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Liu X, Tang N, Yang W, Chang J. Microplastics pollution in the soils of various land-use types along Sheshui River basin of Central China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 806:150620. [PMID: 34610399 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Very little information is now available about the occurrence of microplastics in the soils of various land-use types. In this study, 18 sampling sites with two soil layers were investigated for four different land-use types (grassland, dry land, paddy field, and plastic greenhouses) in Sheshui River basin of central China. The results demonstrated that the total abundance of microplastics in all sites lied within the range of 875 ± 229-6075 ± 865 n kg-1, and had an average value of 2522 ± 1276 n kg-1 ('n' being the number of microplastics). The abundance of microplastics in dry land had the highest value, whereas the greenhouse had the lowest value. There were no significant differences in the number of microplastics among the four land-use types. Except for four sites, no significant difference was observed in the abundance of microplastics between 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm layers. Fiber and fragment were the leading shapes of the microplastics along with brown color and the size of less than 1 mm. Combined with the site survey, the potential sources of microplastics in the studied region were mainly the wastewater irrigation, application of organic fertilizer, and plastic mulching film. Multivariate analysis and principal component analysis demonstrated that the carbon and nitrogen in soil samples were positively correlated with the abundance of microplastics, whereas a significantly negative correlation was observed between the soil δ13C and the abundance of microplastics. It was inferred that the transformation and degradation of aging microplastics were primarily associated with the turnover of soil's carbon and nitrogen. The results of the current study contribute towards an in-depth understanding of the level of microplastics pollution for various land-use types and corresponding policy-making regarding the management of microplastics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoning Liu
- Institute of HydroEcology, State Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Water System Science for Sponge City Construction, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
| | - Na Tang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Wanggan Yang
- Department of Public Policy, Nelson Mandela College of Government & Social Sciences, Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, LA 70813, USA
| | - Jianbo Chang
- Institute of HydroEcology, State Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Water System Science for Sponge City Construction, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
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Trouvé R, Drapela T, Frank T, Hadacek F, Zaller JG. Herbivory of an invasive slug in a model grassland community can be affected by earthworms and mycorrhizal fungi. BIOLOGY AND FERTILITY OF SOILS 2013; 50:13-23. [PMID: 26069356 PMCID: PMC4459544 DOI: 10.1007/s00374-013-0827-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2013] [Revised: 05/17/2013] [Accepted: 05/30/2013] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Invasion of non-native species is among the top threats for the biodiversity and functioning of native and agricultural ecosystems worldwide. We investigated whether the herbivory of the slug Arion vulgaris (formerly Arion lusitanicus; Gastropoda), that is listed among the 100 worst alien species in Europe, is affected by soil organisms commonly present in terrestrial ecosystems (i.e. earthworms-Annelida: Lumbricidae and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi-AMF, Glomerales). We hypothesized that slug herbivory would be affected by soil organisms via altered plant nutrient availability and plant quality. In a greenhouse experiment, we created a simple plant community consisting of a grass, a forb, and a legume species and inoculated these systems with either two earthworm species and/or four AMF taxa. Slugs were introduced after plants were established. Earthworms significantly reduced total slug herbivory in AMF-inoculated plant communities (P = 0.013). Across plant species, earthworms increased leaf total N and secondary metabolites, AMF decreased leaf thickness. Mycorrhizae induced a shift in slug feeding preference from non-legumes to legumes; the grass was generally avoided by slugs. AMF effects on legume herbivory can partly be explained by the AMF-induced increase in total N and decrease in C/N ratio; earthworm effects are less clear as no worm-induced alterations of legume plant chemistry were observed. The presence of earthworms increased average AMF colonization of plant roots by 140 % (P < 0.001). Total shoot mass was significantly increased by AMF (P < 0.001). These data suggest that the feeding behavior of this invasive slug is altered by a belowground control of plant chemical quality and community structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphaël Trouvé
- Institute of Zoology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Gregor Mendel Straße 33, 1180 Vienna, Austria
- Agro Paris Tech, Paris Institute of Technology for Life, Food and Environmental Sciences, 14 rue Girardet, CS 14216, 54042 Nancy, France
| | - Thomas Drapela
- Institute of Zoology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Gregor Mendel Straße 33, 1180 Vienna, Austria
- Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL Austria), Seidengasse 33-35/13, 1070 Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Frank
- Institute of Zoology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Gregor Mendel Straße 33, 1180 Vienna, Austria
| | - Franz Hadacek
- Albrecht-von-Haller Institute, Plant Biochemistry, Georg-August-University of Göttingen, Justus-von-Liebig Weg 11, 370077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Johann G. Zaller
- Institute of Zoology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Gregor Mendel Straße 33, 1180 Vienna, Austria
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Zaller JG, Wechselberger KF, Gorfer M, Hann P, Frank T, Wanek W, Drapela T. Subsurface earthworm casts can be important soil microsites specifically influencing the growth of grassland plants. BIOLOGY AND FERTILITY OF SOILS 2013; 49:1097-1107. [PMID: 26069355 PMCID: PMC4459550 DOI: 10.1007/s00374-013-0808-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2012] [Revised: 04/03/2013] [Accepted: 04/08/2013] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Earthworms (Annelida: Oligochaeta) deposit several tons per hectare of casts enriched in nutrients and/or arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and create a spatial and temporal soil heterogeneity that can play a role in structuring plant communities. However, while we begin to understand the role of surface casts, it is still unclear to what extent plants utilize subsurface casts. We conducted a greenhouse experiment using large mesocosms (volume 45 l) to test whether (1) soil microsites consisting of earthworm casts with or without AMF (four Glomus taxa) affect the biomass production of 11 grassland plant species comprising the three functional groups grasses, forbs, and legumes, (2) different ecological groups of earthworms (soil dwellers-Aporrectodea caliginosa vs. vertical burrowers-Lumbricus terrestris) alter potential influences of soil microsites (i.e., four earthworms × two subsurface microsites × two AMF treatments). Soil microsites were artificially inserted in a 25-cm depth, and afterwards, plant species were sown in a regular pattern; the experiment ran for 6 months. Our results show that minute amounts of subsurface casts (0.89 g kg-1 soil) decreased the shoot and root production of forbs and legumes, but not that of grasses. The presence of earthworms reduced root biomass of grasses only. Our data also suggest that subsurface casts provide microsites from which root AMF colonization can start. Ecological groups of earthworms did not differ in their effects on plant production or AMF distribution. Taken together, these findings suggest that subsurface earthworm casts might play a role in structuring plant communities by specifically affecting the growth of certain functional groups of plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johann G. Zaller
- Institute of Zoology, Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Gregor Mendel Straße 33, 1180 Vienna, Austria
| | - Katharina F. Wechselberger
- Institute of Zoology, Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Gregor Mendel Straße 33, 1180 Vienna, Austria
- Bio Forschung Austria, Eßlinger Hauptstraße 132-134, 1220 Vienna, Austria
| | - Markus Gorfer
- Department of Applied Genetics und Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Patrick Hann
- Bio Forschung Austria, Eßlinger Hauptstraße 132-134, 1220 Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Frank
- Institute of Zoology, Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Gregor Mendel Straße 33, 1180 Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Wanek
- Department of Terrestrial Ecosystem Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Drapela
- Institute of Zoology, Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Gregor Mendel Straße 33, 1180 Vienna, Austria
- Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Seidengasse 33-35, 1070 Vienna, Austria
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Zaller JG, Heigl F, Grabmaier A, Lichtenegger C, Piller K, Allabashi R, Frank T, Drapela T. Earthworm-mycorrhiza interactions can affect the diversity, structure and functioning of establishing model grassland communities. PLoS One 2011; 6:e29293. [PMID: 22216236 PMCID: PMC3247237 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0029293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2011] [Accepted: 11/24/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Both earthworms and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are important ecosystem engineers co-occurring in temperate grasslands. However, their combined impacts during grassland establishment are poorly understood and have never been studied. We used large mesocosms to study the effects of different functional groups of earthworms (i.e., vertically burrowing anecics vs. horizontally burrowing endogeics) and a mix of four AMF taxa on the establishment, diversity and productivity of plant communities after a simulated seed rain of 18 grassland species comprising grasses, non-leguminous forbs and legumes. Moreover, effects of earthworms and/or AMF on water infiltration and leaching of ammonium, nitrate and phosphate were determined after a simulated extreme rainfall event (40 l m(-2)). AMF colonisation of all three plant functional groups was altered by earthworms. Seedling emergence and diversity was reduced by anecic earthworms, however only when AMF were present. Plant density was decreased in AMF-free mesocosms when both anecic and endogeic earthworms were active; with AMF also anecics reduced plant density. Plant shoot and root biomass was only affected by earthworms in AMF-free mesocosms: shoot biomass increased due to the activity of either anecics or endogeics; root biomass increased only when anecics were active. Water infiltration increased when earthworms were present in the mesocosms but remained unaffected by AMF. Ammonium leaching was increased only when anecics or a mixed earthworm community was active but was unaffected by AMF; nitrate and phosphate leaching was neither affected by earthworms nor AMF. Ammonium leaching decreased with increasing plant density, nitrate leaching decreased with increasing plant diversity and density. In order to understand the underlying processes of these interactions further investigations possibly under field conditions using more diverse belowground communities are required. Nevertheless, this study demonstrates that belowground-aboveground linkages involving earthworms and AMF are important mediators of the diversity, structure and functioning of plant communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johann G Zaller
- Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, Institute of Zoology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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