Dangerous traps: Macroplastic encounters affecting freshwater and terrestrial wildlife

Encounters (or interactions) between plastic debris and wildlife can cause great harm to individuals and populations. The most common encounters are ingestion, entanglement and plastic usage (plastic as nesting material, vector for biota transport and refuge/shelter). Hundreds of plastic-encounters have been reported for marine species. However, there is a lack of studies reporting encounters in other ecosystems, such as freshwater and terrestrial ones. Based on a citizen science approach, we documented and analyzed 90 different cases of macroplastic-fauna encounters for 44 freshwater and terrestrial species. Herein, we provided evidence (photographically documented) of the negative consequences of macroplastic debris discarded in freshwater and terrestrial environments. Birds were by far the taxon most frequently reported in encounters (72.2% of the encounters, 30 different species). The dominant type of plastic-fauna encounter was the use of plastic as nesting material (42% of the total cases) and the second one was entanglement (33%). Most of the entanglements had lethal consequences for the organisms involved (almost 60%). Entanglement in ghost fishing gear and bottle (security) rings were particularly dangerous and comparatively frequent in this study. Some invasive species could benefit from the encounters to the detriment of the environment's health, using plastics as settlement substrata. Finally, we lay the foundation for creating worldwide lists of non-marine species impacted by encounters with plastic debris. (c) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Encounters between plastic debris and wildlife can be harmful, with ingestion, entanglement, and plastic usage being common in marine species. This study documented and analyzed 90 different cases of macroplastic-fauna encounters in freshwater and terrestrial species through citizen science. Birds were the most frequently reported taxon in encounters, with plastic usage as nesting material and entanglement being the dominant types. Both lethal consequences and potential benefits for invasive species were observed, highlighting the need for global awareness and lists of non-marine species impacted by plastic encounters.