Zooplankton densities in a Hydrilla infested lake

The number of individuals and species of zooplankton were sampled concurrently with Hydrilla biomass and water quality for one year in a small, eutrophic central Florida lake. Throughout the study, rotifer species and individuals dominated the zooplankton. The abundance of the zooplankton tended to remain high when Hydrilla biomass was at its seasonal low during late winter and early spring. When hydrilla growth increased in the late spring and summer months causing a decrease in total alkalinity, specific conductivity, water color, turbidity, orthophosphate and chlorophyll a concentrations; the abundance of the zooplankton declined. During this time, there was a shift from limnetic to littoral species, principally rotifers. Hydrilla growth did not affect the mean number of cladoceran or copepod species, but may have led to an increase in rotifer species.     

Food limitation and seasonal population declines of rotifers

Summary Keratella cochlearis exhibited consistent seasonal abundance patterns during a four-year study in Little Rock Lake, Wisconsin, U.S.A. In each year, spring population peaks were followed by strong summer reductions. Concomitant with population declines, there were reductions in rotifer egg ratios. Keratella taurocephala abundance patterns were similar to those of K. cochlearis during 1984 and 1985, but not in 1986 and 1987, when spring peaks and summer declines were not apparent. However, summer declines in the egg ratio of K. taurocephala were observed during each year. The reduction in rotifer populations simultaneously with decreased egg ratios suggested that population declines were caused by food limitation. Food-addition experiments conducted in situ in small enclosures indicated that food was limiting for K. cochlearis when its populations were declining, but not during other periods of the year. Keratella taurocephala did not show a consistent response to food addition.     

Regulation of rotifer densities by crustacean zooplankton in an oligotrophic montane lake in British Columbia

Summary To examine the relative demographic effects of predation and competition for food in rotifers during spring and summer in an oligotrophic lake, predator and competitor densities and food supplies were experimentally altered inside large enclosures. Abundances of rotifer species were positively correlated with experimental densities of fourth instar Chaoborus trivittatus larvae, a major crustacean predator in 1976. Experimental alteration of the densities of Daphnia rosea and Diaptomus leptopus and D. kenai in 1978 produced highly significant increases in rotifer biomass only under Daphnia removal, but not under copepod removal. Inorganic fertilizer additions to enclosures in 1978 and 1979 revealed minimal rotifer increases unless pulsed additions were large or Daphnia were also excluded. Large demographic reponses of rotifers to low fertilizer loadings in the absence of Daphnia confirmed the pre-eminence of competitive food limitation in producing rotifer scarcity in summer.     

Rotifer–crustacean interactions in a pseudokarstic lake: influence of hydrology

Zooplankton abundance was related to hydrological and environmental variables in a hydrologically dynamic lake fed by a pseudokarstic aquifer. The study period (2002–2006) in Lake Tovel covered different hydrological situations with water residence time (WRT) having the lowest values in 2002 and the highest values in 2003. WRT was negatively correlated with silica concentrations and algal biovolume. Furthermore, the biovolume of small algae was highest in spring and summer, while large algae did not show any pattern. In multivariate analysis, high abundance of crustacean species in autumn and winter was positively related to WRT and negatively to algal biovolume, while high abundance of rotifer species in spring and summer was negatively related to WRT and positively to algal biovolume. With the exception of Keratella cochlearis and Gastropus stylifer, rotifers showed a pattern of crustacean avoidance, and three groups were distinguished: (i) Ascomorpha ecaudis and Polyarthra dolichoptera, (ii) Asplanchna priodonta and Synchaeta spp., and (iii) Filinia terminalis and Keratella quadrata. These groups were associated with different food sources and depths. We suggest that WRT influenced the rotifer–crustacean relationship by wash-out effects and competition for food resources. The dynamics of single rotifer species were attributable to specific feeding requirements and adaptations. In summary, WRT determined the platform for abiotic and biotic interactions that influenced population dynamics of crustaceans and rotifers.     

Summer zooplankton dynamics in the limnetic and littoral zones of a humic acid lake

The limnetic and littoral zooplankton were studied during summer 1989 in Triangle Lake, a humic acid (pH 4.9) bog lake in Ohio, USA. The limnetic zooplankton showed low species richness and biomass, and dominance by the rotifers Kellicottia bostoniensis and Polyarthra vulgaris. In the littoral, species richness and biomass were markedly higher, and the crustaceans Alona guttata, Ceriodaphnia quadrangula, Chydorus sphaericus, Simocephalus serrulatus and Tropocyclops prasinus, and the rotifer Ascomorpha ecaudis were the dominants. The extreme rotifer dominance and lack of cladocerans in the limnetic zone were likely the result of Chaoborus predation. A pronounced mid-summer decline in cladoceran biomass in the littoral was likely due to predation by T. prasinus and Utricularia (bladderwort).     

Relationships between zooplankton community structure and phytoplankton in two lime-treated eutrophic hardwater lakes

1. North Halfmoon Lake and Lofty Lake (Alberta, Canada) were chosen for whole-lake liming experiments as a new restoration technology to enhance calcite precipitation and reduce eutrophication. During a 3-year study (1991–93) the relationships between zooplankton and phytoplankton were assessed, together with the effects of lime additions. 2. Zooplankton communities were numerically dominated by rotifers, while the major contribution to biomass was due to large filter-feeding Daphnia during the first half of the summer season. In Lofty Lake, cladocerans made up to 93% of biomass, whereas in North Halfmoon Lake both cladocerans and calanoids were strongly represented. 3. Total zooplankton and cladoceran biomasses were inversely correlated with chlorophyll a (chl a). The same relationship was found between large Daphnia (≥ 1 mm) and chl a. These relationships suggest that the decline in Daphnia may have been caused by an increase in cyanobacteria biomass during bloom events. 4. There were minor changes in rotifer populations after liming; however, these changes have been caused by natural year-to-year variation rather than liming. In general, cladocerans showed an increase in body size and population biomass when pre and post-treatment data were compared by means of ANCOVA. Statistical analysis showed that there were more cladocerans per unit of chl a after liming; however, further research is needed to relate these patterns unambiguously to the application of lime as a restoration technology.     

Leptodora kindti and Flexible Foraging Behaviour of Fish – Factors behind the Delayed Biomass Peak of Cladocerans in Lake Hiidenvesi

In the eutrophic L. Hiidenvesi, the spring biomass maximum of cladoceran zooplankton is missing and the highest biomass takes place in July–August. The factors behind the delayed biomass peak were studied in four different basins of the lake with concomitant data on cladocerans assemblages, density of the predatory cladoceran Leptodora kindti and food composition of fish. In all the basins, the abundance of Leptodora peaked in June, being highest (up to 800 ind. m^–3) in the two most shallow basins (max depth < 4 m). The duration of the high population density was short and in July‐August Leptodora density stayed below 200 ind. m^–3, although the water temperature was still favourable. The collapse of the Leptodora population coincided with the change in the feeding habits of fish. In early summer, fish predation was targeted mainly on copepods and zoobenthos, while in high summer Leptodora was one of the main preys of perch, white bream and bleak. The biomass of herbivorous cladocerans was below 10 μg C l^–1 in June, and climbed to a maximum in August in the two most shallow basins (34 and 76 μg C l^–1), in July in the deepest basin (27 μg C l^–1), and in September in the intermediate basin (55 μg C l^–1). In the two most shallow basins, the death rate of the dominating cladoceran, Daphnia cristata, closely followed the food consumption rate by the Leptodora population. In the deeper basins, the agreement was not so close, smelts (Osmerus eperlanus) and chaoborids being important predators of herbivores. The duration of the period of high Leptodora density thus depended on the predation pressure by fish, while the increased fish predation on Leptodora in July–August allowed the elevation of the biomass of herbivorous cladocerans.     

Microcrustacean community structure and biomass in marsh and lake habitats of the Okefenokee Swamp: seasonal dynamics and responses to resource manipulations

Microcrustacean community and biomass dynamics were studied for two years in a Nymphaea-Eriocaulon macrophyte marsh and a nearby shallow lake which lacked macrophytes in the Okefenokee Swamp. In this blackwater, acidic wetland, microcrustacean diversity and biomass were similar to other circumneutral lakes and littoral areas, contributing to a productive fish assemblage. In the lake, the annual biomass pattern (15–1627 μg 1⁻¹) was unimodal and was dominated by the crustaceans Diaptomus sinuatus and Eubosmina tubicen. Rotifers were occasionally important, constituting up to 55% of total biomass. Over the long term, mean annual biomass in this post-drought study are higher than in pre-drought years. In the marsh, biomass (11–777 μg 1⁻¹) fluctuated biomodally with late winter depressions corresponding to low temperatures and midsummer declines indicative of increasing fish predation. Summer dominance shifted between years from Macrothricidae in 1982 to Sididae in 1983. Variation in biomass correlated most strongly with algal chlorophyll in the marsh and with bacterial density in the lake. In field enclosure experiments in which primary production was reduced by shading, microcrustacean responses varied between lake and marsh habitats and with season. Lake zooplankton were consistently suppressed by reduced algal resources in winter, spring and summer experiments, with greatest responses to shading in the summer. Marsh microcrustacea were most affected in the winter experiment and became less sensitive to manipulated resource levels in spring and summer. Decoupling of these consumers from autotrophic resources in the marsh, but not in the lake, coincides with times of high macrophyte turnover and warming temperatures which promote the conversion of detritus into heterotrophic resources such as bacteria. The conflict between interactions implied by the experimental approach vs statistical criteria emphasizes a need to interpret resource dependence from seasonal dynamics of field populations with caution.     

The role of mixotrophic protists in the population dynamics of the microbial food web in a small artificial pond

• 1 The seasonal variations of protist and rotifer populations were monitored over 1 year in a small artificial pond. Grazing rates on fluorescently labelled bacteria were also determined.
• 2 The data showed population dynamics similar to other small freshwater bodies; diatoms were numerous during the spring, chlorophytes dominated during the summer months, and mixotrophs, in particular Gymnodinium, dominated during the autumn and winter.
• 3 The mixotrophic dinoflagellates were responsible for a high chlorophyll concentration during the autumn and winter. Mixotrophs were important consumers of bacteria, particularly during the autumn when population densities of pure heterotrophs were low. Mixotrophs were an important component of the microbial food web in this pond.

     

The zooplankton of the lower river Meuse, Belgium: seasonal changes and impact of industrial and municipal discharges

Between 1991 and 1993, samples were collected upstream and downstream of the industrial basin and urban centre of Liège. Rotifers and crustaceans (cladocerans and copepods) were identified and counted. Their population dynamics were related to physical and chemical factors (temperature, oxygen, ammonium, nitrates, nitrites, phosphates) and to phytoplankton biomass. The zooplankton was dominated by rotifers; crustaceans (cladocerans and copepods) were less abundant. There was a succession of groups and species, some thriving in the spring and others in summer or autumn. The dominant rotifer species were Brachionus calyciflorus Pallas, Brachionus angularis Gosse, Keratella cochlearis (Gosse) and Synchaeta spp.; B. calyciflorus and B. angularis are spring species. K. cochlearis was present between May and November. Crustacean biomass was important in summer and autumn, but the faunal spectrum and biomass also varied with sampling location. Low spring and summer discharges allowed the phytoplankton to develop significantly. The zooplankton development followed a similar pattern. During low flow, when plankton populations become established, some declines in phytoplankton could only be explained by sedimentation and grazing pressure by zooplankton. Although these factors provided a good explanation of the longitudinal variation, some local conditions (e.g. oxygen deficit, high level of phosphate) also induced changes (e.g. industrial and municipal waste water discharge).     

Seasonal Rotifer Dynamics in the Long-term (1969–2002) Record from Lake Kinneret (Israel)

Long-term (1969–2002) data record of biomass distribution of rotifers in Lake Kinneret is combined with previously published information on their metabolic activity and newly calculated population dynamics parameters to synthesize a model of their seasonal dynamics in Lake Kinneret. Nineteen rotifer species were recorded in routine samples collected in Lake Kinneret (Israel) in 7 offshore (deeper than 5 m), stations, at 12 discrete depths during 1969–2002. Organisms were sorted and counted (including external egg carrying females), biomass was measured and calculated for the entire lake stock (g_w.w m⁻²; mg l⁻¹). Rates of grazing, respiration and production were measured experimentally at three different temperature ranges. Results were extrapolated to the lake community for months with similar temperatures. Rotifera comprised 7% of total zooplankton biomass in Lake Kinneret whilst Cladocera and Copepoda 58 and 35% respectively. Rotifers were found to be more abundant during December–June and decline in summer months. Monthly (1969–2001) means indicated total grazing capacity of rotifers as 11%, respiration as 9% and production as 3.7% of the total zooplankton metabolic activity. Positive relations were indicated between rotifer and small bodied cladoceran numerical concentrations. Population growth models suggest that rotifers are not food limited in Lake Kinneret but that fish predation plays an important role in regulating abundance in spring-summer and fall.     

Competitive interactions between the rotifer Synchaeta oblonga and the cladoceran Scapholeberis kingi Sars

Competition experiments showed that the small cladoceran Scapholeberis kingi rapidly excluded the rotifer Synchaeta oblonga from mixed-species cultures, but was itself unaffected by the presence of S. oblonga. Short-term experiments testing the effect of S. kingi on the survivorship and reproduction of S. oblonga showed that the former imposed a high mortality on the latter, even though shared food resources were abundant. These results indicate that adult S. kingi mechanically interferes with S. oblonga either by ingesting, or by rejecting in a damaged condition, individuals swept into its branchial chamber. In contrast to many other small species of cladocerans, and like large species of Daphnia, S. kingi has the potential to markedly suppress populations of some rotifer species through a combination of interference and exploitative competition.     

Analysis of protein,carbohydrate and lipid in rotifers

Protein, carbohydrate and lipid amounts were determined for several rotifer species collected directly from the field. Brachionus calyciflorus was the most abundant species; therefore making possible more data for it. An increase in protein content of this species occurred when its concentration in food (µg protein/ml) also increased. Keratella tropica showed a similar pattern, but Asplanchna brightwelli did not.Carbohydrate proved to be the main form of storage in rotifers. In Brachionus calyciflorus females bearing no egg, 8% of the total biomass was carbohydrate; in females bearing one egg, 15% carbohydrate was found. Lipid does not appear to be used for storage since no increase in the amount of lipid was detected in females bearing eggs or embryos. This suggests that lipid has a structural function. Finally, a relationship between rotifer body volume and protein content at a given food concentration was obtained. The cladoceran Daphnia magna follows the same pattern.     

Seasonal changes in zooplankton abundance in the lower Rhine during 1987–1991

Zooplankton in the River Rhine was surveyed for five years at the Dutch sampling stations, Lobith (German/Dutch border) and Maassluis (at the point of discharge of the river into the North Sea). The zooplankton abundance showed an apparent seasonal pattern at both stations, characterized by low densities during the winter period, and higher densities during the summer period, with a spring peak. Zooplankton was dominated by rotifers at both stations, although during the winter periods the contribution of copepods was considerable. The rotifers were dominated byBrachionus angularis, B. calyciflorus, Keratella cochlearis andK. quadrata; the copepods by cyclopoid nauplii; the cladocerans by small-sized species mainly belonging toBosmina. At Maassluis the relative contribution of copepods was higher than at Lobith. Furthermore, the zooplankton at Maassluis included the speciesEurytemora affinis, characteristic for estuarine conditions. In spring, the rotifer density and water temperature and rotifer density and chlorophylla concentration were positively correlated. Furthermore, both rotifer density and chlorophylla were inversely correlated with discharge. The possible role of environmental factors (water temperature, chlorophyll content, discharge and biotic factors) controlling the river zooplankton dynamics is indicated.     

Seasonal succession of zooplankton in the north basin of Lake Biwa

To examine the seasonal succession of the entire zooplankton community in Lake Biwa, zooplankton biomass (on an areal basis) and its distribution patterns among crustaceans, rotifers and ciliates were studied in the north basin from April 1997 to June 1998. Seasonal changes in phytoplankton and population dynamics of Daphnia galeata were also examined to assess food condition and predation pressure by fish. From March to November, crustaceans dominated zooplankton biomass, but rotifers and ciliates were dominant from December to February. Among crustaceans, Eodiaptomus japonicus was the most abundant species, followed by D. galeata. Zooplankton biomass increased from January to a peak in early April, just before the spring bloom of phytoplankton, then decreased in mid-April when mortality rate of D. galeata increased. From mid-June, zooplankton increased and maintained a high level until the beginning of November. During this period, both birth and mortality rates of D. galeata were relatively high and a number of rotifer and crustacean species were observed. However, their abundances were very limited except for E. japonicus which likely preys on ciliates and rotifers. In Lake Biwa, food sources other than phytoplankton, such as resuspended organic matter from the sediments, seems to play a crucial role in zooplankton succession from winter to early spring, while zooplankton community seems to be regulated mainly by fish predation from summer to fall.     

Timing of predation by rainbow trout controls Daphnia demography and the trophic status of a Minnesota lake

1. Stocking of lakes with rainbow trout is a common practice that presents a potential conflict for lake managers who must balance the interests of anglers with those concerned that zooplanktivory by trout may trigger a trophic cascade and result in decreased water clarity. 2. This study examined how the timing of trout stocking (autumn versus spring) in a Minnesota (U.S.A.) lake affected (i) the population dynamics of their zooplankton food supply (Daphnia pulicaria), (ii) phytoplankton biomass and water clarity and (iii) trout survival. Sizes of both Daphnia and trout populations were estimated acoustically with high‐frequency (192 kHz) sonar. 3. Daphnia were nearly eliminated from the lake during winters after trout were stocked in autumn. In both of these years (1996 and 1997), the Daphnia population was small in the spring, and grew during the summer and into the autumn as the trout population diminished. 4. The lake was then stocked in spring for 2 years (1998 and 1999). This fisheries manipulation alleviated predation over the winter, but increased predation on D. pulicaria during the spring, summer and autumn. However, the high mortality caused by the spring‐stocked trout was offset by even higher rates of reproduction by the relatively large populations of fecund Daphnia that survived the winter in 1998 and 1999. 5. Grazing by these dense populations of Daphnia produced clear‐water phases during May and June that were inhibited in autumn stocking years. In addition, the large Daphnia populations present during the spring and early summer of 1998 and 1999 provided abundant forage for trout. 6. This fisheries manipulation achieved seemingly mutually exclusive management objectives: a robust planktivorous sport fishery, and clear water for other forms of recreation.     

Density-dependent regulation of natural and laboratory rotifer populations

Density-dependent regulation of abundance is fundamentally important in the dynamics of most animal populations. Density effects, however, have rarely been quantified in natural populations, so population models typically have a large uncertainty in their predictions. We used models generated from time series analysis to explore the form and strength of density-dependence in several natural rotifer populations. Population growth rate (r) decreased linearly or non-linearly with increased population density, depending on the rotifer species. Density effects in natural populations reduced r to 0 at densities of 1–10 l^–1 for 8 of the 9 rotifer species investigated. The sensitivities of these species to density effects appeared normally distributed, with a mean r=0 density of 2.3 l^–1 and a standard deviation of 1.9. Brachionus rotundiformis was the outlier with 10–100× higher density tolerance. Density effects in laboratory rotifer populations reduced r to 0 at population densities of 10–100 ml^–1, which is 10⁴ higher than densities in natural populations. Density effects in laboratory populations are due to food limitation, autotoxicity or to their combined effects. Experiments with B. rotundiformis demonstrated the absence of autotoxicity at densities as high as 865 ml^–1, a much higher density than observed in natural populations. It is, therefore, likely that food limitation rather than autotoxicity plays a major role in regulating natural rotifer populations.     

Population dynamics and production of Daphnia hyalina and Bosmina longirostris in a shallow, eutrophic reservoir

SUMMARY. 1. The population densities, dynamics and production of Daphnia hyalina and Bosmina longirostris were studied over a 2-year period in a shallow eutrophic reservoir in eastern England. The diet of the two species was assessed and their ecology was compared in relation to environmental factors. 2. Daphnia hyalina was characterized by small overall body size, probably due to heavy size-selective predation by fish. The first generation produced from the overwintering population appeared in April and Depopulation peaked in late spring and early summer. Adult survival was poor. Peak egg production varied between years, while mean brood size fell in summer probably due to food limitation during the cyanobacterial bloom. At this time selection for individual algal species was high and many guts were empty. Reproductive ratios were inversely related to population density. Bosmina longirostris exhibited a similar annual cycle. 3. Patterns of production were very different in the 2 years in D. hyalina. In 1981 production was high from August to early October, but in 1982 the peak was in spring. Annual production was 32.4 g C m^?2 in 1981 and 13.3 g C m^?2 in 1982. In 1981 B. longirostris production peaked in spring and late summer; in 1982 there was a high production in summer only. Annual production was 3.2 g C m^?2 in 1981 and 2.2 g Cm^?2 in 1982. 4. The number of adult D. hyalina was highly correlated with water temperature and total phytoplankton biomass, but these were negatively correlated with the number of eggs, mean brood size and instantaneous birth rate. In contrast, clutch size of B. longirostris was positively correlated with water temperature while birth rate was positively correlated with both temperature and phytoplankton biomass. The biomass of both species was positively related to total phytoplankton biomass, but neither relationship explained much of the variation in zooplankton biomass. 5. The significance of the observations on plankton in terms of managing the water quality in eutrophic reservoirs is discussed.     

The effect of fish on planktonic rotifers

The dynamics, community structure, and productivity of planktonic rotifers were studied during 3 years in two lakes near St. Petersburg (Russia). One lake was repeatedly stocked with larvae of the fish Coregonus peled; the other contained no fish. Fish addition led to a shift in plankton community structure. Population densities of some rotifer species (Keratella cochlearis, K. irregularis, Asplanchna priodonta) increased as a result of the elimination of large crustaceans by fishes during summer and autumn. An inverse relationship was found between the biomass of rotifers and Daphnia.     

Daphnia lumholtzi and Daphnia ambigua: population comparisons of an exotica and a native cladoceran in Lake Okeechobee, Florida

The population dynamics of an exotic cladoceran (Daphnia lumholtzi Sars) and a native cladoceran (Daphnia ambigua) were studied over a 12 month period in subtropical Lake Okeechobee, Florida (USA), to quantify the extent of invasion of the exotic species and compare ecological niches. Daphnia lumholtzi accounted for up to 70% of the Daphnia assemblage during the summer months (June-August), while D.ambigua accounted for up to 97% of the Daphnia assemblage from fall to spring (October-April). The densities of the two species were inversely corelated. The exotic species was most concentrated in the shallower, warmer, north and south ends of the lake during the summer. It also was present, but at much lower densities, in the central lake region during the fall. The native species displayed a ubiquitous distribution throughout the lake during spring and winter, but was concentrated in the deeper, cooler, central region during the summer. Relationships of the two species with environmental conditions indicate that water column temperature might affect the seasonal and spatial distribution of the two Daphnia species. The results also indicate that D.lumholtzi may be filling a 'vacant' seasonal or spatial niche when conditions are unfavorable for D.ambigua.