A multiyear time series (2012–2022) of river plankton dynamics in a subtropical urbanizing watershed

Abstract:Urbanization exerts profound impacts on freshwater ecosystems including rivers, triggering shifts in plankton communities, yet long-term data remain scarce. Therefore, we present an extensive 11-year dataset (2012-2022) spanning a distinct rural-to-urban gradient within the Houxi River watershed in subtropical China. Our systematic sampling characterized multiple plankton communities: phytoplankton were analyzed bi-annually (summer and winter) via microscopy, while bacterioplankton and eukaryotic plankton were investigated seasonally through amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene (V3-V4) and 18S rRNA gene (V9) regions, respectively. Concurrently collected water quality and nutrient data provide comprehensive environmental context. The BEPE (Bacterioplankton, Eukaryotic plankton, Phytoplankton and Environmental variables) dataset reveals distinct spatiotemporal trends across space and time, enhancing our understanding of the impacts of urbanization and land-use on river-reservoir ecosystems particularly plankton communities and serves as a valuable foundation for future ecological conservation and restoration efforts.