Department of Ecology and Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry, University of Agriculture in Krakow, 29 Listopada 46 Str., 31-425, Kraków, Poland.
Krakow Regional Directorate of State Forests, Juliusza Słowackiego 17a, 31-159, Kraków, Poland.
Sci Rep. 2024 Aug 20;14(1):19284. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-70046-w.
Microplastics have the capacity to accumulate in soil due to their high resistance to degradation, consequently altering soil properties and influencing plant growth. This study focused on assessing the impact of various types and doses of microplastics on beech seedling growth. In our experiment, we used polypropylene and styrene granules with diameter of 4.0 mm in quantities of 2.5% and 7%. The hypothesis was that microplastics significantly affect seedlings' nutritional status and growth characteristics. The research analysed seedlings' nutrition, root morphological features, above-ground growth, and enzymatic activity in the substrate. Results confirmed the importance of microplastics in shaping the nutritional status of young beech trees. Microplastic type significantly impacted N/P and Ca/Mg stoichiometry, while microplastic quantity influenced Ca/Al and CaKMg/Al stoichiometry. Notably, only in the case of root diameter were significantly thicker roots noted in the control variant, whereas microplastics played a role in shaping the leaves' characteristics of the species studied. The leaf area was significantly larger in the control variant compared to the variant with polypropylene in the amount of 2.5% and styrene in the amount of 7%. Additionally, the study indicates a significant impact of microplastics on enzyme activity. In the case of CB and SP, the activity was twice as high in the control variant compared to the variants with microplastics. In the case of BG, the activity in the control variant was higher in relation to the variants used in the experiment. Research on the impact of microplastics on the growth of beech seedlings is crucial for enhancing our understanding of the effects of environmental pollution on forest ecosystems. Such studies are integral in shaping forestry management practices and fostering a broader public understanding of the ecological implications of plastic pollution.
微塑料因其高抗降解性而有在土壤中积累的能力，从而改变土壤性质并影响植物生长。本研究集中评估了不同类型和剂量的微塑料对山毛榉幼苗生长的影响。在我们的实验中，我们使用了直径为 4.0 毫米的聚丙烯和聚苯乙烯颗粒，数量分别为 2.5%和 7%。假设是微塑料会显著影响幼苗的营养状况和生长特征。研究分析了幼苗的营养、根系形态特征、地上生长和基质中的酶活性。结果证实了微塑料在塑造山毛榉幼树营养状况方面的重要性。微塑料类型显著影响 N/P 和 Ca/Mg 化学计量比，而微塑料数量影响 Ca/Al 和 CaKMg/Al 化学计量比。值得注意的是，只有在根直径的情况下，对照变体中观察到明显更粗的根，而微塑料在塑造所研究物种叶片特征方面发挥了作用。与添加 2.5%聚丙烯和 7%聚苯乙烯的变体相比，对照变体中的叶片面积明显更大。此外，研究表明微塑料对酶活性有显著影响。在 CB 和 SP 的情况下，对照变体中的活性是添加微塑料变体的两倍。在 BG 的情况下，对照变体中的活性高于实验中使用的变体。研究微塑料对山毛榉幼苗生长的影响对于增强我们对环境污染对森林生态系统影响的理解至关重要。此类研究是塑造林业管理实践和提高公众对塑料污染生态影响的认识的重要组成部分。
