When people, and scientists research plastic pollution, and the overall impacts that microplastics have on the environment. An important impact that is often overlooked is its impact on the surrounding environments such as forests. In a recent article named How Microplastics Are Changing Forests, by PlasticPollutionCoalition, they introduce a study that was conducted on lakes in New York Adirondack Mountains, which is one of the mountains that higher foot traffic, in the study they found that the level of microplastic was 23 times more higher than those lakes that were located in more remote areas. In forests plastic can accumulate in soils, insects, nutrient cycling, plant growth and survival, and water availability, and quality. When plastic pollution exists in forests it threatens air quality, animals, plants, soils, and water. In another study that was conducted it was found that about 80% of amphibians that were studied had microplastics in their bodies. In a different study it was found that microplastics exist in wood frogs leg muscles, gastrointestinal tracts, and skin, which can ultimately affect their growth. In another article named Microplastics Are Falling From The Sky and Polluting Forests by ScienceDaily, it is stated that microplastics end up in forests through air and gradually build up in the soils of the forest. In research conducted it is found that microplastics first land in the leaves of the upper canopy. When leaves fall to the floor of the forest, and the natural process takes over, and when leaves begin to break down, this plays a key role in trapping microplastics in the soil. 

https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/blog/2026/3/20/how-microplastics-are-changing-forests

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260323005535.htm