing attention. However, few studies have considered the impacts of soil microplastics on plant communities and none has tested the impacts of spatial heterogeneity in the horizontal distribution of microplastics in the soil on plant communities. We grew experimental plant communities in soils with either a homogeneous or a heterogeneous distribution of each of six common microplastics, i.e., polystyrene foam (EPS), polyethylene fiber (PET), polyethylene bead (HDPE), polypropylene fiber (PP), polylactic bead (PLA) and polyamide bead (PA6). The heterogeneous treatment consisted of two soil patches without microplastics and two with a higher (0.2%) concentration of microplastics, and the homogeneous treatment consisted of four patches all with a lower (0.1%) concentration of microplastics. Thus, the total amounts of microplastics in the soils were exactly the same in the two treatments. Total and root biomass of the plant communities were significantly higher in the homogeneous than in the heterogeneous treatment when the microplastic was PET and PP, smaller when it was PLA, but not different when it was EPS, HDPE or PA6. In the heterogeneous treatment, total and root biomass were significantly smaller in the patches with than without microplastics when the microplastic was EPS, but greater when the microplastic was PET or PP. Additionally, in the heterogeneous treatment, root biomass was significantly smaller in the patches with than without microplastics when the microplastic was HDPE, and shoot biomass was also significantly smaller when the microplastic was EPS or PET. The heterogeneous distribution of EPS in the soil significantly decreased community evenness, but the heterogeneous distribution of PET increased it. We conclude that soil heterogeneity in the horizontal distribution of microplastics can influence productivity and species composition of plant communities, but such an effect varies depending on microplastic chemical composition (types) and morphology (shapes). |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T06:09:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-937827ce2e114d2ca0c22b8427dee61b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-462X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T06:09:53Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Plant Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-937827ce2e114d2ca0c22b8427dee61b2022-12-22T04:41:18ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2022-12-011310.3389/fpls.2022.10750071075007Soil heterogeneity in the horizontal distribution of microplastics influences productivity and species composition of plant communitiesXiao-Mei Zhang0Xiao-Xiao Cao1Xiao-Xiao Cao2Lin-Xuan He3Wei Xue4Jun-Qin Gao5Ning-Fei Lei6Jin-Song Chen7Fei-Hai Yu8Mai-He Li9Institute of Wetland Ecology & Clone Ecology, Taizhou University, Taizhou, ChinaInstitute of Wetland Ecology & Clone Ecology, Taizhou University, Taizhou, ChinaCollege of Ecology and Environment, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, ChinaInstitute of Wetland Ecology & Clone Ecology, Taizhou University, Taizhou, ChinaInstitute of Wetland Ecology & Clone Ecology, Taizhou University, Taizhou, ChinaSchool of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, ChinaCollege of Ecology and Environment, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, ChinaCollege of Life Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, ChinaInstitute of Wetland Ecology & Clone Ecology, Taizhou University, Taizhou, ChinaSwiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Birmensdorf, SwitzerlandContamination of soils by microplastics can have profound ecological impacts on terrestrial ecosystems and has received increasing attention. However, few studies have considered the impacts of soil microplastics on plant communities and none has tested the impacts of spatial heterogeneity in the horizontal distribution of microplastics in the soil on plant communities. We grew experimental plant communities in soils with either a homogeneous or a heterogeneous distribution of each of six common microplastics, i.e., polystyrene foam (EPS), polyethylene fiber (PET), polyethylene bead (HDPE), polypropylene fiber (PP), polylactic bead (PLA) and polyamide bead (PA6). The heterogeneous treatment consisted of two soil patches without microplastics and two with a higher (0.2%) concentration of microplastics, and the homogeneous treatment consisted of four patches all with a lower (0.1%) concentration of microplastics. Thus, the total amounts of microplastics in the soils were exactly the same in the two treatments. Total and root biomass of the plant communities were significantly higher in the homogeneous than in the heterogeneous treatment when the microplastic was PET and PP, smaller when it was PLA, but not different when it was EPS, HDPE or PA6. In the heterogeneous treatment, total and root biomass were significantly smaller in the patches with than without microplastics when the microplastic was EPS, but greater when the microplastic was PET or PP. Additionally, in the heterogeneous treatment, root biomass was significantly smaller in the patches with than without microplastics when the microplastic was HDPE, and shoot biomass was also significantly smaller when the microplastic was EPS or PET. The heterogeneous distribution of EPS in the soil significantly decreased community evenness, but the heterogeneous distribution of PET increased it. We conclude that soil heterogeneity in the horizontal distribution of microplastics can influence productivity and species composition of plant communities, but such an effect varies depending on microplastic chemical composition (types) and morphology (shapes).https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.1075007/fullenvironmental heterogeneityexperimental plant communitiesforaging responsemicroplastic heterogeneitysoil microplastics |
| spellingShingle | Xiao-Mei Zhang Xiao-Xiao Cao Xiao-Xiao Cao Lin-Xuan He Wei Xue Jun-Qin Gao Ning-Fei Lei Jin-Song Chen Fei-Hai Yu Mai-He Li Soil heterogeneity in the horizontal distribution of microplastics influences productivity and species composition of plant communities Frontiers in Plant Science environmental heterogeneity experimental plant communities foraging response microplastic heterogeneity soil microplastics |
| title | Soil heterogeneity in the horizontal distribution of microplastics influences productivity and species composition of plant communities |
| title_full | Soil heterogeneity in the horizontal distribution of microplastics influences productivity and species composition of plant communities |
| title_fullStr | Soil heterogeneity in the horizontal distribution of microplastics influences productivity and species composition of plant communities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Soil heterogeneity in the horizontal distribution of microplastics influences productivity and species composition of plant communities |
| title_short | Soil heterogeneity in the horizontal distribution of microplastics influences productivity and species composition of plant communities |
| title_sort | soil heterogeneity in the horizontal distribution of microplastics influences productivity and species composition of plant communities |
| topic | environmental heterogeneity experimental plant communities foraging response microplastic heterogeneity soil microplastics |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.1075007/full |
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