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Updated: Mar 9, 2026

Isolation of Native Soil Microorganisms with Potential for Breaking Down Biodegradable Plastic Mulch Films Used in Agriculture
Published on: May 10, 2013
Biodegradable mulch films divergently regulate soil carbon cycle by reshaping microbial communities and functional
Haiyun Zhang1, Shutong Yu2, Weiguang Lv1
1Institute of Eco-Environmental Protection, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 201403, China; Shanghai Agri-Environmental and Cultivated Land Conservation of Scientific Observation and Experiment Station, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shanghai 201403, China; Key Laboratory of Low-carbon Green Agriculture in Southeastern China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shanghai 201403, China.
None:
This study examined the effects of two biodegradable mulch films (BM1, BM2) and a plastic mulch film (PM) on soil C-cycle microorganisms and functional genes through field experiments. Biodegradable mulch films significantly enhanced α diversity of C-cycle microorganisms after one month (effects disappeared by the seventh month), with the maximum increase in community richness exceeding 32%. Biodegradable mulch films made of dissimilar components exhibited distinct effects. BM1 (PBAT/PLA) suppressed genes related to most carbon fixation pathways while BM2 (PBAT/lignin) tended to enhance certain pathways. BM1 notably elevated carbon degradation genes (e.g., an 87.2% increase in pectin degradation), and inhibited methane metabolism genes, while BM2' effects were much weaker. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed that mulching reduced both the diversity of C-cycle microorganisms and complexity of their interactions, while simultaneously strengthening synergistic relationships among microbes. BM1 treatment increased the proportion of positive microbial interactions to a maximum of 63.28%. Soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), available phosphorus (AP), and soil organic carbon (SOC) were identified as the key environmental factors shaping the C-cycle microbial community. This study demonstrates that biodegradable mulch films significantly influence the expression of C-cycle functional genes and soil carbon transformation processes by modifying soil microenvironment and microbial community structure.
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