Biodegradable plastic films as eco-sustainable alternative to polyethylene films: Effects on soil multifunctionality

IF 2.9 3区 环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY
Ecosphere Pub Date : 2025-09-03 DOI:10.1002/ecs2.70388
Alessia Esposito, Giorgia Santini, Lucia Santorufo, Luigi Morra, Giulia Maisto, Flavia De Nicola, Enrica Picariello
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Abstract

The use of plastic films is among the major sources of pollution in agricultural soils and can impact soil properties and ecological functions. This study aimed to assess the short-term effects of polyethylene (PE) and biodegradable (BIO) plastic films on soil quality and multifunctionality by comparing them with an untreated control (CNT). A comprehensive set of abiotic (texture, bulk density, pH, water content, organic and total carbon, and total nitrogen) and biotic (enzymatic activities, DNA yield, eubacterial and fungal biomass) soil properties was assessed 6 months after treatment application, both in mesocosm and field experiments. These parameters were used to: (1) calculate ecological indices (IBR, integrated biomarker response index; MAI, metabolic activity index; SQI, soil quality index) to assess soil quality; (2) derive soil functions (N and C storage and decomposition), then integrated into a soil multifunctionality index (SMF) and analyzed using a random forest approach to identify the most influential variables contributing to soil multifunctionality. In the field experiment, both BIO and PE plastic films increased soil water content compared to CNT, while BIO led to a 2-fold increase in β-glucosidase activity relative to PE and CNT. In the mesocosm experiment, PE increased total soil carbon by approximately 1.2-fold compared to BIO and CNT treatments. PE enhanced carbon storage capacity in mesocosm conditions, aligning with the results from the random forest analysis, which identified carbon storage as a key driver of soil multifunctionality. Despite these specific effects, no significant short-term changes in overall soil multifunctionality were observed for both plastic films. Among the indices tested, MAI highlighting differences between treatments emerged as the better integrative tool to monitor early functional changes in soil ecosystems.

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生物可降解塑料薄膜作为聚乙烯薄膜的生态可持续替代品:对土壤的多功能性影响
塑料薄膜的使用是农业土壤污染的主要来源之一,并可能影响土壤性质和生态功能。本研究旨在通过与未经处理的对照(CNT)进行比较,评估聚乙烯(PE)和可生物降解(BIO)塑料薄膜对土壤质量和多功能的短期影响。在施用处理6个月后,通过中生态和田间试验对土壤的非生物(质地、容重、pH、含水量、有机碳和总碳以及总氮)和生物(酶活性、DNA产量、真细菌和真菌生物量)特性进行了综合评估。这些参数用于:(1)计算生态指标(IBR,综合生物标志物响应指数,MAI,代谢活性指数,SQI,土壤质量指数)来评价土壤质量;(2)导出土壤功能(氮和碳的储存和分解),然后将其整合到土壤多功能性指数(SMF)中,并使用随机森林方法进行分析,找出对土壤多功能性影响最大的变量。在田间试验中,与碳纳米管相比,BIO和PE塑料薄膜都增加了土壤含水量,而BIO使β-葡萄糖苷酶活性相对于PE和CNT提高了2倍。在中生态试验中,PE处理比BIO和CNT处理增加了约1.2倍的土壤总碳。PE增强了土壤中生态条件下的碳储存能力,这与随机森林分析的结果一致,随机森林分析认为碳储存是土壤多功能性的关键驱动因素。尽管有这些特定的影响,但两种塑料薄膜在总体土壤多功能性方面没有观察到显著的短期变化。在测试的指数中,MAI突出了不同处理之间的差异,成为监测土壤生态系统早期功能变化的较好的综合工具。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
Ecosphere
Ecosphere ECOLOGY-
CiteScore
4.70
自引率
3.70%
发文量
378
审稿时长
15 weeks
期刊介绍: The scope of Ecosphere is as broad as the science of ecology itself. The journal welcomes submissions from all sub-disciplines of ecological science, as well as interdisciplinary studies relating to ecology. The journal''s goal is to provide a rapid-publication, online-only, open-access alternative to ESA''s other journals, while maintaining the rigorous standards of peer review for which ESA publications are renowned.
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