Environmental heterogeneity among lakes promotes hyper β‐diversity across phytoplankton communities

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The phytoplankton of some gravel-pit lakes in Spain

The phytoplankton communities of thirteen adjacent gravel-pit lakes in the lower Jarama river watershed (Madrid, Spain), were studied during spring mixing and summer stratification.If different seasons, the phytoplankton responded to different environmental factors. During spring, the abundance of SRP (soluble reactive phosphorus) and existence of a certain thermal stability resulted in the development of a greater biomass in some lakes. During summer, however, excessively high temperatures adversely affected the communities of the warmer lakes. At the species level, the responses were diverse; ordination techniques enabled us to group them.Some similarities were observed in phytoplankton composition between lakes, possibly due to local dispersion between adjacent lakes (frequented by abundant waterfowl).     

Comparison of the structure and composition of bacterial communities from temperate and tropical freshwater ecosystems

We used a partial 16S rRNA sequencing approach to compare the structure and composition of the bacterial communities in three large, deep subalpine lakes in France with those of communities in six shallow tropical reservoirs in Burkina Faso. Despite the very different characteristics of these ecosystems, we found that their bacterial communities share the same composition in regard to the relative proportions of the different phyla, suggesting that freshwater environmental conditions lead to convergence in this composition. In the same way, we found no significant difference in the richness and diversity of the bacterial communities in France and Burkina Faso. We defined core and satellite operational taxonomic units (OTUs) (sequences sharing at least 98% identity) on the basis of their abundance and their geographical distribution. The core OTUs were found either ubiquitously or only in temperate or tropical and subtropical areas, and they contained more than 70% of all the sequences retrieved in this study. In contrast, satellite OTUs were characterized by having a more restricted geographical distribution and by lower abundance. Finally, the bacterial community composition of these freshwater ecosystems in France and Burkina Faso was markedly different, showing that the history of these ecosystems and regional environmental parameters have a greater impact on the relative abundances of the different OTUs in each bacterial community than the local environmental conditions.     

Contrasting roles of water chemistry, lake morphology, land-use, climate and spatial processes in driving phytoplankton richness in the Danish landscape

Understanding of the forces driving the structure of biotic communities has long been an important focus for ecology, with implications for applied and conservation science. To elucidate the factors driving phytoplankton genus richness in the Danish landscape, we analyzed data derived from late-summer samplings in 195 Danish lakes and ponds in a spatially-explicit framework. To account for the uneven sampling of lakes in the monitoring data, we performed 1,000 permutations. A random set of 131 lakes was assembled and a single sample was selected randomly for each lake at each draw and all the analyses were performed on permuted data 1,000 times. The local environment was described by lake water chemistry, lake morphology, land-use in lake catchments, and climate. Analysis of the effects of four groups of environmental factors on the richness of the main groups of phytoplankton revealed contrasting patterns. Lake water chemistry was the strongest predictor of phytoplankton richness for all groups, while lake morphology also had a strong influence on Bacillariophyceae, Cyanobacteria, Dinophyceae, and Euglenophyceae richness. Climate and land-use in catchments contributed only little to the explained variation in phytoplankton richness, although both factors had a significant effect on Bacillariophyceae richness. Notably, total nitrogen played a more important role for phytoplankton richness than total phosphorus. Overall, models accounted for ca. 30% of the variation in genus richness for all phytoplankton combined as well as the main groups separately. Local spatial structure (<30 km) in phytoplankton richness suggested that connectivity among lakes and catchment-scale processes might also influence phytoplankton richness in Danish lakes.     

Influence of nutrients, submerged macrophytes and zooplankton grazing on phytoplankton biomass and diversity along a latitudinal gradient in Europe

In order to evaluate latitudinal differences in the relationship of phytoplankton biomass and diversity with environmental conditions in shallow lakes, we sampled 98 shallow lakes from three European regions: Denmark (DK), Belgium/The Netherlands (BNL) and southern Spain (SP). Phytoplankton biomass increased with total phosphorus (TP) concentrations and decreased with submerged macrophyte cover across the three regions. Generic richness was significantly negatively related to submerged macrophyte cover and related environmental variables. Zooplankton:phytoplankton biomass ratios were positively related to submerged macrophyte cover and negatively to phytoplankton generic richness in DK and BNL, suggesting that the low generic richness in lakes with submerged macrophytes was due to a higher zooplankton grazing pressure in these regions. In SP, phytoplankton generic richness was not influenced by zooplankton grazing pressure but related to conductivity. We observed no relationship between phytoplankton generic richness and TP concentration in any of the three regions. The three regions differed significantly with respect to mean local and regional generic richness, with BNL being more diverse than the other two regions. Our observations suggest that phytoplankton diversity in European shallow lakes is influenced by submerged macrophyte cover indirectly by modulating zooplankton grazing. This influence of submerged macrophytes and zooplankton grazing on phytoplankton diversity decreases from north to south.     

Temporal variation of phytoplankton in a small tropical crater lake, Costa Rica

The temporal variation in lake's phytoplankton is important to understand its general biodiversity. For tropical lakes, it has been hypothesized that they follow a similar pattern as temperate ones, on a much accelerated pace; nevertheless, few case studies have tried to elucidate this. Most studies in Costa Rica have used a monthly sampling scheme and failed in showing the expected changes. In this study, the phytoplankton of the small Barvas's crater lake was followed for more than three years, first with monthly and later with weekly samplings, that covered almost two years. Additional information on temperature and oxygen vertical profiles was obtained on a monthly basis, and surface temperature was measured during weekly samplings around noon. Results showed that in spite of its shallow condition (max. depth: 7m) and low surface temperature (11 to 19 degrees C), the lake stratifies at least for brief periods. The phytoplankton showed both, rapid change periods, and prolonged ones of relative stasis. The plankton composition fluctuated between three main phases, one characterized by the abundance of small sized desmids (Staurastrum paradoxum, Cosmarium asphaerosporum), a second phase dominated by equally small cryptomonads (Chryptochrysis minor, Chroomonas sp.) and a third phase dominated by the green alga Eutetramorus tetrasporus. Although data evidenced that monthly sampling could miss short term events, the temporal variation did not follow the typical dry and rainy seasons of the region, or any particular annual pattern. Year to year variation was high. As this small lake is located at the summit of Barva Volcano and receives the influence from both the Caribbean and the Pacific weather, seasonality at the lake is not clearly defined as in the rest of the country and short term variations in the local weather might have a stronger effect than broad seasonal trends. The occurrence of this short term changes in the phytoplankton of small tropical lakes in response to weather variations needs to be further explored in other lakes.     

Phytoplankton and its dynamics in two tropical lakes: a tropical and temperate zone comparison

Temporal patterns of phytoplankton biomass and community structure are described for two Kenyan lakes and subsequently compared with patterns reported in other tropical and temperate lakes. Lake Naivasha had a lower and more seasonally variable (10×) biomass, with a seasonal shift between diatoms and blue-greens, while the L. Oloidien biomass was less variable (3.7×) and dominated by blue-greens. Biomass and chlorophyll a were strongly correlated and in turn were coupled to the level of total phosphorus. A total of 143 and 94 taxa were described for L. Naivasha and L. Oloidien, respectively.The comparative analysis showed: a) a paucity of exclusively tropical species; b) that more than 30 percent of the species in two highly saline Kenyan lakes were also present in the two freshwater lakes; c) no evidence for a postulated decline of phytoplankton species abundance with latitude from the temperate zone to the tropics; d) that the low fraction of chrysophyte biomass in tropical lakes is a function of trophy rather than of latitude; e) that the fraction of chlorophyte biomass in tropical lakes is generally higher than in temperate lakes; f) that the proportion of nannoplankton in the two Kenyan freshwater lakes is not different from that in temperate lakes of the same trophy; g) that seasonal or annual biomass oscillations in the tropics are not systematically lower than in the temperate zone; h) evidence for large inter-year difference in the max.:min. biomass ratio in the only tropical lake (L. Naivasha) for which such data are available; i) that an average biomass ratio appears predictable for tropical lakes from the proportion of the sediment surface in contact with epilimnetic water. Overall, no evidence was found that the freshwater tropical phytoplankton composition or dynamics differ in any fundamental fashion from that observed in the temperate lakes during the summer.Contribution number 147 of the Limnology Research Centre, McGill University.     

Phytoplankton growth and stoichiometric responses to warming,nutrient addition and grazing depend on lake productivity and cell size

Global change involves shifts in multiple environmental factors that act in concert to shape ecological systems in ways that depend on local biotic and abiotic conditions. Little is known about the effects of combined global change stressors on phytoplankton communities, and particularly how these are mediated by distinct community properties such as productivity, grazing pressure and size distribution. Here, we tested for the effects of warming and eutrophication on phytoplankton net growth rate and C:N:P stoichiometry in two phytoplankton cell size fractions (<30 µm and >30 µm) in the presence and absence of grazing in microcosm experiments. Because effects may also depend on lake productivity, we used phytoplankton communities from three Dutch lakes spanning a trophic gradient. We measured the response of each community to multifactorial combinations of temperature, nutrient, and grazing treatments and found that nutrients elevated net growth rates and reduced carbon:nutrient ratios of all three phytoplankton communities. Warming effects on growth and stoichiometry depended on nutrient supply and lake productivity, with enhanced growth in the most productive community dominated by cyanobacteria, and strongest stoichiometric responses in the most oligotrophic community at ambient nutrient levels. Grazing effects were also most evident in the most oligotrophic community, with reduced net growth rates and phytoplankton C:P stoichiometry that suggests consumer‐driven nutrient recycling. Our experiments indicate that stoichiometric responses to warming and interactions with nutrient addition and grazing are not universal but depend on lake productivity and cell size distribution.     

Role of atelomixis in replacement of phytoplankton assemblages in Dom Helvécio Lake, South-East Brazil

Scale and frequency of changes in a lake’s physical structure, light dynamics, and availability of nutrients are closely related to phytoplankton ecology. Since phytoplankton assemblages were first described, phytoplankton ecologists concluded that these assemblages provide insight into phytoplankton responses to environmental changes. Objectives of this study were to investigate ecology of phytoplankton during a complete hydrological cycle in the deepest natural lake in Brazil, Dom Helvécio, and to sort species into the list of assemblages, checking its accordance with environmental changes in a tropical system within the middle Rio Doce Lake district, South-East Brazil. Canonical Correspondence Analysis, t-test, Mann–Whitney U-test, and Kruskal–Wallis test were used to analyze climatological, environmental, and plankton data, which were obtained monthly in 2002. A new phytoplankton assemblage, N_A (atelomixis-dependent desmids), is suggested because atelomixis (robust movement of water occurring once a day) contributed to replacement of species in Dom Helvécio Lake. Stability of stratification, water chemistry, and composition of phytoplankton assemblages characterized two periods. The first period occurred in six rainy months (Jan–Mar and Oct–Dec) when the lake was stratified and phytoplankton was dominated by two assemblages: N_A and F. The second period occurred in six dry months (Apr–Sep) when the lake was nonstratified and phytoplankton was dominated by four assemblages: S2, X1, A, and L_O. Results suggest that phytoplankton in Dom Helvécio Lake was shaped by seasonal and daily changes of water temperature, even with its lower amplitude of variation within 2002 (El Niño year). These changes promoted water column stratification or mixing, reduced light, and increased nutrient availability. Temperature, therefore, is similarly important to phytoplankton ecology in tropical regions as it is in temperate ones. Sorting phytoplankton species into assemblages matched well with environmental changes and periods identified so it is also suggested that this can be further used as an appropriate tool to manage water quality when evaluating tropical lakes.     

The relative importance of dispersal and local processes in structuring phytoplankton communities in a set of highly interconnected ponds

1. The recognition that both local and regional processes act together in shaping local communities makes determining their relative roles in natural communities central to understanding patterns in community structure. 2. We investigated the relative influence of these processes on the phytoplankton communities of a highly interconnected pond system. We sampled the phytoplankton communities of 28 ponds concurrently with 20 local environmental variables. 3. We found that phytoplankton community variation, in terms of both phytoplankton community composition (PCC) and diversity, was only significantly explained by local environmental variables. These were mainly associated with the contrasting clear‐water and turbid ecological states of the shallow ponds studied. Clear‐water conditions favoured only a few taxa, resulting in a significantly lower taxon diversity and richness under these conditions. 4. The failure to explain variation in PCC by a dispersal model based on the water flow between ponds points at very effective species sorting. This is attributed to the high population turn‐over rates and sensitivity to environmental conditions of phytoplankton communities. Some evidence was found, however, that dispersal influences local communities through mass effects between neighbouring ponds. 5. Overall, our results emphasize both the strong selection pressure that components of the food web exert on phytoplankton communities and the high potential of these communities to respond to such environmental change, thereby effectively opposing the homogenizing effects of continuous dispersal.     

Large-scale multi-trophic co-response models and environmental control of pelagic food webs in Québec lakes

Environmental heterogeneity plays a fundamental role in driving species distributions by, for one, fostering niche dimensionality. Within lake ecosystems, species distributions and concordance patterns are driven by both local and regional heterogeneity, though their relative importance across trophic levels has rarely been explored. We developed a statistical framework to compare responses of taxa from different trophic levels to abiotic factors and determine how this affected multi-trophic network structures. In particular, we used multi-species concordance modelling (concordance analysis and RV coefficient) to determine species associations and correlations within and among three trophic levels (phytoplankton, zooplankton and fish communities sampled across 49 southern Québec lakes, covering eight hydrological regions). We then used multiple factor analysis, latent variable modelling and local contributions of sites to beta diversity to assess the relative importance of major environmental gradients in structuring species co-responses and species interaction turnover across the landscape. Our analyses confirmed that concordant species within each trophic level varied jointly or segregated into different pelagic food webs in Québec lakes where important acidification and eutrophication took place. Some keynote species were indicators of different food web compartments and distinguished groups of lakes along multiple environmental niche dimensions. Among the three trophic levels examined, zooplankton depicted the highest proportion of species concordance and appeared to act as a trophic linkage between phytoplankton and fish. Ultimately, the losses or gains in species richness and species interactions were strongly driven by environmental gradients. This study provides for the first time a combined analysis of the effects of environmental heterogeneity on ecological communities belonging to three trophic levels sampled near simultaneously across an 800 km broad lacustrine landscape. The new framework developed in this study has a great potential to better understand the complex response of aquatic ecosystems in a world increasingly affected by multiple, cumulative stressors.     

Phytoplankton and Zooplankton Associations in a Set of Alpine High Altitude Lakes: Geographic Distribution and Ecology

Species composition and interactions, biomass dominance, geographic distribution and driving variables were investigated for two key elements of the pelagic food web of Alpine lakes, the phytoplankton and the zooplankton, based on a single sampling campaign during summer 2000. Altogether, 70 lakes were surveyed, 49 of which located in three different lake districts of the west and eastern Italian Alps and 21 in the central Austrian Alps (within the uppermost Danube catchment). In addition to the analysis of environmental variables affecting distribution and species structure of the two planktonic compartments, a brief review of the main research lines and hypotheses adopted in the past for the study of phytoplankton and zooplankton in high Alpine lakes is given. The lakes, investigated partly within the European project EMERGE (EVK1-CT-1999-00032) and partly within a regional project in the eastern Alps, comprise a wide range of morphological, chemical and trophic conditions. The phytoplankton communities were found to be diverse and mostly dominated by flagellates (chrysophytes, cryptophytes and dinoflagellates), and only to a lesser extent by non-motile green algae, desmids and centric diatoms. The zooplankton communities were mainly dominated by Alpine cladocerans and copepod species, while rotifers were abundant within one group of Italian lakes (sampled in early summer). The multivariate statistical analyses (CCA) showed that catchment features (i.e. percentage of vegetation cover and geochemical composition) and nitrate concentration are essential drivers for the phytoplankton, whereas for zooplankton also trophic status of the lakes and phytoplankton structure are important. The combined variance analysis of the lake clusters outlined by the multivariate analyses on phytoplankton and zooplankton data, respectively, allowed the identification of four principal lake types (three located on siliceous and one on carbonaceous bedrock), each one characterised by a certain combination of habitat features, which in their turn influence trophic state, and phytoplankton and zooplankton species composition and functionality.     

Intraspecific phenotypic variation in a fish predator affects multitrophic lake metacommunity structure

Contemporary insights from evolutionary ecology suggest that population divergence in ecologically important traits within predators can generate diversifying ecological selection on local community structure. Many studies acknowledging these effects of intraspecific variation assume that local populations are situated in communities that are unconnected to similar communities within a shared region. Recent work from metacommunity ecology suggests that species dispersal among communities can also influence species diversity and composition but can depend upon the relative importance of the local environment. Here, we study the relative effects of intraspecific phenotypic variation in a fish predator and spatial processes related to plankton species dispersal on multitrophic lake plankton metacommunity structure. Intraspecific diversification in foraging traits and residence time of the planktivorous fish alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) among coastal lakes yields lake metacommunities supporting three lake types which differ in the phenotype and incidence of alewife: lakes with anadromous, landlocked, or no alewives. In coastal lakes, plankton community composition was attributed to dispersal versus local environmental predictors, including intraspecific variation in alewives. Local and beta diversity of zooplankton and phytoplankton was additionally measured in response to intraspecific variation in alewives. Zooplankton communities were structured by species sorting, with a strong influence of intraspecific variation in A. pseudoharengus. Intraspecific variation altered zooplankton species richness and beta diversity, where lake communities with landlocked alewives exhibited intermediate richness between lakes with anadromous alewives and without alewives, and greater community similarity. Phytoplankton diversity, in contrast, was highest in lakes with landlocked alewives. The results indicate that plankton dispersal in the region supplied a migrant pool that was strongly structured by intraspecific variation in alewives. This is one of the first studies to demonstrate that intraspecific phenotypic variation in a predator can maintain contrasting patterns of multitrophic diversity in metacommunities.     

The distribution and periodicity of the phytoplankton of three Ceylon lakes

Summary The phytoplankton of three Ceylon lakes, two situated in the warm lowlands and one in the cool mountains has been investigated. Certain similarities and differences in regard to growth, distribution and periodicity of the plankton algae are discussed and related to environmental conditions.The lowland lakes are dominated by Myxophyceae which form 95% and 87% of the phytoplankton respectively, while in the mountain lake, which is temperate rather than tropical, Diatoms form 65% of the phytoplankton. Of the lowland lakes that in the centre of the densely populated city of Colombo has an algal productivity which is two and a half times as great as that situated in a vast area of uncultivated land. The mountain lake, surrounded by cultivated hills, occupies an intermediate position between the low country lakes in regard to productivity.The environmental factors mainly affecting algal growth, distribution and periodicity in these lakes are temperature, rainfall, sunshine, movement of the water, amount of influx of organic matter and nature of the surrounding soil. In assessing the effect of rainfall consideration has been given not only to the total precipitation, but also to its intensity and the occurrence of periods of drought between those of heavy rainfall.Part of thesis (Ceylonese Plankton Algae) approved for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the University of London and lodged in the Library of that University.     

Effects of arsenate and copper on the algal communities in polluted lakes in the northern parts of Sweden assayed by PICT (Pollution-Induced Community Tolerance)

The tolerance for arsenate and copper in the carbon dioxide fixation activity of phytoplankton communities coming from lakes around the smelter at Rönnskär at the Swedish east-coast were measured during three years (1989–1991). The smelter have for several decades discharged arsenic and heavy metals into the air, and their concentrations in the lakes were clearly correlated with the distance from the smelter. The tolerance of communities from the three most polluted lakes were higher than communities from reference lakes with background concentrations of arsenic and copper. In accordance with the PICT concept it is indicated that those communities have been affected by these substances. These communities also had lower diversity than the others, but no clear correlation could be done with phytoplankton species number, or between phytoplankton biomass and pollution levels.     

Phytoplankton community composition in Lake Xolotlán (Managua)

Results of two years of research on phytoplankton species composition in Lake Xolotlán (Managua) are presented. A summary of the planktonic algae from other Nicaraguan lakes is also included. One hundred and twenty phytoplankton taxa were identified. A list of species and comments about relevant properties of the most frequent taxa are given. The qualitative composition of Lake Xolotlán phytoplankton is compared with that of other tropical waterbodies.     

Nutrient limitation of phytoplankton communities in Subarctic lakes and ponds in Wapusk National Park, Canada

We determined the limiting nutrient of phytoplankton in 21 lakes and ponds in Wapusk National Park, Canada, using nutrient enrichment bioassays to assess the response of natural phytoplankton communities to nitrogen and phosphorus additions. The goal was to determine whether these Subarctic lakes and ponds were nutrient (N or P) limited, and to improve the ability to predict future impacts of increased nutrient loading associated with climate change. We found that 38% of lakes were not limited by nitrogen or phosphorus, 26% were co-limited by N and P, 26% were P-limited and 13% were N-limited. TN/TP, DIN/TP and NO₃ ⁻/TP ratios from each lake were compared to the Redfield ratio to predict the limiting nutrient; however, these predictors only agreed with 29% of the bioassay results, suggesting that nutrient ratios do not provide a true measure of nutrient limitation within this region. The N-limited lakes had significantly different phytoplankton community composition with more chrysophytes and Anabaena sp. compared to all other lakes. N and P limitation of phytoplankton communities within Wapusk National Park lakes and ponds suggests that increased phytoplankton biomass may result in response to increased nutrient loading associated with environmental change.     

Phytoplankton diversity (alpha,beta, and gamma) from the Araguaia River tropical floodplain lakes (central Brazil)

Alpha, beta and gamma are three components of species diversity. Knowing these attributes in floodplain lake phytoplankton communities is vital when selecting conservation areas. Species diversity is commonly used with other taxonomic groups, but rarely with phytoplankton. We compared the number of phytoplankton species (alpha diversity) from 21 Middle Araguaia River floodplain lakes in the 2000 and 2001 rainy and dry seasons. From these samples we estimated complete survey species richness (gamma diversity), quantified differences in species composition between lakes (beta diversity) and assessed the influence of abiotic variables on beta diversity. We recorded a total of 577 taxa. The Sjack1 estimator indicated that 62.31% of taxa were sampled in the 2000 rainy and 67.65% dry seasons, and 68.36% in the 2001 rainy and 73.5% dry seasons. In almost all seasons, alpha diversity negatively correlated with latitude. Beta diversity (β-1) was higher in high water periods, especially in 2000. This may have been caused by isolated heavy rainfall, which would have increased environmental heterogeneity and raised beta diversity. DCA showed differences in phytoplankton composition between rainy and dry seasons in 2000 and 2001, reflecting the influence of flood pulses on phytoplankton composition. The Mantel test indicated spatial distribution patterns where geographically more distant lakes had less-similar phytoplankton communities. Handling editor: J. Padisak     

The role of spatial scale and area in determining richness-altitude gradients in Swedish lake phytoplankton communities

Lake phytoplankton richness data were analyzed to reveal the effects of area and scale on the richness-elevation relationship. Lakes provide a unique opportunity to accomplish this because of their well-defined boundaries, which clearly define local communities and their habitat area. Local phytoplankton richness (alpha diversity) was found to decrease with increasing elevation, even when the effect of lake area was accounted for. This decrease coincided with a decrease in lake productivity with increasing elevation. Additionally, pairwise dissimilarity calculations suggested that isolation by distance was less important in structuring local phytoplankton richness than isolation by either elevation or environmental distance. In contrast, phytoplankton richness calculated for elevation bands (gamma diversity) showed a hump-shaped dependence on elevation, with a mid-elevation maximum, consistent with the predictions of a mid-domain null model. Moreover, mean pairwise dissimilarity within elevation bands shows compositional dissimilarity to be highest at high elevations and low environmental distances, emphasizing the isolated character of high-elevation lakes. We suggest that the form of the phytoplankton richness-elevation relationship is scale-dependent, and that geometric constraints, differences in the possibility of horizontal and vertical dispersal, environmental heterogeneity and an underlying monotonic trend in productivity, are likely to be responsible for the patterns in alpha and gamma diversity observed along elevation gradients.     

Environmental rather than spatial factors structure bacterioplankton communities in shallow lakes along a > 6000 km latitudinal gradient in South America

Metacommunity studies on lake bacterioplankton indicate the importance of environmental factors in structuring communities. Yet most of these studies cover relatively small spatial scales. We assessed the relative importance of environmental and spatial factors in shaping bacterioplankton communities across a > 6000 km latitudinal range, studying 48 shallow lowland lakes in the tropical, tropicali (isothermal subzone of the tropics) and tundra climate regions of South America using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. Bacterioplankton community composition (BCC) differed significantly across regions. Although a large fraction of the variation in BCC remained unexplained, the results supported a consistent significant contribution of local environmental variables and to a lesser extent spatial variables, irrespective of spatial scale. Upon correction for space, mainly biotic environmental factors significantly explained the variation in BCC. The abundance of pelagic cladocerans remained particularly significant, suggesting grazer effects on bacterioplankton communities in the studied lakes. These results confirm that bacterioplankton communities are predominantly structured by environmental factors, even over a large‐scale latitudinal gradient (6026 km), and stress the importance of including biotic variables in studies that aim to understand patterns in BCC.