Zooplankton composition and abundance in two impoundments in Zimbabwe

The composition and abundance of the main zooplankton groups in Cleveland dam (less eutrophic) and Lake Chivero (more eutrophic) were studied. Samples were taken at two-month intervals. Rotifers were the most diverse zooplankton group in both reservoirs. Together with the copepods they formed the bulk of the zooplankton during summer. Cladocerans were particularly present in winter although still at relatively low densities.     

Assessing the health of a zooplankton community in a small Precambrian Shield lake during recovery from experimental acidification

Acidified lakes recover chemically relatively quickly following the reduction or cessation of acidic inputs. Although fish, invertebrate, and phytoplankton communities are reported to begin to return to preacidification states in chemically-improving lakes, the process and extent of biological recovery are not well-documented. The experimental acidification of Precambrian Shield Lake 223 (27.4 ha surface area; 14.4 m maximum depth) in the Experimental Lakes Area in northwestern Ontario, provides an opportunity to compare the zooplankton community prior to acidification with that during progressive acidification and during chemical recovery. Acidified with sulfuric acid from pH 6.47 (ice-free season mean) in 1976 to pH 5.0 (1981 to 1983), Lake 223 has been allowed to recover in steps of pH 5.5 (1984 to 1987), pH 5.8 (1988 to 1990), and pH 6.11 (1991). Total zooplankton biomass showed no trend to increase or decrease during the acidification and recovery, but species composition changed. Compared with species composition at pH 6.13 early in acidification in 1977, the recovering community at pH 6.11 in 1991 had the previously-dominant cladoceran species present in very low numbers and had two newly-appearing cladoceran species. The community had lost one species of calanoid and gained none and lost two species of cyclopoids and gained two. It appeared to lose four species of rotifiers and gain seven. In nearby unmanipulated reference Lake 239 (56.1 ha; 30.4 m), species shifts were recorded but they involved rarer species, not dominants as in Lake 223. Although the zooplankton community in 1991 is in a new state with respect to species composition, static measures of total community biomass, contribution to biomass by the four main taxonomic groups, per cent smilarity to the preacidification community (for crustaceans), and biomass of herbivores do not indicate impairment of community health. Lowered species diversity for both crustaceans and rotifers partially returned to preacidification levels. Nevertheless, the rotifer community in 1991 was more dissimilar to the preacidification community than was the crustacean community, and carnivore biomass appeared to be depressed in Lake 223. The Lake 223 zooplankton community at pH 6.11 in 1991 appears to be in a state of flux.     

Impact of turbulence on riverine zooplankton: a mesocosm experiment

1. With increases in river discharge over time and space, zooplankton generally encounter increased turbulence, turbidity, hydraulic forces, downstream advection and food limitations, all of which should affect species diversity and densities. Of these factors, the role of turbulence on the distribution of zooplankton is least known along longitudinal and lateral dimensions in river networks. 2. We tested the factorial effects of turbulence and grazing level on Ohio River potamoplankton in spring and summer using twelve 1600‐L, outdoor mesocosms. Turbulence was calculated using the Froude number for equal depths but with current velocities of 0.064 and 0.32 m s^?1. Grazing levels corresponded to a high density treatment (=ambient river densities of rotifers, copepods and cladocerans) and a low density treatment (initially no zooplankton >64 μm). All tanks had the same water residence time, and hydraulic stress was minimized by circular flow patterns. 3. Zooplankton densities and population growth rates were significantly affected by turbulence level and season. In general, rotifer populations grew faster in high turbulence tanks (though Keratella and Brachionus populations flourished in both treatments in summer) and microcrustaceans thrived better in low turbulence environments. The larger, calanoid copepods handled more turbulent conditions much better than cyclopoids or nauplii. Zooplankton had no detectable effects on particulate organic carbon concentrations in either month (values were higher in spring), but rotifers reduced chlorophyll concentrations in both months. 4. The relative importance of turbulence in controlling potamoplankton is probably to vary not only on a longitudinal basis in river networks but also with both the hydrogeomorphic complexity of river reaches and the type and amount of river regulation. Plans for river rehabilitation and management should incorporate non‐turbulent habitats in large rivers as a means of enhancing zooplankton populations and providing an important food web component for planktivores.     

Zooplankton swarms: characteristics,proximal cues and proposed advantages

This review focuses on monospecific swarms of four taxonomic groups of small crustaceans: three groups are marine copepods: oithonids (Oithona and Dioithona), Acartia species and Calanus species; and the fourth group includes freshwater cladoceran species in the Order Anomopoda. For each of these groups there is a substantial literature on swarming behavior from field studies and laboratory experiments. Swarming characteristics of each taxonomic group are reviewed, proximal cues for swarming are described, comparisons are made for proposed advantages of swarming, and future research directions are suggested. Swarming characteristics of Calanus spp. are distinctly different from those of the smaller crustaceans: the oithonids, acartiids and cladocerans. In a conceptual model proposed for the smaller crustaceans, swarming behavior is affected by their interactions with light cues, water currents and turbulence, behavior of their predators and prey, and abundance of other trophic levels.     

Induction of diapausing amictic eggs in Synchaeta pectinata

Amictic females of a clone of S. pectinata from Star Lake (Norwich, Vermont) may produce diapausing as well as non-diapausing (subitaneous) eggs. The proportion of diapausing eggs produced in cultures was unaffected by temperature (12 vs 19 °C) or rotifer population density (minima of 0.33 vs 3 ind. ml^–1) at 19 °C. However, at 19 °C this proportion was higher in cultures maintained at a low food level suppressing reproduction (5 × 10³ cells ml^–1 Cryptomonas erosa) than in those maintained at a high food level (2 × 10⁴ cells ml^–1); the treatment effect was marginally significant (p=0.067). Consistent with the effect of low food availability, a period of starvation was very effective in inducing the development of diapausing eggs. None of 19 females cultured individually from hatching at 19 °C on C. erosa (2 × 10⁴ cells ml^–1) in 1-ml volumes produced any diapausing eggs in 4 days (0 out of 349 eggs), while 13 out of 16 females subjected to a 15-hour starvation period 6 hours after birth produced one or more diapausing eggs during that time (34% of the 158 eggs produced by the 16 females were diapausing). Diapausing eggs produced and left at 19 °C hatched after 4 to 13 days. Those produced in cultures with a low food level took significantly longer to hatch (9.7 days) than those produced in cultures with a high food level (8.1 days) (p=0.022). In natural communities, S. pectinata should be able to respond directly and rapidly to poor food conditions by producing eggs that undergo an obligatory dormant period before resuming development.     

Microcrustacean communities in streams from two physiographically contrasting regions of Britain

ABSTRACT. Benthic microcrustaceans were sampled from forty-three streams in two physiographically contrasting regions of Britain: lowland southern England and upland Wales. Lowland streams had a significantly higher species richness than upland streams and, of the forty-three copepod and cladoceran species identified, only fourteen (33%) were found in both the lowlands and uplands. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed large differences in community structure between regions and between streams within regions. Differences within regions were related to pH, the distance downstream of a site and the presence of upstream impoundments. Variables underlying the large biological differences between regions are also discussed, including differences in chemistry (ionic content), physical parameters (e.g. flow), habitat availability and the influence of species biogeography. The importance of understanding species ecology and biogeography when assessing pollution impacts on stream communities is emphasized and a model is proposed for predicting the composition of microcrustacean communities in temperate European streams.     

Copepoda – Cladocera – Tunicata: The role of three major mesozooplankton groups in pelagic food webs

Copepods, cladocerans and tunicates form major groups of herbivorous mesozooplankton. The former two are found in fresh and marine waters, while the latter are restricted to marine systems. In the present review, we compile existing ecophysiological knowledge about between-group differences in metabolic and reproductive rates, feeding selectivity and elemental composition. From this, we derive predictions about their impact on the lower trophic levels (phytoplankton and microbial food web) and predictions about their prevalence under different ecological conditions (e.g. nutrient richness, Si : N ratio, phytoplankton size structure and top-down control).     

Effects of thermal effluents from the Bergum Power Station on the zooplankton in the Bergumermeer

The influence of thermal discharge from a 640 MW steam electric power station on the Bergumermeer (shallow, eutrophic lake) was investigated. The temperature of the thermal effluent did not exceed 30 °C. The lake was sampled extensively from 1975 to 1978. Zooplankton densities at different depths in the heated and non-heated parts of the lake were compared. A vital staining technique was used to assess entrainment mortality of cladocerans. The entrainment mortalities for the most abundant cladocerans were only 2 to 3% but for Leptodora kindtii 19% and about 25% for Diaphanosoma brachyurum, Ceriodaphnia pulchella and the cyclopoid nauplii. The ecological consequences for the lake ecosystem are discussed.     

Collection and culture of live foods for aquaculture in Taiwan

Collection and culture of live foods to be used instudies of feeds for rearing finfish and shellfishlarvae in Taiwan began in 1982. Today, 31 species (49strains) of microalgae, three species (nine strains)of rotifers, one cladoceran and one copepod are holdas start culture. Microalgae are collected from localwaters and obtained from foreign collection centers.The most common genera are Chlorella,Nannochloropsis, Tetraselmis, Chaetoceros, Skeletonema, Isochrysis, and Pavlova. Someinteresting genera such as Ellipsoidion,Nannochloris, Synechococcus, and Alexandriumare also included. Three types of rotifers, i.e. L, S,and SS-type, which are classified as Brachionusplicatilis, B. rotundiformis, and Brachionus sp. are found in Taiwan waters. Among therotifers, six strains have been isolated and cultured.Another L-type strain and two SS-type strains wereobtained from foreign sources. The cladoceran Diaphanosoma aspinosum and copepod Apocyclopsroyi are the most common species used in aquaculture.Studies of live foods including their morphology,culture techniques, fatty acid composition andnutritional value as feeds have been undertaken.     

Zooplankton,and related phytoplankton cycles,in a eutrophic lake

The seasonal cycles of zooplankton were determined for 18 consecutive months in a sewage-enriched lake in northern Canada and were related to algal availability and utilization, food consumption, temperature and the density of predators. Most of the common species (Daphnia pulex, Daphnia middenorffiana, Keratella cochlearis, Keratella quadrata, Polyarthra vulgaris) increased in abundance in May and June, reached a mid-summer maximum, and declined sharply in the fall. Phytoplankton densities increased sharply in May, peaked early in June and gradually decreased through the summer and fall. Since the quantity of algae in the guts remained constant during this period, algal availability and utilization had no direct impact on the seasonal cycles of any species. Furthermore, the amount of ingested material in D. pulex and D. middendorffiana was similar regardless of time of year, implying that the total quantity of food in the environment did not restrict development. Although temperature was the most important factor influencing variations in the densities of all species, predation by Cyclops spp. probably had little effect on the population dynamics of the fauna.     

Effects of interference and exploitative competition from large-bodied cladocerans on rotifer community structure

I examined the effects of a graded density of the large-bodied cladoceran Daphnia pulicaria upon a natural rotifer assemblage to assess the relative magnitudes of interference and exploitative competition. An in situ, 5-day, bag-enclosure experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that populations of the rotifers Anuraeopsis spp., Keratella cochlearis typica and Polyarthra spp. are differentially suppressed by interference competition. Rotifer density decreases and observed vs. expected mortality rates for all three rotifer taxa were consistent with the hypothesis of suppression via interference competition. Evidence of exploitative effects were also apparent, though interference effects appeared more important at higher cladoceran densities.     

缓步动物休眠现象研究进展

本文对缓步动物休眠现象的研究历史和现状作了简要的回顾和总结。休眠现象是一个集合名词,指的是缓步动物为克服不利的环境条件而出现的新陈代谢活动减弱甚至暂停的生命状态。最新的观点将其划分为两类,即隐生和滞育。根据导致隐生的环境因子的不同,又可分为低湿隐生、低温隐生、高压隐生、低氧隐生四种形式。滞育包括包囊和休眠卵两种形式。缓步动物的三种休眠状态（桶状、包囊和休眠卵）在其一生中任何一个阶段都能够出现,以度过极端不利的环境,并以此延长生物个体的寿命。总之,休眠现象存缓步动物的生态和进化方面具有不可估量的作用。     

Cost of reproduction in selected species of zooplankton (rotifers and cladocerans)

Reproduction is an energetically costly biological process. Among the freshwater zooplankton, rotifers and cladocerans reproduce parthenogenetically and the cost of reproduction can be estimated using the life table data from demographic studies. Reduced probability of future survival or future reproduction as a result of current investment in offspring production (trade-off) is the central theme of the cost hypothesis. Correlations using present reproduction vs. future reproduction (called the reproductive costs) or future survival (called the survival costs) can be used to evaluate the cost hypothesis. In this work sets of correlations were made: (1) between present reproduction (m _x) vs. future survival (l _x+1, l _x+2, l _x+3 etc. for the entire lifespan) (survival costs), and (2) present reproduction (m _x) vs. future reproduction (m _x+1, m _x+2, m _x+3 etc. for the entire reproductive span) (reproductive costs). These correlations were plotted against the cohort age-classes in order to quantify survival and reproductive costs in rotifers (Asplanchna girodi, Brachionus macracanthus, B. variabilis and Platyias quadricornis) and cladocerans (Ceriodaphnia cornuta – one strain maintained on Chlorella and another strain adapted to Microcystis), Daphnia carinata, D. laevis, Moina macrocopa, Pleuroxus aduncus, Scapholeberis kingi and Simocephalus vetulus). All the tested rotifer species showed negative tendency in correlation coefficients (when the data of current reproduction vs. future reproduction and future survival were plotted) for both reproductive and survival costs. However, from the total survival and reproductive costs derived, 84% of the former and 42% of the latter were statistically significant. In cladocerans about 80% of the costs (correlations between current reproduction vs. future survival or future reproduction) were negative suggesting that present reproduction had negatively affected both the further survival and reproduction of test populations. In terms of statistically significant survival costs, the cladocerans showed a trend slightly lower (72%) but comparable to rotifers. The reproductive costs were significant in 45% cases. In our study, the simple statistical correlations detected the trade-offs between reproduction and survival. Thus, in more than 60% cases of both survival and reproductive costs in zooplankton were negative, and our data supported the cost hypothesis, in the majority of cases where reproduction by zooplankton of a given age class caused reduced survival and reproduction of the next age class.     

Recipes for successful anhydrobiosis in bdelloid rotifers

We tested the effect of several environmental variables on the ability of three bdelloid rotifers (Macrotrachela quadricornifera, Philodina roseola and Adineta oculata) to recover from the anhydrobiotic state. The variables we examined were (1) rate of water evaporation, (2) relative humidity during anhydrobiosis, (3) temperature during anhydrobiosis, (4) duration of anhydrobiosis, and (5) rehydration rate. Our results indicate that bdelloids can regulate to some degree net water balance during onset and termination of anhydrobiosis.     

A simple method for maintaining a laboratory supply of limnetic cyclopoid copepods

The following method is used for maintaining a laboratory supply of freshwater cyclopoid copepods with intervening diapause phase. Animals are collected with a core sampler from the upper sediment surface just after initiation of diapause, i.e. during early summer for summer resting species and mid autumn for winter resting species. The method makes it possible at all times of the year to keep a variety of cyclopoid copepod species ready for experimental work. The following widespread species have been used: Mesocyclops leuckarti, Thermocyclops oithonoides, Diacyclops bicuspidatus, Cyclops vicinus, C. strenuus and C. abyssorum. Probably all cyclopoid copepods with a diapause phase could be stored according to the present method.