Predators, resources, and trophic chains in the regulation of plankton population and biomass in oligothrophic lakes

The relative strength of "top-down" versus "bottom-up" control of plankton community structure and biomass in two small oligotrophic lakes (with and without fish), located near the Polar circle (Russia), has been investigated for two years, 1996 and 1997. The comparative analyses of zooplankton biomass and species abundance showed strong negative effect of fish, stickeback (Pungitius pungitius L.), on the zooplankton community species, size structure and biomass of particular prey species but no effect on the biomass of the whole trophic level. An intensive predation in Verkhneye lake has lead to: 1) sixfold decline in biomass of large cladoceran Holopedium gibberum comparing to the lake lacking predator, 2) shift in the size mode in zooplankton community and the replacement of the typical large grazers by small species--Bosmina longirostris and rotifers. Their abundance and biomass even increased, demonstrating the stimulating effect of fish on the "inefficient" and unprofitable prey organisms. The analysis of contributions of different factors into the cladoceran's birth rate changes was applied to demonstrate the relative impact of predators and resources on zooplankton abundance. An occasional introduction of the stickleback to Vodoprovodnoye lake (the reference lake in 1996) in summer 1997 lead to drastic canges in this ecosystem: devastating decrease of zooplankton biomass and complete elimination of five previously dominant grazer species. The abundance of edible phytoplankton was slightly higher in the lake with fish in 1996 and considerably higher in the lake where fish has appeared in 1997 showing the prevailing "top-down" control of phytoplankton in oligotrophic ecosystem. The reasons of trophic cascade appearance in oligotrophic lakes are also discussed.     

Ecology and role of zooplankton in the fishery of Lake Naivasha

Taxonomic composition, distribution, community structure and seasonality of Lake Naivasha zooplankton between 1978 and 1980 are described. The ecological status of the zooplankton in relation to prevailing ecological factors and the lakes fishery are discussed. Species composition of the zooplankton community in Lake Naivasha has been remarkably constant since first observations between 1929 and 1931. The community structure and distribution of the zooplankton in the lake varied little from July 1978 to July 1980, however, there was evidence of species succession among the larger zooplankters, especially the cladocerans. In the littoral area zooplankton contribute significantly to the food and production of juvenile fish. There is an absence of fish zooplanktivores in the limnetic area of the lake. Consequently the limnetic zooplankton is not utilised by higher trophic levels.     

Temporal dynamics and relationship between climate,limnological variables and zooplankton composition in climate-sensitive Lake Bosumtwi,Ghana

The community composition and the factors affecting seasonal and interannual dynamics of zooplankton in Lake Bosumtwi were studied biweekly at a central index station during 2005 and 2006. The lake zooplankton community was species poor. Mesocyclops bosumtwii was numerically superior seasonally and interannually and was endemic to the lake. Minor constituents included Moina micrura, six rotifer species (except for Hexarthra intermedia) and Chaoborus ceratopogones larvae. Low variance of cyanobacteria-dominated phytoplankton biomass underlined stable zooplankton community structure. Emergence of rare species of rotifers occurred seasonally. The climatic signature on the lake’s stratification and mixing regime was strongly influenced by atmospheric temperature, but weakly by wind strength, because of sheltering of the lake by high crater walls. Increasing mixing depth entrained high TP concentrations from below the thermocline seasonally, but reflected poorly in the phytoplankton biomass behaviour. Total zooplankton abundance did not differ seasonally, but varied markedly from year to year in its timing and magnitude. Herbivores were squeezed between food limitation and high predation pressure from Chaoborus all year round. The low fish planktivory (high fishing pressure) on Chaoborus may create a trophic bottleneck restricting energy transfer efficiency from zooplankton to fish.     

Zooplankton and environmental factors of a recovering eutrophic lake (Lysimachia Lake, Western Greece)

The present study investigates the zooplankton community dynamics and the abiotic environment in the eutrophic Lake Lysimachia (western Greece). The lake is considered to be recovering from eutrophication after the termination of an urban sewage inflow in 2000, and its waters are replenished constantly from the nearby oligotrophic Lake Trichonis. The results show that, although a decrease in nutrient concentrations was observed compared to the past, the lake still has eutrophic characteristics. This was reflected in the zooplankton community which is typical of those found in eutrophic lakes where rotifers prevail. Similarities among this lake and other nearby lakes were found considering the zooplankton community composition and seasonal variation. However, Lake Lysimachia is inhabited also by a number of different and even unique species (e.g., Moina micrura), suggesting that this ecosystem may be an important biodiversity refuge. Most of the zooplankton species were correlated with water temperature and, to a lesser extent, eutrophication key-water quality variables. Although there are few available data on the zooplankton of the lake, the abundance and composition of the community presenting characteristics indicative of intermediate trophic conditions and suggesting that the lake is probably under a kind of “biological” recovery.     

浙江千岛湖浮游动物群落多样性研究

1999年1～12月对浙江千岛湖浮游动物的群落结构,包括密度多样性和生物量多样性进行了 系统研究。轮虫类的多样性指数最高,并且当湖泊在一定的营养水平范围内（贫营养型向中 营养型过渡）时,轮虫的密度多样性与湖泊的营养水平呈现相同的变化趋势。以时间和空间 为参照,对千岛湖两种浮游动物多样性指数与群落因素之间进行了相关分析,得到相关关系 如下：月变化密度多样性＝-0.922+4.521×密度均匀度,n=12, r=0.872, p<0.001;生物量多样性=1.99-0.348×透明生物量,n=12, r=-0.868, p<0.01;水平变化密度多样性＝2.35+0.008×种类数, n=10, r=0.672, p<0.05;生物量多样性=2.88-1.739×生物量优势度, n=10, r=-0.826, p<0.01。     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bythotrephes</Emphasis> invasion elevates trophic position of zooplankton and fish: implications for contaminant biomagnification

We estimated the effects of Bythotrephes longimanus invasion on the trophic position (TP) of zooplankton communities and lake herring, Coregonus artedi. Temporal changes in lacustrine zooplankton communities following Bythotrephes invasion were contrasted with non-invaded reference lakes, and along with published information on zooplankton and herring diets, formed the basis of estimated changes in TP. The TP of zooplankton communities and lake herring increased significantly following the invasion of Bythotrephes, whereas TP in reference lakes decreased (zooplankton) or did not change significantly (lake herring) over a similar time frame. Elevated TP following Bythotrephes invasion was most prominent in lakes that also supported the glacial relict, Mysis diluvania, suggesting a possible synergistic interaction between these two species on zooplankton community composition. Our analysis indicated that elevated TPs of zooplankton communities and lake herring are not simply due to the presence of Bythotrephes, but rather reflect changes in the zooplankton community induced by Bythotrephes; namely, a major reduction in the proportion of herbivorous cladoceran biomass and a concomitant increase in the proportion of omnivorous and/or predatory copepod biomass in invaded lakes. We demonstrated that increases in TP of the magnitude reported here can lead to substantial increases in fish contaminant concentrations. In light of these results, we discuss potential mechanisms that may be responsible for the disconnect between empirical and theoretical evidence that mid-trophic level species invasions (e.g., Bythotrephes) elevate contaminant burdens of consumer species, and provide testable hypotheses to evaluate these mechanisms.     

Role of nutrients and zooplankton in regulation of phytoplankton in Flathead Lake (Montana, U.S.A.), a large oligotrophic lake

1. Increased primary production in Flathead Lake during the 1980s has been variously attributed to increased nutrient loadings and/or decreases in zooplankton abundance resulting from the introduction of Mysis relicta . In order to assess the importance of these two factors in regulating the phytoplankton community in Flathead Lake, we manipulated zooplankton abundance and nutrient availability in a series of 5‐day enclosure experiments.
 2. Chlorophyll a levels were stimulated by simultaneous addition of nitrogen and phosphorus. At ambient nutrient levels, alteration of zooplankton density had no effect on chlorophyll a levels. Top‐down control through zooplankton grazing could only be demonstrated in treatments supplemented with nutrients. Under these conditions, there was a significant negative correlation between zooplankton abundance and final chlorophyll a levels.
 3. These results suggest that the phytoplankton community in Flathead Lake is regulated primarily by bottom‐up controls. Consequently, future management activities aimed at preventing further increases in algal growth in the lake should focus on nutrient abatement. Alteration of the upper trophic levels does not appear to have significantly affected phytoplankton abundance in the lake. Should nutrient levels increase in the future, then top‐down controls may become more important.
 4. A conceptual model is presented illustrating the relative importance of top‐down and bottom‐up controls across a trophic gradient.     

Long-term zooplankton composition data reveal impacts of invasions on community composition in the Waikato lakes,New Zealand

Data collected on zooplankton community composition over longer time periods (>?10 years) are rare. We examined among-lake spatial and temporal trends of zooplankton communities from a monitoring programme undertaken in the Waikato region, New Zealand. A total of 39 lakes were sampled over a period of 12 years, between 2007 and 2019, with varying degrees of temporal effort. We focussed particularly on eight lakes, considered here as ‘long-term lakes’, where samples were collected with greater regularity (including 5 with 12 years of data). Among lakes, suspended sediment concentrations and indicators of lake trophic state were inferred to be important in determining the zooplankton distributions; as this region is dominated by shallow lakes, the relative importance of suspended sediments was high. Among the long-term lakes, the greatest dissimilarities in zooplankton community composition among years were in Lake Waahi, where the Australian Boeckella symmetrica was first detected in 2012. That is, the greatest temporal changes to zooplankton composition during the study period were due to the invasion by non-indigenous species, rather than changes in trophic state or other environmental variables; non-native species commonly dominated the individual counts of species through much of 2014 and 2015, with most samples since 2016 being again dominated by native species. Following this lake, the largest and shallowest lakes in the dataset—Whangape and Waikare—exhibited the greatest variability in community composition among years.

     

Impact of chemical weapon destruction on the structure of lake zoohydrobiont community

Community structure of zoohydrobionts in the lake affected by chemical weapon destruction was studied for the first time. Low pH favored species specific to acidic water bodies as well as bidominant zooplankton community. The long-term effects of chemical pollution determined the stage of community succession, namely, the absence of the key predator (fishes), abundance of detritus consumers in the zoobenthic community (dipteran larvae), diversity of amphibiotic insects, and low species diversity in the zooplankton community with the prevalence of cladocerans and rotifers. Unbalanced composition of higher trophic levels results in an unstable functioning of the lake and accumulation of significant amounts of detritus, which is utilized by the abundant microzoobenthic component of the ecosystem.     

Diversity measures in macroinvertebrate and zooplankton communities related to the trophic status of subtropical reservoirs: Contradictory or complementary responses?

Macroinvertebrate communities have been widely used as a tool for assessing the environmental quality of freshwater ecosystems, whereas zooplankton communities have been to some extent neglected. However, the importance of using different indicators to achieve a more comprehensive framework of assessment regarding water quality has been recognized. This study compared estimates of species richness (number of species) and the Shannon–Wiener index for data on macroinvertebrate and zooplankton communities in tropical reservoirs and related them to their trophic state. The trop+hic classification was obtained by applying the Carlson index (1977) modified by Toledo et al. (1983), and the index of the Brazilian Society of the Environmental Technology Agency. The comparative response of the different indicators was analyzed using a series of bivariate correlations (Draftsman’s plot). The results illustrate that diversity measures, namely species richness, responded differently when related to the trophic classification of reservoirs, depending on the community considered. The species richness of zooplankton was positively related to hypereutrophic conditions, due to the higher number of rotifer species, including tolerant generalist species and at the same time, as a result of the exclusion of species from other groups, whereas for macroinvertebrates, species richness was negatively related to hypereutrophic conditions. Melanoides tuberculatus, which exhibits a high tolerance and competitive ability under such conditions, was the dominant species in macroinvertebrate communities, which excluded endemic species and reduced local richness and diversity. The same indicators applied to the zooplankton and macroinvertebrate communities might therefore provide contradictory responses regarding ecological quality assessment in tropical reservoirs, which suggest that zooplankton should be taken into account among the biological quality elements considered in the ecological quality assessment, management, and restoration of water bodies.     

Poor nutritional quality of primary producers and zooplankton driven by eutrophication is mitigated at upper trophic levels

Eutrophication and rising water temperature in freshwaters may increase the total production of a lake while simultaneously reducing the nutritional quality of food web components. We evaluated how cyanobacteria blooms, driven by agricultural eutrophication (in eutrophic Lake Köyliöjärvi) or global warming (in mesotrophic Lake Pyhäjärvi), influence the biomass and structure of phytoplankton, zooplankton, and fish communities. In terms of the nutritional value of food web components, we evaluated changes in the ω‐3 and ω‐6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) of phytoplankton and consumers at different trophic levels. Meanwhile, the lakes did not differ in their biomasses of phytoplankton, zooplankton, and fish communities, lake trophic status greatly influenced the community structures. The eutrophic lake, with agricultural eutrophication, had cyanobacteria bloom throughout the summer months whereas cyanobacteria were abundant only occasionally in the mesotrophic lake, mainly in early summer. Phytoplankton community differences at genus level resulted in higher arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) content of seston in the mesotrophic than in the eutrophic lake. This was also reflected in the EPA and DHA content of herbivorous zooplankton (Daphnia and Bosmina) despite more efficient trophic retention of these biomolecules in a eutrophic lake than in the mesotrophic lake zooplankton. Planktivorous juvenile fish (perch and roach) in a eutrophic lake overcame the lower availability of DHA in their prey by more efficient trophic retention and biosynthesis from the precursors. However, the most efficient trophic retention of DHA was found with benthivorous perch which prey contained only a low amount of DHA. Long‐term cyanobacterial blooming decreased the nutritional quality of piscivorous perch; however, the difference was much less than previously anticipated. Our result shows that long‐term cyanobacteria blooming impacts the structure of plankton and fish communities and lowers the nutritional quality of seston and zooplankton, which, however, is mitigated at upper trophic levels.     

Zooplankton communities of two lake outlets in relation to abiotic factors

We examined the quantitative and qualitative zooplankton community structure in two small rivers flowing out from lakes differing in trophic conditions. Within each river, three sites were chosen for the collection of drifted zooplankton: one at the outflow, and two at distances of 0.2 km and 1 km from the outflow. The most significant difference in zooplankton community between the outflow and the lower course of the river occurred in the first section directly after the outflow. These differences in the zooplankton community were driven largely by crustaceans, which declined faster in the river flowing out from the mesotrophic lake. Physical parameters mainly impacted the zooplankton community found in the river flowing from the mesotrophic lake; however, chemical parameters also had an impact in the river discharging from the strongly eutrophic lake.     

Planktonic indices in the evaluation of the ecological status and the trophic state of the longest lake in Poland

Due to the intensive mixing polymictic lakes should be homogenous. However, morphometric diversity and high water dynamics contribute to the differentiation of many parameters in various areas of the lakes. This study analyzes both phytoplankton and zooplankton to assess differences in water quality along the north–south axis of the longest lake in Poland. New phytoplankton indicators were applied for determining the lake's ecological status: the Q index based on functional groups and the PMPL (Phytoplankton Metric for Polish Lakes) index based on phytoplankton biomass. TSI_ROT index (Rotifer Trophic State Index), which comprises the percentage of species indicating a high trophic state in the indicatory group and the percentage of bacteriovorus in the Rotifera population, was used for zooplankton analysis.TP content was different at different sites – we observed its gradual increase from the south to the north. Spatial variation of phosphorus did not considerably affect plankton diversity. The phytoplankton was dominated by Oscillatoriales, typical of shallow, well-mixed eutrophic lakes. The ecological status of the lake based on the EQR (Ecological Quality Ratio) was poor or moderate. The zooplankton was dominated by rotifers (at almost all sites), which indicates a eutrophic state of the lake. The values of phytoplankton indices at the studied sites did not differ considerably; the differences resulted more from local conditions such as the contaminant inflow and the macrophyte development than water dynamics.We have demonstrated that in the lake dominated by filamentous Cyanobacteria the ecological status should be determined according to the PMPL index or other indices dependent on the dominant Cyanobacteria species. Since the Q index does not include the functional group S1, the results can lead to the false conclusion that water quality improves with an increased amount of phytoplankton. The high abundance of Cyanobacteria in the lake may have contributed to the poor growth of rotifers.     

湖北四湖泊营养类型与轮虫群落的关系

对湖北梁子湖水系不同营养类型(中营养型、富营养型)4个湖泊中轮虫的群落结构和物种多样性进行了周年研究,分析比较了不同营养类型湖泊的轮虫种类组成、分布、优势种组成、密度、生物量和多样性指数。结果表明：轮虫的种类数、物种多样性与营养水平呈负相关关系,轮虫密度大体上随营养水平提高而增大,富营养化引起轮虫空间异质性降低,受污染湖泊与非污染湖泊轮虫种类数、寡污性种类数及分布差异尤为明显。用多样性指数评价湖泊营养状态与TLIc方法一致。     

Functional diversity of crustacean zooplankton communities: towards a trait-based classification

1. While studies of phytoplankton and terrestrial plant communities have increasingly emphasised the use of functional traits in ecological research, few have yet to apply this approach to zooplankton communities.
2. This study reviews laboratory and observational studies on zooplankton feeding and life history and provides a series of functional trait tables for the North American freshwater zooplankton. Qualitative and quantitative trait tables highlight areas where data were more scarce and point to which types of studies could fill in gaps in our knowledge of zooplankton niches.
3. Data were most complete for the Cladocera across most traits, while feeding information for cyclopoids was most sparse. Qualitative data that distinguished congeneric species were lacking for most groups.
4. A regional community dendrogram for common north-eastern North American zooplankton species was generated and shows that taxonomic differences between species do not capture fully functional differences based on the traits of body length, habitat, trophic group and feeding type.
5. The data collected here, combined with readily measurable species attributes, can be used to generate a multivariate measure of the functional niche of each species found in a community. Armed with this information, functional relationships that are useful for ecological studies of lake ecosystems can be more easily conducted.     

Zooplankton in different types of estuaries (using Curonian and Vistula estuaries as an example)

Based upon the results of long-term monitoring of zooplankton in the Curonian and Vistula estuaries carried out by the author, specific features of the structure and functioning of the zooplankton communities are studied. It is shown that the zooplankton communities in the open (Vistula Bay) and closed (Curonina Bay) types of estuaries differ in the species structures, numbers, biomasses, and functioning. The similarity of the zooplankton communities of these estuaries has to do with the commonness of their trophic structure. The zooplankton community in the Vistula estuary is more affected by the gradient of abiotic factors than the Curonian bay community. The mechanism providing the stability of the zooplankton communities in the open-type estuaries is the energy flow through the omnivorous species and the increase in the number of facultative predators at the terminal links of the trophic chain. It is shown that the Vistula estuary zooplankton community has a higher specific productivity rate and a higher rate of its circulation and use.     

Between-year variations in the development of crustacean zooplankton in the Norwegian subalpine lake, Øvre Heimdalsvatn

Data from the International Biological Programme (IBP) and subsequent studies have been re-analysed to test the two hypotheses which previously have been suggested concerning the zooplankton in the mountain lake, Øvre Heimdalsvatn: (1) the average temperature in June, more than other summer months, is affecting the growth rate and population densities of zooplankton in the lake, (2) the invasion of the European minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus) has caused changes in the zooplankton community. The analyses have demonstrated that the June temperature strongly affects the growth rate of all the zooplankton species, but that there is no relationship with the population maxima. The species composition in the crustacean zooplankton has not changed between 1969 and 1999, and any direct impact of the minnows on the zooplankton community could not be detected. Indirectly, the minnows may have reduced the density of invertebrate predators, and thus caused an increase in juvenile survival and increased summer maximum density of Bosmina longispina. The variation in density of the copepod, Cyclops scutifer, was correlated with the density of Heterocope saliens, most likely the result of predator–prey interactions.     

Substitution of top predators: effects of pike invasion in a subarctic lake

1. Invasions of top predators may have strong cascading effects in ecosystems affecting both prey species abundance and lower trophic levels. A recently discussed factor that may enhance species invasion is climate change and in this context, we studied the effects of an invasion of northern pike into a subarctic lake ecosystem formerly inhabited by the native top predator Arctic char and its prey fish, ninespined stickleback. 2. Our study demonstrated a strong change in fish community composition from a system with Arctic char as top predator and high densities of sticklebacks to a system with northern pike as top predator and very low densities of sticklebacks. A combination of both predation and competition from pike is the likely cause of the extinction of char. 3. The change in top predator species also cascaded down to primary consumers as both zooplankton and predator‐sensitive macroinvertebrates increased in abundance. 4. Although the pike invasion coincided with increasing summer temperatures in the study area we have no conclusive evidence that the temperature increase is the causal mechanism behind the pike invasion. But still, our study provides possible effects of future pike invasions in mountain lakes related to climate change. We suggest that future pike invasions will have strong effects in lake ecosystems, both by replacing native top consumers and through cascading effects on lower trophic levels.     

Trophic role of rotifers in the plankton of lake Kozjak (Plitvice Lakes)

The trophic role of rotifers in the zooplankton community of dimictic, oligotrophic lake Kozjak, the largest lake of the Plitvice Lakes, NW Dinarid Mountains, is analyzed. Their spatial and temporal biomass distribution in relation to that of protozoans, cladocerans and copepods shows that they form a significant part of the non-predatory zooplankton of this karstic standing water.     

极端水文干旱下鄱阳湖浮游动物群落结构特征及其影响因素

2022年鄱阳湖流域发生了特大干旱事件,对鄱阳湖生态环境产生了严重影响。为揭示极端水文干旱年的鄱阳湖浮游动物群落结构特征及其主要影响因素,于2022年1月(冬季)、4月(春季)、7月(夏季)和10月(秋季)对鄱阳湖浮游动物进行了综合调查。本次调查共鉴定出浮游动物70种(轮虫40种、桡足类17种和枝角类13种),丰度和生物量范围分别为0—152.67个/L和0—1.52 mg/L。浮游动物群落结构具有较大的时空差异：在季节上,物种数夏季最多,丰度和生物量呈现夏季最高、秋季最低的特征,干旱季节的Shannon-Wiener多样性指数和优势种组成明显不同于非干旱季节;在空间上,南部湖区的物种数、丰度、生物量高于北部湖区,多样性指数在中部湖区最高、北部湖区最低。极端水文干旱年的物种数、丰度和生物量均明显低于往年同期,但空间上的差异较小。相关性分析和冗余分析结果表明,浮游动物群落结构在干旱季节和非干旱季节的主要影响因素存在明显差异,其中干旱季节浮游动物群落结构主要受水温、水位、硝态氮、氨氮等的共同影响,非干旱季节受化学需氧量和水位的影响较大。总体上,极端水文干旱使得鄱阳湖浮游动物群落结构稳定性较...