Impacts of microplastics on wetland ecosystem dynamics: a mesocosm study of trophic interactions and community responses, 2021-2025

This dataset documents a mesocosm experiment conducted to evaluate the ecological impacts of microplastics (MP) on wetland communities representative of eastern USA wetlands. The study focused on key organisms across trophic levels, including tadpoles (Lithobates pipiens), snails (Helisoma trivolvis), zooplankton (Daphnia pulex), phytoplankton, and periphyton communities, to assess the effects of three microplastic types (low-density polyethylene–LDPE, medium-density polystyrene–PS, and high-density polyester–PES) at two concentrations (1 mg/L and 5 mg/L), alongside a no-microplastic control. Experimental units consisted of 70 mesocosms (19-L buckets) with 10 replicates per treatment, established between July 1–15, 2021, at Binghamton University’s Ecological Research Facility. Response variables included survival and developmental traits (mass, snout-vent length, shell width) of tadpoles and snails, microplastic ingestion, zooplankton abundance, phytoplankton biomass (chlorophyll and phycocyanin concentrations), and periphyton mass. The dataset provides comprehensive measurements of community responses and water quality parameters, offering insights into the ecological consequences of microplastic pollution in wetland ecosystems. This dataset is suitable for researchers studying ecotoxicology, wetland ecology, and the impacts of anthropogenic pollutants on aquatic food webs.