Biodegradable Plastic and Plant Pathogenic Fungi in Forests
Author Information
Author(s): Nonthijun Paradha, Tanunchai Benjawan, Schroeter Simon Andreas, Wahdan Sara Fareed Mohamed, Alves Eliane Gomes, Hilke Ines, Buscot François, Schulze Ernst-Detlef, Disayathanoowat Terd, Purahong Witoon, Noll Matthias
Primary Institution: Institute of Bioanalysis, Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Coburg, Germany
Hypothesis
The degradation of biodegradable plastics may increase the presence and abundance of plant pathogens by serving as an additional carbon source, ultimately posing a risk to forest ecosystems.
Conclusion
The study found that biodegradable plastic attracts fungal plant pathogens in forests, potentially leading to increased disease outbreaks and disrupting forest ecosystems.
Supporting Evidence
- The study identified 318 fungal plant pathogenic amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) belonging to 108 genera.
- The highest number of fungal plant pathogens were detected at 200 days of PBSA exposure.
- Fungal community compositions were shaped by forest type, PBSA exposure time, and environmental factors.
Takeaway
This study shows that a type of biodegradable plastic can attract bad fungi in forests, which might make trees sick.
Methodology
The study used next-generation sequencing to analyze fungal communities associated with biodegradable plastic in different forest types over 200 and 400 days.
Limitations
The interpretation of plant pathogens is based solely on high-throughput sequencing, bioinformatics, and annotation tools.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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