We compiled 1570 observations from 57 countries to assess how the number of sustainable practices affects ecosystem services in cereal systems. We found that multiple practices are essential for impr...

Mit der Fördermaßnahme GO-Bio initial unterstützt das Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt (BMFTR) innovative Ansätze in den Lebenswissenschaften, die zu marktfähigen Produkten o...

Microplastics (MPs) in soil can paradoxically stimulate microbial biomass in a highly context-dependent manner, potentially inducing decomposition and affecting carbon and nitrogen cycles. We conducted a global meta-analysis with 90 studies (710 observations of microbial biomass carbon (MBC), 354 of microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN)) integrated with machine learning to quantify MPs effects on soil microbial biomass. Field studies showed no significant effects, contrasting with controlled experiments where MPs increased MBC by 9.6% (95% CI: 7.2–11.9%) and MBN by 10.4% (6.8–14.0%). Biodegradable plastics (PBAT, PLA) induced stronger effects (36.1–67.6%) than conventional polymers (PE, PP, PS, PVC). Temperature emerged as the dominant factor, with a contrasting MPs effect on MBC (positive) and MBN (negative) at higher temperatures, suggesting potential decoupling of carbon and nitrogen cycles under warming conditions. Machine learning models (XGBoost, R2 = 0.62) significantly outperformed linear regressions (R2 = 0.02–0.05), revealing nonlinear responses and threshold effects. Stimulatory effects were most significant for medium-sized MPs (30–90 μm), at high concentrations (>10 g kg–1), and in soils with intermediate fertility, highlighting context-dependent risks to soil carbon and nitrogen cycling.

There is uncertainty in whether there is a common pattern of nestedness and modularity in plant–arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi associations, partly because of limitations arising from the use of ...

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Matthias Rillig’s research reveals a range of impacts of microplastics on soil-dwelling worms, bacteria, and plants—some of which may even harm human health