Microplastics affect interspecific interactions between cladoceran species in the absence and presence of predators by triggering asymmetric individual responses

Although many studies have reported the negative effects of microplastics on aquatic organisms, most research is focused on individual scales. Individual studies highlight harm mechanisms, but understanding broader ecological effects necessitates evidence from multiscale perspectives, particularly those based on interspecific interactions. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the impacts of different microplastic concentrations (0, 0.4, 2, and 10 mg/L) on individual characteristics (physiology, behavior, and grazing rate) and population dynamics of two cladoceran species Daphnia magna and Scapholeberis kingi, and their interrelationships within communities in the absence and presence of predators (larvae of Agriocnemis pygmaea). We used 32-38 μm polyethylene microplastics; these particles were detected in the guts of D. magna, especially at higher concentrations, but were not found in S. kingi. Consequently, with increasing microplastic concentrations, the grazing and reproductive capacity of D. magna diminished, weakening their dominance in the coexistence system without damselfly larvae. Additionally, as microplastic concentration increased, D. magna faced greater oxidative damage and a reduction in mobility, making this species more susceptible to predation by damselfly larvae and less dominant in the predator-inhabited coexistence system. This study reveals the mechanism by which asymmetric impacts of microplastics on individual traits altered interspecific competition between zooplankton species, thereby illuminating the role of microplastics in altering zooplankton communities.