Global change, a term that encompasses climate change and phenomena such as changes in land use or environmental pollution, is putting ecosystems under pressure. Urban soils in particular are susceptible to stressors like heat, drought, road salt, nitrogen deposition, surfactants and microplastics. To date, the impact of these stressors has often been researched individually, with the impact of each stressor measured in isolation. This approach is, however, not representative of real-world scenarios as these factors almost always appear in combination. A new study carried out by researchers at Freie Universität Berlin shows that when these stressors are combined, their impact can change.