Soil Collembola-Mediated Mitigation of Microplastic Stress on Tomato Growth: Unraveling Rhizosphere Microecological Mechanisms
This project explores the ecological roles of soil mesofauna, specifically Collembola, in mitigating the detrimental effects of microplastics (MPs) on plant growth within agricultural soils. Plastic pollution, particularly microplastics, is a growing environmental concern, particularly in agricultural systems, where these pollutants accumulate in soils through diverse pathways, including wastewater irrigation, compost application, and atmospheric deposition. This study focuses on polyethylene (PE) microplastics, widely used in agriculture as mulch, and examines how the presence of Collembola can alleviate the stress caused by MPs on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) plants. Through a controlled pot experiment, we investigate two key hypotheses: (i) the presence of Collembola significantly mitigates MPs-induced inhibition of tomato growth, and (ii) the alleviating effect is primarily mediated through Collembola-driven modifications of rhizosphere microecological processes. This study not only enhances our understanding of soil fauna under pollution stress but also supports the development of nature-based strategies to manage microplastic contamination in agroecosystems.