Microplastics are increasingly recognized as a factor of global change. By altering soil inherent properties and processes, ripple-on effects on plants and their symbionts can be expected. Additionally, interactions with other factors of global change, such as drought, can influence the effect of microplastics. We designed a greenhouse study to examine effects of polyester microfibers, arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and drought on plant, microbial and soil responses. We found that polyester microfibers increased the aboveground biomass of Allium cepa under well-watered and drought conditions, but under drought conditions the AM fungal-only treatment reached the highest biomass. Colonization with AM fungi increased under microfiber contamination, however, plant biomass did not increase when both AM fungi and fibers were present. The mean weight diameter of soil aggregates increased with AM fungal inoculation overall but decreased when the system was contaminated with microfibers or drought stressed. Our study adds additional support to the mounting evidence that microplastic fibers in soil can affect the plant-soil system by promoting plant growth, and favoring key root symbionts, AM fungi. Although soil aggregation is usually positively influenced by plant roots and AM fungi, and microplastic promotes both, our results show that plastic still had a negative effect on soil aggregates. Even though there are concerns that microplastic might interact with other factors of global change, our study revealed no such effect for drought.
", "keywords": ["0301 basic medicine", "2. Zero hunger", "570", "Organic matter decomposition", "Drought", "Microplastic", "Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi", "500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik::570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie::570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie", "Root traits", "15. Life on land", "01 natural sciences", "6. Clean water", "03 medical and health sciences", "13. Climate action", "Soil aggregation", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s42832-020-0060-4.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.1007/s42832-020-0060-4"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Soil%20Ecology%20Letters", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1007/s42832-020-0060-4", "name": "item", "description": "10.1007/s42832-020-0060-4", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1007/s42832-020-0060-4"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2020-11-02T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1016/j.geoderma.2011.06.014", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-31T06:57:12Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2011-07-23", "title": "Tillage Practices Of A Clay Loam Soil Affect Soil Aggregation And Associated C And P Concentrations", "description": "article i nfo Under long-term cultivation, greater accumulations of soil organic matter (SOM) and phosphorus (P) are found in the surface soil layer under no-till (NT) versus mouldboard ploughing (MP) practices. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of NT and MP practices on concomitant SOM and P distribution and sorption characteristics among water-stable aggregates and non-aggregated particles. The study was conducted in Quebec, Canada, as part of a long-term corn and soybean rotation experiment (established since 1992) on a clay loam soil of the St-Blaise series (Dark Grey Gleysol). Soil samples were collected in the fall of 2007 in the 0-5 cm layer from plots under NT and MP receiving 35 kg P ha -1 and 160 kg N ha -1 . Samples were separated into three water-stable aggregate-sized classes (macro, 2000-250 \u03bcm; meso, 250-180 \u03bcm; micro, 180- 53 \u03bcm) and (silt+clay)-sized particles (b53 \u03bcm) using wet-sieving. Macro aggregates made up 60.2 and 48.5% of total soil weight under NT and MP, respectively. In wet-sieved soils from NT plots, water-extractable P (Pw) concentration increased in the order (silt+clay)-sized particlesbmicro-bmeso-bmacro-aggregates; under MP, micro-, meso-, and macro-aggregate fractions had the same Pw concentration, while the (silt+clay)- sized particles showed the lowest Pw concentration. The hierarchy observed among aggregate-sized classes", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "ORGANIC CARBON", "[SDV.EE] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology", " environment", "SOL ARGILO-LIMONEUX", "MOULDBOARD PLOUGHING", "SOIL AGGREGATION", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "NO TILL", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "PHOSPHORUS DYNAMICS", "15. Life on land", "6. Clean water"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2011.06.014"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Geoderma", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1016/j.geoderma.2011.06.014", "name": "item", "description": "10.1016/j.geoderma.2011.06.014", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1016/j.geoderma.2011.06.014"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2011-09-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1016/j.geoderma.2012.10.022", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-31T06:57:13Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2012-11-17", "title": "Soil Aggregation And Organic Carbon Protection In A No-Tillage Chronosequence Under Mediterranean Conditions", "description": "Open AccessPeer reviewed", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Soil organic carbon", "Soil aggregation", "Chronosequence", "No-tillage", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "Semiarid system"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2012.10.022"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Geoderma", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1016/j.geoderma.2012.10.022", "name": "item", "description": "10.1016/j.geoderma.2012.10.022", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1016/j.geoderma.2012.10.022"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2013-02-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.03.027", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Closed Access", "updated": "2026-05-31T06:57:34Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2015-03-13", "title": "Tillage And Crop Residue Management Methods Had Minor Effects On The Stock And Stabilization Of Topsoil Carbon In A 30-Year Field Experiment", "description": "We studied the effects of tillage and straw management on soil aggregation and soil carbon sequestration in a 30-year split-plot experiment on clay soil in southern Finland. The experimental plots were under conventional or reduced tillage with straw retained, removed or burnt. Wet sieving was done to study organic carbon and soil composition divided in four fractions: 1) large macroaggregates, 2) small macroaggregates, 3) microaggregates and 4) silt and clay. To further estimate the stability of carbon in the soil, coarse particulate organic matter, microaggregates and silt and clay were isolated from the macroaggregates. Total carbon stock in the topsoil (equivalent to 200 kg m(-2)) was slightly lower under reduced tillage (5.0 kg m(-2)) than under conventional tillage (5.2 kg m(-2)). Reduced tillage changed the soil composition by increasing the percentage of macroaggregates and decreasing the percentage of microaggregates. There was no evidence of differences in the composition of the macroaggregates or carbon content in the macroaggregate-occluded fractions. However, due to the higher total amount of macroaggregates in the soil, more carbon was bound to the macroaggregate-occluded microaggregates in reduced tillage. Compared with plowed soil, the density of deep burrowing earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris) was considerably higher under reduced tillage and positively associated with the percentage of large macroaggregates. The total amount of microbial biomass carbon did not differ between the treatments. Straw management did not have discernible effects either on soil aggregation or soil carbon stock. We conclude that although reduced tillage can improve clay soil structure, generally the chances to increase topsoil carbon sequestration by reduced tillage or straw management practices appear limited in cereal monoculture systems of the boreal region. This may be related to the already high C content of soils, the precipitation level favoring decomposition and aggregate turnover in the winter with topsoil frost.", "keywords": ["lierot", "olki", "hiili", "01 natural sciences", "630", "soil aggregation", "kevennetty maanmuokkaus", "soil carbon", "particulate organic matter", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences", "2. Zero hunger", "maaper\u00e4", "stubble management", "reduced tillage", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "viljelymaa", "ta4111", "15. Life on land", "kasvinviljely", "13. Climate action", "microbial biomass carbon", "mikro-organismit", "maan rakenne", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Kasvintuotanto", "orgaaninen aines", "earthworm activity"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.03.027"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Science%20of%20The%20Total%20Environment", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.03.027", "name": "item", "description": "10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.03.027", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.03.027"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2015-06-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1016/j.still.2004.02.012", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Closed Access", "updated": "2026-05-31T06:57:52Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2004-04-09", "title": "Effects Of Compost, Mycorrhiza, Manure And Fertilizer On Some Physical Properties Of A Chromoxerert Soil", "description": "Abstract Addition of organic materials of various origins to soil has been one of the most common rehabilitation practices to improve soil physical properties. Mycorrhiza has been known to play a significant role in forming stable soil aggregates. In this study, a 5-year field experiment was conducted to explore the role of mycorrhizal inoculation and organic fertilizers on the alteration of physical properties of a semi-arid Mediterranean soil (Entic Chromoxerert, Arik clay-loam soil). From 1995 to 1999, wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.), pepper ( Capsicum annuum L.), maize ( Zea mays L.) and wheat were sequentially planted with one of five fertilizers: (1) control, (2) inorganic (160\u201326\u201383\u00a0kg N\u2013P\u2013K\u00a0ha \u22121 ), (3) compost at 25\u00a0t\u00a0ha \u22121 , (4) farm manure at 25\u00a0t\u00a0ha \u22121 and (5) mycorrhiza-inoculated compost at 10\u00a0t\u00a0ha \u22121 . Soil physical properties were significantly affected by organic fertilizers. For soil depths of 0\u201315 and 15\u201330\u00a0cm, mean weight diameter (MWD) was highest under the manure treatment while total porosity and saturated hydraulic conductivity were highest under the compost treatment. For a soil depth of 0\u201315\u00a0cm, the compost and manure-treated plots significantly decreased soil bulk density and increased soil organic matter concentration compared with other treatments. Compost and manure treatments increased available water content (AWC) of soils by 86 and 56%, respectively. The effect of inorganic fertilizer treatment on most soil physical properties was insignificant ( P >0.05) compared with the control. Mycorrhizal inoculation+compost was more effective in improving soil physical properties than the inorganic treatment. Organic fertilizer sources were shown to have major positive effects on soil physical properties.", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Soil organic matter", "Mineral fertilization", "Soil physical properties", "Compost", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "01 natural sciences", "6. Clean water", "Manure", "Soil aggregation", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Mycorrhiza", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Celik I., Ortas I., Kilic S.,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2004.02.012"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Soil%20and%20Tillage%20Research", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1016/j.still.2004.02.012", "name": "item", "description": "10.1016/j.still.2004.02.012", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1016/j.still.2004.02.012"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2004-07-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1016/j.still.2014.02.001", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "unspecified", "updated": "2026-05-31T06:58:00Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2014-03-26", "title": "Soil Quality Indicators In A Rhodic Paleudult Under Long Term Tillage Systems", "description": "Many investigations have focused in defining soil quality indicator components. However, for understanding better the impact of soil tillage systems on soil quality, a broader approach is demanded, with simultaneous soil attributes evaluations, by using multivariate analysis. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the long-term effect of two tillage systems on the soil C and N stocks in comparison to those of native grassland and to identify the most suitable soil attributes for characterizing soil quality. The experiment was established in 1988 at the Agronomic Experimental Station of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil. Treatments consisted of two tillage systems (no-tillage and conventional tillage) and a reference area under native grassland. Soil analysis was performed up to 20 cm. Soil organic matter, C and N, physical fractionation was performed and carbon management index calculated. Microbial biomass C and N was determined as well as soil aggregate stability. From soil aggregation, soil average diameters and mass were grouped, and classes determined to calculate mean weight diameter. After 18 years, conventionally tilled soil showed lower total C and N stocks in comparison to no-tilled soil, which did not differ from native grassland soil. Soil C stocks ranged from 44.3 to 34.1 Mg ha\u22121 for the native grassland and conventional tillage system and total nitrogen ranged from 5.2 to 4.1 Mg ha\u22121 for the native grassland and no-tillage system, in the 0\u201320 cm layer. Among the tested soil quality indicators, the microbial biomass-C, total and particulate C stocks, particulate C and N stocks, and mean weight diameter were the indexes that best indicated soil tillage system effects, and they are therefore recommended for future use in evaluating soil quality.", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Carbon management index", "Conventional tillage", "No tillage", "Soil aggregation", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "6. Clean water"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2014.02.001"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Soil%20and%20Tillage%20Research", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1016/j.still.2014.02.001", "name": "item", "description": "10.1016/j.still.2014.02.001", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1016/j.still.2014.02.001"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2014-06-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1016/j.still.2015.05.010", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-05-31T06:58:01Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2015-06-03", "title": "Beneficial Effects Of Reduced Tillage And Green Manure On Soil Aggregation And Stabilization Of Organic Carbon In A Mediterranean Agroecosystem", "description": "Abstract Semiarid Mediterranean agroecosystems need the implementation of sustainable land management (SLM) practices in order to maintain acceptable levels of soil organic matter (SOM). The application of SLM practices helps to maintain soil structure and physical-chemical protection of soil organic carbon (SOC), hence improving soil carbon sequestration and mitigating CO 2 emissions to the atmosphere. In an organic, rain-fed almond ( Prunus dulcis Mill., var. Ferragnes) orchard under reduced tillage (RT), as the habitual management practice during the 14 years immediately preceding the experiment, we studied the effect of two agricultural management practices on soil aggregate distribution and SOC stabilization after four years of implementation. The implemented practices were (1) reduced tillage with a mix of Vicia sativa L. and Avena sativa L. as green manure (RTG) and (2) no-tillage (NT). Four aggregate size classes were differentiated by wet sieving (large and small macroaggregates, microaggregates, and the silt plus clay fraction), and the microaggregates occluded within small macroaggregates (SMm) were isolated. In addition, three organic C fractions were separated within the small macroaggregates and microaggregates, using a density fractionation method: free light fraction (free LF-C), intra-aggregate particulate OM (iPOM-C), and organic C associated with the mineral fraction (mineral-C). The results show that the combination of reduced tillage plus green manure (RTG) was the most-efficient SLM practice for SOC sequestration. The total SOC increased by about 14% in the surface layer (0\u20135\u00a0cm depth) when compared to RT. Furthermore, green manure counteracted the effect of tillage on soil aggregate rupture. The plant residue inputs from green manure and their incorporation into the soil by reduced tillage promoted the formation of new aggregates and activated the subsequent physical-chemical protection of OC. The latter mechanism occurred mainly in the fine iPOM-C occluded within microaggregates and mineral-C occluded within small macroaggregates fractions, which together contributed to an increase of up to 30% in the OC concentration in the bulk soil. No-tillage favored the OC accumulation in the mineral-C within the small macroaggregates and in the fine iPOM-C occluded within microaggregates in the surface layer, and in the mineral-C occluded within the small macroaggregates and microaggregates at 5\u201315\u00a0cm depth, but four years of cessation of tillage were not enough to significantly increase the total OC in the bulk soil.", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Carbon sequestration | Rain-fed almond orchard | Semiarid agroecosystems | Soil aggregation | Soil organic carbon fractionation | Sustainable land management", "13. Climate action", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "6. Clean water"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2015.05.010"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Soil%20and%20Tillage%20Research", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1016/j.still.2015.05.010", "name": "item", "description": "10.1016/j.still.2015.05.010", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1016/j.still.2015.05.010"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2015-11-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1016/j.still.2016.08.012", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-31T06:58:02Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2016-08-23", "title": "Aggregate Size Distribution In A Biochar-Amended Tropical Ultisol Under Conventional Hand-Hoe Tillage", "description": "Biochar (or pyrogenic organic matter) is increasingly proposed as a soil amendment for improving fertility, carbon sequestration and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. However, little is known about its effects on aggregation, an important indicator of soil quality and functioning. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of Eucalyptus wood biochar (B, pyrolyzed at 550\u00a0\u00b0C, at 0 or 2.5\u00a0t\u00a0ha-1), green manure (T, from Tithonia diversifolia at 0, 2.5 or 5.0\u00a0t\u00a0ha-1) and mineral nitrogen (U, urea, at 0, or 120\u00a0kg\u00a0N\u00a0ha-1) on soil respiration, aggregate size distribution and SOC in these aggregate size fractions in a 2-year field experiment on a low-fertility Ultisol in western Kenya under conventional hand-hoe tillage. Air-dry 2-mm sieved soils were divided into four fractions by wet sieving: Large Macro-aggregates (LM; >1000\u00a0\u03bcm); Small Macro-aggregates (SM, 250-1000\u00a0\u03bcm); Micro-aggregates (M, 250-53\u00a0\u03bcm) and Silt\u00a0+\u00a0Clay (S\u00a0+\u00a0C,\u2009<\u00a053\u00a0\u03bcm). We found that biochar alone did not affect a mean weight diameter (MWD) but combined application with either T. diversifolia (BT) or urea (BU) increased MWD by 34\u00a0\u00b1\u00a05.2\u00a0\u03bcm (8%) and 55\u00a0\u00b1\u00a05.4\u00a0\u03bcm (13%), respectively, compared to the control (P\u00a0=\u00a00.023; n\u00a0=\u00a036). The B\u00a0+\u00a0T\u00a0+\u00a0U combination increased the proportion of the LM and SM by 7.0\u00a0\u00b1\u00a00.8%, but reduced the S\u00a0+\u00a0C fraction by 5.2\u00a0\u00b1\u00a00.23%. SOC was 30%, 25% and 23% in S\u00a0+\u00a0C,\u00a0M and LM/SM fractions, and increased by 9.6\u00a0\u00b1\u00a01.0, 5.7\u00a0\u00b1\u00a00.8, 6.3\u00a0\u00b1\u00a01.1 and 4.2\u00a0\u00b1\u00a00.9\u00a0g\u00a0kg-1 for LM, SM, M and S\u00a0+\u00a0C, respectively. MWD was not related to either soil respiration or soil moisture but decreased with higher SOC (R2 \u00a0=\u00a00.37, P\u00a0=\u00a00.014, n\u00a0=\u00a026) and increased with greater biomass production (R2 \u00a0=\u00a00.11, P\u00a0=\u00a00.045, n\u00a0=\u00a033). Our data suggest that within the timeframe of the study, biochar is stored predominantly as free particulate OC in the silt and clay fraction and promoted a movement of native SOC from larger-size aggregates to the smaller-sized fraction in the short-term (2 years).", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Soil organic carbon", "Soil Science", "Soil respiration", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "Hand-hoe tillage", "Article", "6. Clean water", "Biochar", "13. Climate action", "Soil aggregation", "Ultisol", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Agronomy and Crop Science", "Earth-Surface Processes"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2016.08.012"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Soil%20and%20Tillage%20Research", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1016/j.still.2016.08.012", "name": "item", "description": "10.1016/j.still.2016.08.012", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1016/j.still.2016.08.012"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2017-01-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1111/1365-2664.13839", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-05-31T06:59:21Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2021-01-19", "title": "Effects of microplastics and drought on soil ecosystem functions and multifunctionality", "description": "Abstract
Microplastics in soils have become an important threat for terrestrial systems as they may potentially alter the geochemical/biophysical soil environment and can interact with drought. As microplastics may affect soil water content, this could exacerbate the well\uffe2\uff80\uff90known negative effects of drought on ecosystem functionality. Thus, functions including litter decomposition, soil aggregation or those related with nutrient cycling can be altered. Despite this potential interaction, we know relatively little about how microplastics, under different soil water conditions, affect ecosystem functions and multifunctionality.
To address this gap, we performed an experiment using grassland plant communities growing in microcosms. Microplastic fibres (absent, present) and soil water conditions (well\uffe2\uff80\uff90watered, drought) were applied in a fully factorial design. At harvest, we measured soil ecosystem functions related to nutrient cycling (\uffce\uffb2\uffe2\uff80\uff90glucosaminidase, \uffce\uffb2\uffe2\uff80\uff90D\uffe2\uff80\uff90cellobiosidase, phosphatase, \uffce\uffb2\uffe2\uff80\uff90glucosidase enzymes), respiration, nutrient retention, pH, litter decomposition and soil aggregation (water stable aggregates). As terrestrial systems provide these functions simultaneously, we also assessed ecosystem multifunctionality, an index that encompasses the array of ecosystem functions measured here.
We found that the interaction between microplastic fibres and drought affected ecosystem functions and multifunctionality. Drought had negatively affected nutrient cycling by decreasing enzymatic activities by up to ~39%, while microplastics increased soil aggregation by ~18%, soil pH by ~4% and nutrient retention by up to ~70% by diminishing nutrient leaching. Microplastic fibres also impacted soil enzymes, respiration and ecosystem multifunctionality, but importantly, the direction of these effects depended on soil water status. That is, under well\uffe2\uff80\uff90watered conditions, these functions decreased with microplastic fibres by up to ~34% while under drought they had similar values irrespective of the microplastic presence, or tended to increase with microplastics. Litter decomposition had a contrary pattern increasing with microplastics by ~6% under well\uffe2\uff80\uff90watered conditions while decreasing to a similar percentage under drought.
Synthesis and applications. Single ecosystem functions can be positively or negatively affected by microplastics fibres depending on soil water status. However, our results suggest that microplastic fibres may cause negative effects on ecosystem soil multifunctionality of a similar magnitude as drought. Thus, strategies to counteract this new global change factor are necessary.
", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "570", "ddc:630", "nutrient cycling", "litter decomposition", "500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik::570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie::570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "soil respiration", "01 natural sciences", "6. Clean water", "soil aggregation", "soil pH", "grasslands ecosystem", "13. Climate action", "nutrient leaching", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "ddc:570", "Institut f\u00fcr Biochemie und Biologie", "enzymatic activities", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1365-2664.13839"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13839"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Journal%20of%20Applied%20Ecology", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1111/1365-2664.13839", "name": "item", "description": "10.1111/1365-2664.13839", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1111/1365-2664.13839"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2021-02-10T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1111/gcbb.12128", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-05-31T06:59:32Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2013-10-31", "title": "Soil And Crop Response To Stover Removal From Rainfed And Irrigated Corn", "description": "AbstractExcessive corn (Zea mays L.) stover removal for biofuel and other uses may adversely impact soil and crop production. We assessed the effects of stover removal at 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% from continuous corn on water erosion, corn yield, and related soil properties during a 3\uffe2\uff80\uff90year study under irrigated and no\uffe2\uff80\uff90tillage management practice on a Ulysses silt loam at Colby, irrigated and strip till management practice on a Hugoton loam at Hugoton, and rainfed and no\uffe2\uff80\uff90tillage management practice on a Woodson silt loam at Ottawa in Kansas, USA. The slope of each soil was <1%. One year after removal, complete (100%) stover removal resulted in increased losses of sediment by 0.36\uffe2\uff80\uff930.47\uffc2\uffa0Mg\uffc2\uffa0ha\uffe2\uff88\uff921 at the irrigated sites, but, at the rainfed site, removal at rates as low as 50% resulted in increased sediment loss by 0.30\uffc2\uffa0Mg\uffc2\uffa0ha\uffe2\uff88\uff921 and sediment\uffe2\uff80\uff90associated carbon (C) by 0.29\uffc2\uffa0kg\uffc2\uffa0ha\uffe2\uff88\uff921. Complete stover removal reduced wet aggregate stability of the soil at the irrigated sites in the first year after removal, but, at the rainfed site, wet aggregate stability was reduced in all years. Stover removal at rates \uffe2\uff89\uffa5 50% resulted in reduced soil water content, increased soil temperature in summer by 3.5\uffe2\uff80\uff936.8\uffc2\uffa0\uffc2\uffb0C, and reduced temperature in winter by about 0.5\uffc2\uffa0\uffc2\uffb0C. Soil C pool tended to decrease and crop yields tended to increase with an increase in stover removal, but 3\uffc2\uffa0years after removal, differences were not significant. Overall, stover removal at rates \uffe2\uff89\uffa550% may enhance grain yield but may increase risks of water erosion and negatively affect soil water and temperature regimes in this region.
", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Plant Sciences", "Botany", "Life Sciences", "Plant Biology", "Agriculture", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "Horticulture", "15. Life on land", "7. Clean energy", "irrigation", "333", "630", "6. Clean water", "soil aggregation", "Agronomy and Crop Sciences", "13. Climate action", "Other Plant Sciences", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "stover removal", "water erosion", "soil carbon", "Agricultural Science"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12128"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/GCB%20Bioenergy", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1111/gcbb.12128", "name": "item", "description": "10.1111/gcbb.12128", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1111/gcbb.12128"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2013-10-31T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1111/j.1475-2743.2010.00298.x", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-31T06:59:45Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2010-09-14", "title": "Tillage Effects On Soil Aggregation And Soil Organic Carbon Profile Distribution Under Mediterranean Semi-Arid Conditions", "description": "Open Access30 Pags., 6 Tabls., 3 Figs. The definitive version is available at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1475-2743", "keywords": ["soil organic carbon", "2. Zero hunger", "soil aggregation", "Soil organic carbon", "13. Climate action", "Soil aggregation", "tillage", "Mediterranean conditions", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "Tillage"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-2743.2010.00298.x"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Soil%20Use%20and%20Management", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1111/j.1475-2743.2010.00298.x", "name": "item", "description": "10.1111/j.1475-2743.2010.00298.x", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1111/j.1475-2743.2010.00298.x"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2010-09-14T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1186/s43591-021-00007-x", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-05-31T07:00:09Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2021-05-03", "title": "Microplastics have shape- and polymer-dependent effects on soil aggregation and organic matter loss \u2013 An experimental and meta-analytical approach", "description": "AbstractMicroplastics are a diverse and ubiquitous contaminant, a global change driver with potential to alter ecosystem properties and processes. Microplastic-induced effects in soils are manifold as microplastics differ in a variety of properties among which the shape is of special interest. Our knowledge is limited regarding the impact of various microplastic shapes on soil processes. Therefore, we conducted this two-part research comprising a meta-analysis on published literature and a lab experiment focusing on microplastic shapes- and polymer-induced effects on soil aggregation and organic matter decomposition. We here focus on fibers, films, foams and particles as microplastic shapes.
In the meta-analysis, we found a strong research focus on fibrous and particulate microplastic materials, with films and foams neglected.
Our experiment showed that microplastic shapes are important modulators of responses in soil aggregation and organic matter decomposition. Fibers, irrespective of their chemistry, negatively affected the formation of aggregates. However, for other shapes like foams and particles, the polymer identity is an important factor co-modulating the soil responses.
Further research is needed to generate a data-driven foundation to permit a better mechanistic understanding of the importance and consequences of microplastics added to soils.
", "keywords": ["Experiment", "Meta-analysis", "13. Climate action", "Soil aggregation", "Microplastic", "500", "Shape", "500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik::500 Naturwissenschaften::500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik", "15. Life on land", "Organic matter loss", "01 natural sciences", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Anika Lehmann, Eva F. Leifheit, Maurice Gerdawischke, Matthias C. Rillig,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s43591-021-00007-x.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.1186/s43591-021-00007-x"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Microplastics%20and%20Nanoplastics", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1186/s43591-021-00007-x", "name": "item", "description": "10.1186/s43591-021-00007-x", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1186/s43591-021-00007-x"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2021-05-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.2136/sssaj2008.0333", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-31T07:01:08Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2009-07-18", "description": "In semiarid agroecosystems of the Ebro valley (NE Spain) soils are characterized by low soil organic matter (SOM) and a weak structure. In this study we investigated the individual and combined effect of tillage system (no\uffe2\uff80\uff90tillage, NT; reduced tillage, RT; conventional tillage, CT) and cropping system (barley\uffe2\uff80\uff93fallow rotation at the Pe\uffc3\uffb1aflor site, PN\uffe2\uff80\uff90BF and continuous barley at the Pe\uffc3\uffb1aflor site, PN\uffe2\uff80\uff90BB) on soil organic carbon (SOC) storage as well as the physical protection of SOM fractions by soil aggregates in three long\uffe2\uff80\uff90term experimental sites. In both cropping systems, total SOC content was more than 30% higher in NT compared with CT in the 0\uffe2\uff80\uff90 to 5\uffe2\uff80\uff90cm depth. The suppression of fallowing in the PN\uffe2\uff80\uff90BB cropping system led to a greater SOC stabilization only in NT. In all the three sites, greater proportion of water\uffe2\uff80\uff90stable macroaggregates (>250 \uffce\uffbcm) was found under NT than under CT in the 0\uffe2\uff80\uff90 to 5\uffe2\uff80\uff90cm depth. Macroaggregate organic C concentration (250\uffe2\uff80\uff932000 \uffce\uffbcm) was greater in NT compared with CT in the BB cropping system, but did not differ with tillage treatment in the PN\uffe2\uff80\uff90BF rotation. Greater proportion of microaggregates within macroaggregates in NT compared with CT was only found in the Agramunt site (AG). However, greater C stabilized inside these microaggregates was observed in AG, Selvanera site (SV), and PN\uffe2\uff80\uff90BB in the 0\uffe2\uff80\uff90 to 5\uffe2\uff80\uff90cm depth. The results of this study demonstrate that in the semiarid Mediterranean agroecosystems of the Ebro valley, the adoption of NT together with the suppression of long\uffe2\uff80\uff90fallowing period can significantly increase the amount of SOC stabilized in the soil surface and improve soil structure and aggregation.
", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Soil management", "Soil organic matter", "Conservation agriculture", "No-till", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "01 natural sciences", "Semiarid zones", "Soil", "Agricultural ecosystems", "Soil aggregation", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Field Scale", "Conservation tillage", "Soil organic carbon (soc)", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2008.0333"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Soil%20Science%20Society%20of%20America%20Journal", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.2136/sssaj2008.0333", "name": "item", "description": "10.2136/sssaj2008.0333", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.2136/sssaj2008.0333"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2009-09-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.3389/fmicb.2019.02904", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-31T07:01:31Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2020-01-09", "title": "Fungal Traits Important for Soil Aggregation", "description": "Soil structure, the complex arrangement of soil into aggregates and pore spaces, is a key feature of soils and soil biota. Among them, filamentous saprobic fungi have well-documented effects on soil aggregation. However, it is unclear what properties, or traits, determine the overall positive effect of fungi on soil aggregation. To achieve progress, it would be helpful to systematically investigate a broad suite of fungal species for their trait expression and the relation of these traits to soil aggregation. Here, we apply a trait-based approach to a set of 15 traits measured under standardized conditions on 31 fungal strains including Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Mucoromycota, all isolated from the same soil. We find large differences among these fungi in their ability to aggregate soil, including neutral to positive effects, and we document large differences in trait expression among strains. We identify biomass density, i.e., the density with which a mycelium grows (positive effects), leucine aminopeptidase activity (negative effects) and phylogeny as important factors explaining differences in soil aggregate formation (SAF) among fungal strains; importantly, growth rate was not among the important traits. Our results point to a typical suite of traits characterizing fungi that are good soil aggregators, and our findings illustrate the power of employing a trait-based approach to unravel biological mechanisms underpinning soil aggregation. Such an approach could now be extended also to other soil biota groups. In an applied context of restoration and agriculture, such trait information can inform management, for example to prioritize practices that favor the expression of more desirable fungal traits.", "keywords": ["saprobic fungi", "0301 basic medicine", "2. Zero hunger", "ddc:500", "570", "0303 health sciences", "Saprobic fungi", "500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik::570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie::570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie", "15. Life on land", "Traits", "leucine amino peptidases", "Microbiology", "QR1-502", "soil aggregation", "03 medical and health sciences", "traits", "biomass density", "Soil aggregation", "Biomass density", "Leucine amino peptidases", "Institut f\u00fcr Biochemie und Biologie", "random forest", "Random forest"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2019.02904"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Frontiers%20in%20Microbiology", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3389/fmicb.2019.02904", "name": "item", "description": "10.3389/fmicb.2019.02904", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3389/fmicb.2019.02904"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2020-01-09T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.3389/fmicb.2019.02018", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-05-31T07:01:31Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2019-09-06", "title": "Increasing Temperature and Microplastic Fibers Jointly Influence Soil Aggregation by Saprobic Fungi", "description": "Microplastic pollution and increasing temperature have potential to influence soil quality; yet little is known about their effects on soil aggregation, a key determinant of soil quality. Given the importance of fungi for soil aggregation, we investigated the impacts of increasing temperature and microplastic fibers on aggregation by carrying out a soil incubation experiment in which we inoculated soil individually with 5 specific strains of soil saprobic fungi. Our treatments were temperature (ambient temperature of 25\u00b0C or temperature increased by 3\u00b0C, abruptly versus gradually) and microplastic fibers (control and 0.4% w/w). We evaluated the percentage of water stable aggregates (WSA) and hydrolysis of fluorescein diacetate (FDA) as an indicator of fungal biomass. Microplastic fiber addition was the main factor influencing the WSA, decreasing the percentage of WSA except in soil incubated with strain RLCS 01, and mitigated the effects of temperature or even caused more pronounced decrease in WSA under increasing temperature. We also observed clear differences between temperature change patterns. Our study shows that the interactive effects of warming and microplastic fibers are important to consider when evaluating effects of global change on soil aggregation and potentially other soil processes.", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "abrupt", "temperature", "579", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "gradual", "15. Life on land", "Microbiology", "QR1-502", "6. Clean water", "soil aggregation", "13. Climate action", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "fungi", "microplastic"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2019.02018"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Frontiers%20in%20Microbiology", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3389/fmicb.2019.02018", "name": "item", "description": "10.3389/fmicb.2019.02018", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3389/fmicb.2019.02018"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2019-09-06T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.3390/soilsystems3010021", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-05-31T07:01:53Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2019-03-25", "title": "Abiotic and Biotic Factors Influencing the Effect of Microplastic on Soil Aggregation", "description": "Plastic is an anthropogenic, ubiquitous and persistent contaminant accumulating in our environment. The consequences of the presence of plastics for soils, including soil biota and the processes they drive, are largely unknown. This is particularly true for microplastic. There is only little data available on the effect of microplastics on key soil processes, including soil aggregation. Here, we investigated the consequences of polyester microfiber contamination on soil aggregation of a sandy soil under laboratory conditions. We aimed to test if the microfiber effects on soil aggregation were predominantly physical or biological. We found that soil biota addition (compared to sterile soil) had a significant positive effect on both the formation and stabilization of soil aggregates, as expected, while wet-dry cycles solely affected aggregate formation. Polyester microfiber contamination did not affect the formation and stability of aggregates. But in the presence of soil biota, microfibers reduced soil aggregate stability. Our results show that polyester microfibers have the potential to alter soil structure, and that these effects are at least partially mediated by soil biota.
", "keywords": ["570", "wet-dry cycle", "Physical geography", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "01 natural sciences", "GB3-5030", "soil aggregation", "Chemistry", "soil microbes", "13. Climate action", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "polyester", "microplastic", "QD1-999", "fiber", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2571-8789/3/1/21/pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2571-8789/3/1/21/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems3010021"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Soil%20Systems", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3390/soilsystems3010021", "name": "item", "description": "10.3390/soilsystems3010021", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3390/soilsystems3010021"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2019-03-22T00:00:00Z"}}], "links": [{"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "This document as GeoJSON", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items?keywords=Soil+aggregation&f=json", "hreflang": "en-US"}, {"rel": "alternate", "type": "text/html", "title": "This document as HTML", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items?keywords=Soil+aggregation&f=html", "hreflang": "en-US"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection URL", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main", "hreflang": "en-US"}, {"type": "application/geo+json", "rel": "first", "title": "items (first)", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items?keywords=Soil+aggregation&", "hreflang": "en-US"}, {"rel": "last", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "items (last)", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items?keywords=Soil+aggregation&offset=16", "hreflang": "en-US"}], "numberMatched": 16, "numberReturned": 16, "distributedFeatures": [], "timeStamp": "2026-05-31T10:12:20.343122Z"}