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Meng Z, Mo X, Meng W, Hu B, Liu B, Li H, Liu J, Xu M, Hou Q, Lu X, He M. Microplastics could alter invasive plant community performance and the dominance of Amaranthus palmeri. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169275. [PMID: 38086482 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
The increase in alien plant invasions poses a major threat to global biodiversity and ecosystem stability. However, the presence of microplastics (MPs) as an environmental stressor could impact the interactions between invasive and native species in an invasive plant community. Nevertheless, the community alterations and underlying mechanisms resulting from these interactions remain unclear. Herein, we systematically investigated the impacts of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) on invasive plant communities invaded by Amaranthus palmeri through soil seed bank. The results illustrated that MPs markedly declined community height and biomass, and altered community structure, low-dose MPs could prominently increase community invasion resistance, but reduced community stability. The niche width and niche overlap of A. palmeri and S. viridis declined when exposed to high-dose MPs, but MPs elicited a significant rise in the niche width of S. salsa. PP had the potential to reduce the diversity of invasive plant community. Structural equation model revealed that PP addition could change soil total phosphorus content, thereby leading to a reduction of the community stability. Our study helps to fill the knowledge gap regarding the effects of MPs on invasive plant communities and provide new perspectives for invasive plant management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zirui Meng
- School of Geographic and Environmental Science, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300382, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Environment, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300382, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Science, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Xunqiang Mo
- School of Geographic and Environmental Science, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300382, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Environment, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300382, China
| | - Weiqing Meng
- School of Geographic and Environmental Science, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300382, China
| | - Beibei Hu
- School of Geographic and Environmental Science, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300382, China
| | - Baiqiao Liu
- School of Geographic and Environmental Science, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300382, China
| | - Hongyuan Li
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Jie Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Center for Grassland Microbiome, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China
| | - Mengyao Xu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Qidong Hou
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Xueqiang Lu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Mengxuan He
- School of Geographic and Environmental Science, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300382, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Environment, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300382, China.
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