Deciphering how endogenous mangrove litterfall influences organic matters transformation driven by microbes in sediment with exogenous microplastics inputs.

ABSTRACT

The effects of endogenous mangrove litterfall (MF) inputs on organic matter transformation in sediment polluted by exogenous microplastics (MPs) were investigated in this work, and their linkage with microbial characteristics was also explored. MF inputs significantly affected organic carbon transformation in MPs-polluted sediment by improving humification, enzymatic activities and carbon utilisation capacity of microbes. Such effects were mainly linked with the enrichment of microbes responsible for organic substance decomposition induced by MF inputs. Indeed, MF addition increased the relative abundance of fermentation- and cellulysis-assoicated bacteria, together with Saprotrophic fungi. Moreover, dissolved matters derived from MF played a non-neglected role in regulating organic carbon transformation in MPs-polluted sediment. Besides, MF addition decreased the complexity of bacterial community network in MPs-polluted sediment but fungal community network became complicated. And the complexity of microbial network was MF amount-dependent. Even though stochastic process was dominated in sediment with or without MF, MF inputs enhanced the relative contribution of determinism and reduced the migration of microbial communities. A strong response of sediment microbes to MF affected sedimentary organic matters transformation driven by microbes. This work uncovered linkages between organic carbon transformation and microbes in sediment with endogenous litterfall and exogenous MPs inputs in mangroves.