Impact of Plastic Pollution on Orchid-Mycorrhizal Interactions and Habitat Integrity in the Western Ghats of Wayanad
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: — Plastic pollution, though traditionally examined within aquatic and urban contexts, is now recognized as a rising terrestrial threat to sensitive forest ecosystems. In the biodiversity-rich montane forests of the Western Ghats, India, particularly Wayanad, plastic waste is disrupting ecological processes vital to the survival of endemic wild orchid species. This five-year field-based study explores the influence of accumulated plastic debris on orchid microhabitats, with an emphasis on its interference in orchid–mycorrhizal symbioses—critical relationships required for orchid seed germination, nutrient absorption, and long-term survival. Systematic sampling across orchid-dense forest zones revealed that discarded polybags, plastic wrappers, and synthetic packaging materials significantly altered substrate conditions. Soil analyses demonstrated reduced water percolation, compromised aeration, and chemical leachates from plastics that skewed soil pH. Most importantly, microbial assays revealed a marked decline in viable mycorrhizal spore density in plastic-contaminated plots, correlating with poor orchid seedling emergence and higher mortality rates. Microscopic observation of orchid root systems showed weakened or absent mycorrhizal colonization in areas of plastic accumulation, suggesting a direct impact on symbiotic functionality. Orchids growing in plastic-free control zones showed stronger pseudobulb formation, better chlorophyll content, and a higher rate of root-fungal interaction. These disruptions are of particular concern as many orchid species in the Western Ghats exhibit narrow habitat specificity and obligate fungal dependence. The study concludes that plastic waste, even in minimal quantities, can have cascading ecological consequences on fragile plant–fungus networks that underpin forest resilience. Given the ecological importance and conservation priority of orchids, the findings call for immediate intervention through habitat-specific plastic exclusion strategies, community-led waste clean-ups, and the incorporation of mycorrhizal inoculation protocols in orchid restoration projects. By demonstrating a previously underexplored linkage between plastic pollution and subterranean symbiotic processes, this research highlights the urgent need to integrate plastic mitigation into broader biodiversity conservation frameworks in forest ecosystems.
Author: Mr. Sabu V.U
Language: English
Subfield: Pollution
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W6949436333
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