Microbial community shifts drive biodegradable microplastic inhibition of seed germination in plateau wetlands
This study elucidates the mechanistic role of microplastic (MPs)-induced microbial shifts in suppressing soil seed bank functionality within plateau wetlands. A greenhouse soil pot experiment was designed to examine the impact of varying MPs particle sizes and concentrations. The findings revealed t...
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Elsevier
2025-09-01
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| Series: | Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014765132501022X |
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| author | Hong Xiang Jia-Xian Luo Hao-Ran Bao Xiao-Long Sun Hao-Qin Xiong |
| author_facet | Hong Xiang Jia-Xian Luo Hao-Ran Bao Xiao-Long Sun Hao-Qin Xiong |
| author_sort | Hong Xiang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study elucidates the mechanistic role of microplastic (MPs)-induced microbial shifts in suppressing soil seed bank functionality within plateau wetlands. A greenhouse soil pot experiment was designed to examine the impact of varying MPs particle sizes and concentrations. The findings revealed that the group treated with biodegradable MPs (polybutylene succinate-PBS) exhibited the most potent inhibition of seed germination. Specifically, treatments with polyethylene-PE yielded a minimum of 54 seedlings, contrasting sharply with the PBS group, which produced only 24 seedlings under comparable conditions. Dominant germinating species (Poaceae/Cyperaceae) declined sharply under PBS exposure. Echinochloa caudata germination fell to fewer than 20 seedlings (vs. 30 under PE), while species richness dropped to 7–9 species (vs. 10–15 under PE). Soil chemical properties, notably total nitrogen, nitrate-nitrogen, and soil organic carbon, experienced significant changes. These alterations in soil chemistry had a cascading effect on the composition of germinating species. In the MPs treatment groups, abundance of Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes bacteria increased. Multivariate analyses using nonmetric multidimensional scaling and linear discriminant analysis effect size demonstrated that biodegradable MPs exerted a more substantial influence on microbial community structure, thus altering the species composition of the seed bank. Mantel tests further indicated a significant correlation between changes in microbial community structure and the prevalence of dominant plant families, particularly Poaceae and Cyperaceae. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 0147-6513 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
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| series | Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety |
| spelling | doaj-art-42f220d6bce94f09a3d6b58a855f1f2f2025-07-13T04:53:32ZengElsevierEcotoxicology and Environmental Safety0147-65132025-09-01302118677Microbial community shifts drive biodegradable microplastic inhibition of seed germination in plateau wetlandsHong Xiang0Jia-Xian Luo1Hao-Ran Bao2Xiao-Long Sun3Hao-Qin Xiong4Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plateau Wetland Conservation, Restoration and Ecological Services, College of Ecology and Environment, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China; National Plateau Wetlands Research Center, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, ChinaKunming Appraisal Center for Ecological Environment and Engineering, ChinaYunnan Key Laboratory of Plateau Wetland Conservation, Restoration and Ecological Services, College of Ecology and Environment, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China; National Plateau Wetlands Research Center, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, ChinaYunnan Key Laboratory of Plateau Wetland Conservation, Restoration and Ecological Services, College of Ecology and Environment, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China; National Plateau Wetlands Research Center, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China; Corresponding authors at: Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plateau Wetland Conservation, Restoration and Ecological Services, College of Ecology and Environment, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China.Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plateau Wetland Conservation, Restoration and Ecological Services, College of Ecology and Environment, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China; National Plateau Wetlands Research Center, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China; Corresponding authors at: Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plateau Wetland Conservation, Restoration and Ecological Services, College of Ecology and Environment, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China.This study elucidates the mechanistic role of microplastic (MPs)-induced microbial shifts in suppressing soil seed bank functionality within plateau wetlands. A greenhouse soil pot experiment was designed to examine the impact of varying MPs particle sizes and concentrations. The findings revealed that the group treated with biodegradable MPs (polybutylene succinate-PBS) exhibited the most potent inhibition of seed germination. Specifically, treatments with polyethylene-PE yielded a minimum of 54 seedlings, contrasting sharply with the PBS group, which produced only 24 seedlings under comparable conditions. Dominant germinating species (Poaceae/Cyperaceae) declined sharply under PBS exposure. Echinochloa caudata germination fell to fewer than 20 seedlings (vs. 30 under PE), while species richness dropped to 7–9 species (vs. 10–15 under PE). Soil chemical properties, notably total nitrogen, nitrate-nitrogen, and soil organic carbon, experienced significant changes. These alterations in soil chemistry had a cascading effect on the composition of germinating species. In the MPs treatment groups, abundance of Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes bacteria increased. Multivariate analyses using nonmetric multidimensional scaling and linear discriminant analysis effect size demonstrated that biodegradable MPs exerted a more substantial influence on microbial community structure, thus altering the species composition of the seed bank. Mantel tests further indicated a significant correlation between changes in microbial community structure and the prevalence of dominant plant families, particularly Poaceae and Cyperaceae.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014765132501022XSoil seed bankMicroplasticsPlateau wetlandMicrobial community |
| spellingShingle | Hong Xiang Jia-Xian Luo Hao-Ran Bao Xiao-Long Sun Hao-Qin Xiong Microbial community shifts drive biodegradable microplastic inhibition of seed germination in plateau wetlands Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Soil seed bank Microplastics Plateau wetland Microbial community |
| title | Microbial community shifts drive biodegradable microplastic inhibition of seed germination in plateau wetlands |
| title_full | Microbial community shifts drive biodegradable microplastic inhibition of seed germination in plateau wetlands |
| title_fullStr | Microbial community shifts drive biodegradable microplastic inhibition of seed germination in plateau wetlands |
| title_full_unstemmed | Microbial community shifts drive biodegradable microplastic inhibition of seed germination in plateau wetlands |
| title_short | Microbial community shifts drive biodegradable microplastic inhibition of seed germination in plateau wetlands |
| title_sort | microbial community shifts drive biodegradable microplastic inhibition of seed germination in plateau wetlands |
| topic | Soil seed bank Microplastics Plateau wetland Microbial community |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014765132501022X |
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