Structural and grazing responses of zooplankton community to biomanipulation of some Dutch water bodies

Structure and grazing activities of crustacean zooplankton were compared in five lakes undergoing manipulation with several unmanipulated eutrophic (shallow) and mesotrophic (deep) lakes in The Netherlands. The biomanipulated lakes had lesser number of species and their abundance, both of rotifers and crustaceans, and had much larger mean animal size (3–11 μg C ind.⁻¹) than in the unmanipulated eutrophic lakes (0.65 μG C ind.⁻¹). WhereasD. hyalina (=D. galeata) andD. cucullata generally co-occurred in the unmanipulated lakes, in the manipulated lakes bothD. hyalina and other large-bodied daphnids,D. magna,D. pulex (=D. pulicaria), were the important grazers. In the biomanipulated lakes an increase in the individual crustacean size and of zooplankton mass were reflected in a decrease in seston concentration, higher Secchi-disc depth and a marked decrease in the share in phytoplankton biovolume of cyanobacteria. Biomass relationship between seston (150 μm) and zooplankton indicated a Monod type relationship, with an initial part of the curve in which the zooplankton responds linearly to the seston increase up to aboutca. 2 mg C l⁻¹, followed by a saturation of zooplankton mass (0.39 mg C l⁻¹) at 3–4 mg C l⁻¹ seston, and an inhibitory effect on zooplankton mass at seston levels>4 mg C l⁻¹. This latter is related to predominance in the seston of cyanobacteria. In the biomanipulated lakes, the zooplankton grazing rates often exceeded 100% d⁻¹, during the spring, and food levels generally dropped to <0.5 mg C l⁻¹. The computed specific clearance rate (SCR) of zooplankton of 1.9 l mg⁻¹ Zoop C is well within the range of SCR values (1.7–2.2 l mg⁻¹ Zoop C) from deep and mesotrophic waters, but about an order of magnitude higher than in the eutrophic lakes, with the food levels 10-fold higher. For 25% d⁻¹ clearance of lake seston between 35 and 60 ind. l⁻¹ are needed in the biomanipulated lakes against 1200–1300 ind. l⁻¹ in eutrophic lakes. Similarly, about 10 to 15 times more crustacean grazers are required to eliminate the daily primary production in the eutrophic lakes than in the biomanipulated lakes. These numbers are inversely related to the differences in animal size. The corresponding biomass values of zooplankton needed to clear the daily primary production in the eutrophic waters were 0.1–0.2 mg C l⁻¹ in the biomanipulated lakes, but about 0.45 mg C l⁻¹ in the unmanipulated eutrophic waters. Only if the water was kept persistently clear by zooplankton was there a balanced seston budget between the inputvia primary production and elimination by zooplankton. Mostly, however, the input exceeded the assimilatory removal by zooplankton, such that the estimated seston loss could be attributed to sedimentation and mineralization.     

Zooplankton biomass dynamics in oligotrophic versus eutrophic conditions: a test of the PEG model

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The Feeding of Chaoborus flavicans Meigen (Diptera,Chaoboridae). and its Predation on Lake Zooplankton

In a study of Chaoborus feeding in a eutrophic lake, selectivity was found to be positive with Crustacea (especially copepodit stages). and negative with Rotatoria. Daily food rations were about 20% for most of the feeding period, but higher (106%). during the month of intensive growth after hatching. Feeding intensity correlated positively with amount of food an temperature, and negatively with Chaoborus concentration. Elimination of Crustacea (in the epilimnion of the central zone of the lake). equalled about 30–40% of Crustacea production in June and September and slightly exeeded the August production (it was almost zero in the remaining months because Chaoborus larvae stayed at the bottom). This applies, however, only in the central zone – about 50% of the lake volume. Chaoborus probably influences both the density of zooplankton and the quantitative relations between zooplankton species.     

Uncoupling of chlorophyll and nutrients in lakes – possible reasons,expected consequences

Total phosphorus and total nitrogen explained a low percentage of summer chlorophyll variability in epilimnia of the Great Masurian Lakes. Division of the whole data set into two subgroups of lakes improved approximation of the chlorophyll nutrient relationship but revealed also functional differences between the lakes distinguished in that way. Chlorophyll in eutrophic lakes correlated well with nitrogen and phosphorus, that in mesotrophic lakes (those with summer chlorophyll <=22 mg m^–3 as calculated in the model) was related to none of the nutrients. Higher summer chlorophyll content in epilimnetic waters was accompanied by higher chl:PP and chl:PN ratios. Algal adaptation to poor light conditions in eutrophic lakes is postulated as a possible reason for that difference.Chlorophyll – nutrient relationships varied with the trophic status of lakes. Epilimnetic chlorophyll strictly followed phosphorus changes in eutrophic lakes but did not do so in mesotrophic ones. Detailed comparison of selected meso- and eutrophic lakes showed marked differences in the seasonal changes of chlorophyll and nutrient concentrations and in sedimentation rates, especially in spring. Nutrient limitation rather than zooplankton grazing is suggested as a possible mechanism of controlling algal abundance and the sequence of spring events in a eutrophic lake. It is hypothesised that phosphorus turnover in eutrophic lakes is dominated by seasonal vertical fluxes, while in mesotrophic lakes it is more conservative with consumption and regeneration restricted mostly to metalimnion. Possible consequences of such conclusion are discussed in the paper.     

The zooplankton-phytoplankton interface in lakes of contrasting trophic status: an experimental comparison

We report here the results of an experimental study designed to compare algal responses to short-term manipulations of zooplankton in three California lakes which encompass a broad range of productivity (ultra-oligotrophic Lake Tahoe, mesotrophic Castle Lake, and strongly eutrophic Clear Lake). To assess the potential strength of grazing in each lake, we evaluated algal responses to a 16-fold range of zooplankton biomass. To better compare algal responses among lakes, we determined algal responses to grazing by a common grazer (Daphnia sp.) over a range ofDaphnia densities from 1 to 16 animals per liter. Effects of both ambient grazers andDaphnia were strong in Castle Lake. However, neither ambient zooplankton norDaphnia had much impact on phytoplankton in Clear Lake. In Lake Tahoe, no grazing impacts could be demonstrated for the ambient zooplankton butDaphnia grazing had dramatic effects. These results indicate weak coupling between phytoplankton and zooplankton in Clear Lake and Lake Tahoe, two lakes which lie near opposite extremes of lake trophic status for most lakes. These observations, along with work reported by other researchers, suggest that linkages between zooplankton and phytoplankton may be weak in lakes with either extremely low or high productivity. Biomanipulation approaches to recover hypereutrophic lakes which aim only to alter zooplankton size structure may be less effective if algal communities are dominated by large, inedible phytoplankton taxa.     

Structure and function of pelagic zooplankton in various types of lakes (using the example of small lakes in northwestern Russia

Changes of structure and functioning of pelagic zooplankton under lake eutrophication were studied in a group of small (without outlet) lakes in southern Karelia and Leningrad region. The lakes were morphologically similar and located within the same climatic zone. Differences in their trophic status were connected with anthropogenic eutrophication. Correlation between species number and feeding resources of a lake is determined as: Y = (8.01 +/- 3.85) + (0.29 +/- 0.07)X1 + (6.75 +/- 1.52)X2, r2 = 0.95, (1) Y--number of zooplankton species, X1--average chlorophyll concentration for the season, mg/1; X2--average value of biochemical oxygen demand (expressed in mgC/1). Average biomass of zooplankton for season also depends on food: logY = (-0.054 +/- 0.224) + (0.242 +/- 0.094)logX1 + (0.170 +/- 0.179)logX2, n = 13, r2 = 0.87, (2) Y--average zooplankton biomass for the season, kcal/m3, X1 and X2 the same as (1). Increase in species number and zooplankton bimass determined primarily by Rotatoria occur in parallel to chlorophyll concentration and activity of bacteria. In acid lakes rotifers are not important in energy balance. In mezotrophic lakes two main energy paths are formed--through rotifers and through Crustacea. The role of rotifers is extremely important in eutrophic lakes where about 80% of energy paths through them. The ratio community production to energy consumption for the growing season is also depended on the community structure (species number, equitability, connectence): Y = (2.257 +/- 0.026) - (0.368 +/- 0.031)X1 + (5.160 +/- 0.442)X2, r2 = 0.99, (3) Y--average seasonal production of zooplankton, kcal/m2; X1--maximal meaning of Shannon index (bites), calculated on biomass value; X2--connectence of the community, calculated according Briand (1983). Eutrophication changes the stability of lakes relative to external influences, while low productive lakes are very sensitive to the increase in nutrient load, high productive lakes are more influenced by changes in fish predation.     

Predictability and possible mechanisms of plankton response to reduction of planktivorous fish

The predictability of plankton response to reductions of planktivorous fish was investigated by comparing the plankton community in three biomanipulated lakes and ten unmanipulated lakes differing in intensity of fish predation. Data collected on total phosphorus, phytoplankton and zooplankton biomass and share of cyanobacteria and large grazers, as well as specific growth rate of phytoplankton, were further used to test some of the proposed underlying response-mechanisms. In the biomanipulated lakes the algal biomass and share of cyanobacteria decreased, specific growth rate of phytoplankton increased, and zooplankton biomass and share of large grazers increased or remained unchanged. This pattern was largely reflected in the differences in food-chain structure between the unmanipulated lakes with highversus those with low fish predation. The qualitative response to planktivorous fish reduction thus seems largely predictable. The biomanipulated lakes differed, however, in magnitude of response: the smallest hypertrophic, rotenone-treated lake (Helgetjern) showed the most dramatic response, whereas the large, deep mesotrophic lake (Gjersjøen), which was stocked with piscivorous fish, showed more moderate response, probably approaching a new steady state. These differences in response magnitude may be related to different perturbation intensity (rotenone-treatmentversus stocking with piscivores), food-chain complexity and trophic state. Both decreased phosphorus concentration and increased zooplankton grazing are probably important mechanisms underlying plankton response to biomanipulation in many lakes. The results provide tentative support to the hypothesis that under conditions of phosphorus limitation, increased zooplankton grazing can decrease algal biomassvia two separate mechanisms: reduction of the phosphorus pool in the phytoplankton, and reduction of the internal C:P-ratio in the phytoplankton cells.

     

Composition,size, and biomass of zooplankton in large productive Florida lakes

Crustacean zooplankton data were compiled from long-term observational studies at seven large shallow Florida lakes, to determine whether there are general characteristics in regard to species composition, body size, and biomass. In particular, we examined whether patterns in body size and species richness fit empirical models developed by Stanley Dodson. The lakes included range in size from 125 to 1730 km² and encompass mesotrophic to hyper-eutrophic conditions. We found that zooplankton biomass was strongly dominated by one species of calanoid copepod—Arctodiaptomus dorsalis. Large daphnids were absent, and Cladocera assemblages were dominated by small taxa such as Ceriodaphnia, Chydorus, and Eubosmina. The total number of species of pelagic cladocerans (8–12) was consistent with Dodson’s predictions based on lake area. The average size of crustacean zooplankton in Florida lakes is small in comparison with temperate communities. A. dorsalis is the smallest calanoid copepod in North America, and the mean length of Cladocera (0.6 mm) is consistent with Dodson’s results that size decreases from temperate to tropical zones. Total biomass of crustacean zooplankton was very low, ratios of zooplankton to phytoplankton biomass (0.01–0.1) are among the lowest reported in the literature, and the zooplankton displayed short-lasting early spring peaks in biomass. Cladocera were almost entirely absent in spring and summer. Factors known to occur in Florida lakes, which appear to explain these characteristics of biomass, include intense fish predation and high summer water temperature.     

Phytoplankton structure in different lake types in central Finland

Phyloplankton structure and its relation to physical and chemical properties of the water was studied in 58 central Finnish lakes. The biomass ranged from 0.2 to 14.2 g m⁻³ and the number of taxa per sample ranged from 33 to 152. The lakes were grouped into 5 types according to their trophic state: eutrophic, dyseutrophic, mesotrophic, oligotrophic, and acid oligotrophic lakes. The average biomass in eutrophic lakes was 5.57 g m⁻³, in dyseutrophic 3.54 g m⁻³, 1.23 g m⁻³ in mesotrophic, 0.52 g m⁻³ in oligotrophic and 0.39 g ⁻³ in acid oligotrophic lakes. The average number of taxa per sample in the corresponding lake types were 109. 1, 79.3, 97.9, 90.9 and 43.8, respectively. The phytoplankton communities in eutrophic lakes were characterized by blue-green algae (21.2% of total biomass) and green algae (18.7% of total biomass). In dyseutrophic lakes the proportion of green algae was much smaller (7.2% of total biomass) than in eutrophic lakes, whereas the proportion of diatoms and cryptophytes was higher (28.2 and 20.4% of total biomass, respectively). Chrysophytes dominated in the oligotrophic and mesotrophic lakes (27.3–39.9% of total biomass). The contribution of dinoflagellates to the total biomass was highest in the most oligotrophic acidified lakes and in those lakes the relative proportions of blue-green and green algae were much higher than in the typical oligotrophic lakes. The lakes were also grouped into 8 community types according to the dominating algal group. Cyanophyceae- and Chlorophyceae-types characterized the eutrophic lakes, whereas Chrysophyceae-Dinopheceae-type was typical for most oligotrophic lakes. The other 5 types occurred in mesotrophic and oligotrophic lakes but the physical and chemical properties of these lakes did not differ much.     

How important is the crustacean plankton for the maintenance of water clarity in shallow lakes with abundant submerged vegetation?

• 1 We measured the abundance and biomass of filter‐feeding microcrustacean zooplankton and calculated their grazing impact on phytoplankton biomass during summer in five shallow, mesotrophic to eutrophic lakes. For three of the lakes data exist both from years with dense submerged vegetation and low turbidity (the clearwater state), as well as from years characterised by sparse vegetation and high turbidity (the turbid state). In the other two lakes data are available only for clearwater conditions.
• 2 In all lakes conditions of dense vegetation and clear water coincided with a low abundance of crustacean plankton during summer. In the three lakes that shifted, the calculated biovolume ingested by crustacean plankton (filtering rate) was 3–11 times lower during clearwater conditions compared with turbid conditions. Because phytoplankton biomass was lower during clearwater conditions, however, daily grazing pressure from microcrustacea (expressed as percentage of phytoplankton biomass) did not differ between states. In three of the five lakes, grazers were estimated to take less than 10% of the phytoplankton biomass per day, indicating filtration by zooplankton was not the most important mechanism to maintain clearwater conditions.
• 3 High densities of Cladocera were found in three of the lakes within dense stands of Charophyta. However, these samples were dominated by plant‐associated taxa that even during the night were rarely found outside the vegetation. This indicates that plant‐associated zooplankton has no major influence on the maintenance of water clarity outside the vegetation.
• 4 Spring peak abundance of Cladocera was observed in three of the lakes. In two of these, where seasonal development was studied in both the clearwater and the turbid state, spring peaks were lower during the clearwater state.
• 5 Predation, low food availability or a combination of both may explain the low zooplankton densities. Phytoplankton may be limited by low phosphorus availability in the lakes dominated by Charophyta. Our results indicate that the importance of zooplankton grazing may have minor importance for the maintenance of the clearwater state in lakes with dense, well‐established submerged vegetation.

     

Grazing effects of a freshwater bivalve (Corbicula leana Prime) and large zooplankton on phytoplankton communities in two Korean lakes

This study examined the effects of a freshwater filter feeding bivalve (Corbicula leana Prime) and large zooplankton (>200 μm, mostly cladocerans and copepods) on the phytoplankton communities in two lakes with contrasting trophic conditions. A controlled experiment was conducted with four treatments (control, zooplankton addition, mussel addition, and both zooplankton and mussel addition), and each established in duplicate 10-l chambers. In both lakes there were significant effects of mussel grazing on phytoplankton density and biomass. The effects were greater in mesotrophic Lake Soyang than in hypertrophic Lake Ilgam. Effects of zooplankton grazing did not differ between these lakes, and zooplankton effects on phytoplankton were much less than the effects of mussels. Although mussels exerted a varying effect on phytoplankton according to their size, mussels reduced densities of almost all phytoplankton taxa. Total mean filtering rate (FR) of mussels in Lake Soyang was significantly greater than that in Lake Ilgam (p=0.002, n=5). Carbon fluxes from phytoplankton to mussels (977–2,379 μgC l^?1d^?1) and to zooplankton (76–264 μgC l^?1 d^?1) were always greater in Lake Ilgam due to the greater phytoplankton biomass (p<0.01, n=6). Based on the C-flux to biomass ratios, the mussels consumed 170–754% (avg. 412%) of phytoplankton standing stock in Lake Soyang, and 38–164% (avg. 106%) in Lake Ilgam per day. The C-flux to biomass ratio for mussels within each lake was much greater than for large zooplankton. Mussels reduced total phosphorus concentration by 5–34%, while increasing phosphate by 30–55% relative to the control. Total nitrogen also was reduced (by 9–25%), but there was no noticeable change in nitrate among treatments. The high consumption rate of phytoplankton by Corbicula leana even in a very eutrophic lake suggests that this mussel could affect planktonic and benthic food web structure and function by preferential feeding on small seston and by nutrient recycling. Control of mussel biomass therefore might be an effective tool for management of water quality in shallow eutrophic lakes and reservoirs in Korea.     

Zooplankton biomass in tropical reservoirs in southern Brazil

In order to test the hypothesis that zooplankton biomass distribution (total and taxonomic groups) was influenced by the nutrient concentration and primary productivity distribution in three tropical reservoirs, subsurface samples were taken in the fluvial, transitional and lacustrine regions of three reservoirs (oligotrophic, mesotrophic and eutrophic) in southern Brazil (Paraná State) in March and September 2002. Zooplankton biomass ranged from 0.04 to 264.47 mg DW m⁻³. Higher biomass values were observed for cladocerans (73.60%; 0.01–259.86 mg DW m⁻³), followed by copepods (22.05%; 0.01–69.69 mg DW m⁻³) and rotifers (4.35%; 0.01–11.52 mg DW m⁻³). In general, the total zooplankton, rotifer, cladoceran and copepod biomass, and chlorophyll-a and total nutrient concentrations showed a similar longitudinal distribution within the reservoirs. Total zooplankton, rotifer and cladoceran biomass were related to the chlorophyll-a concentration, and zooplankton biomass was related to the total phosphorus distribution. This may have been due to the significant multicolinearity between the chlorophyll-a and total phosphorus concentrations. Cyanobacteria influenced the taxonomic group biomass results by interfering with the filter feeding in larger zooplankton species, which favoured the dominance of smaller species. As regards the longitudinal distribution of copepod biomass, cyanobacteria biomass determined the displacement of the microcrustaceans to the fluvial region of Iraí Reservoir. Our results supported the hypothesis formulated and the primary productivity was the major predictor of the zooplankton biomass distribution in the reservoirs. Handling editor: S. Dodson     

Correspondence among methods of zooplankton biomass measurement in lakes: effect of community composition on optical plankton counter and size-fractionated seston data

The effectiveness of the optical particle counter (OPC) to estimatezooplankton biomass depends on the variability in zooplanktonshape and the presence of interfering particles. In marine environmentswhere zooplankton are composed of similarly shaped copepods,an average shape is relatively easily obtained. However, infreshwater environments, spheroid cladocerans mix with ellipsoidcopepods and make the application of a single morphometric modeldifficult. To expand the use of the OPC to freshwater environments,we developed new ellipsoid models for three common lake types(eutrophic, mesotrophic, and oligotrophic). In addition, weassessed how closely different size fractions of seston correspondedto zooplankton biomass. When expressed in common dry mass units,OPC- and seston-derived zooplankton biomass estimates showeda 1:1 correspondence with taxonomically derived estimates inproductive lakes (r > +0.70, P < 0.001) but not in oligotrophicsystems. OPC ellipse models differed among lake sets (major-to-minoraxis ratio: 1.5 to 2.7) but were not a simple function of thecladoceran-to-copepod ratio. The seston size fraction that providedthe best estimates of zooplankton biomass was smaller in mesotrophiclakes (>200 µm) than in eutrophic or oligotrophic lakes(>500 µm). The presence of algae and rotifers had nodetectable influence on OPC and size-fractionated seston estimates.Overall, these analyses suggest that OPC and seston providereliable estimates of lacustrine zooplankton biomass as longas region-specific ellipse models and size fractions, respectively,are used.     

Zooplankton biomass rarely improves predictions of chlorophyll concentration in Canadian Shield lakes that vary in pH

To determine the frequency with which zooplankton influence chlorophyll a (Chla) levels, we explored annually-averaged data from oligotrophic and mesotrophic lakes that differed in morphometry, total phosphorus (TP) concentrations, and zooplankton community composition due to pH. The data were divided into two sets according to the type of filter used to collect chlorophyll. Residuals of the Chla: TP regressions were not related to lake morphometry, TN content, water clarity or pH. In the first data set there were no consistent relationships between residuals in Chla and twelve grazer biomass variables for 37 of the 38 lakes. The single exception had a very large population of Daphnia dubiaand low concentrations of Chla for its TP. In the second data set, 3 of 25 lakes had exceptionally low Chla concentrations for their TP. These lakes were acidic (pH < 6) and had very large biomasses of Holopedium gibberumcorrelated with negative Chla residuals, indicating significant grazing. At pH > 6, Daphnia spp. strongly influenced the significant correlations. We conclude that zooplankton contribute to the prediction of Chla beyond that possible by TP alone in acidic and non-acidic Canadian Shield Lakes, but evidence for strong suppression of chlorophyll by grazers was relatively rare (4 of 63 cases) on annual time steps.     

Trophic structure, species richness and biodiversity in Danish lakes: changes along a phosphorus gradient

1. Using data from 71, mainly shallow (an average mean depth of 3 m), Danish lakes with contrasting total phosphorus concentrations (summer mean 0.02–1.0 mg P L?l), we describe how species richness, biodiversity and trophic structure change along a total phosphorus (TP) gradient divided into five TP classes (class 1–5: <0.05, 0.05–0.1, 0.1–0.2, 0.2–0.4,> 0.4 mg P L?1).
2. With increasing TP, a significant decline was observed in the species richness of zooplankton and submerged macrophytes, while for fish, phytoplankton and floating‐leaved macrophytes, species richness was unimodally related to TP, all peaking at 0.1–0.4 mg P L?1. The Shannon–Wiener and the Hurlbert probability of inter‐specific encounter (PIE) diversity indices showed significant unimodal relationships to TP for zooplankton, phytoplankton and fish. Mean depth also contributed positively to the relationship for rotifers, phytoplankton and fish.
3. At low nutrient concentrations, piscivorous fish (particularly perch, Perca fluviatilis) were abundant and the biomass ratio of piscivores to plankti‐benthivorous cyprinids was high and the density of cyprinids low. Concurrently, the zooplankton was dominated by large‐bodied forms and the biomass ratio of zooplankton to phytoplankton and the calculated grazing pressure on phytoplankton were high. Phytoplankton biomass was low and submerged macrophyte abundance high.
4. With increasing TP, a major shift occurred in trophic structure. Catches of cyprinids in multiple mesh size gill nets increased 10‐fold from class 1 to class 5 and the weight ratio of piscivores to planktivores decreased from 0.6 in class 1 to 0.10–0.15 in classes 3–5. In addition, the mean body weight of dominant cyprinids (roach, Rutilus rutilus, and bream, Abramis brama) decreased two–threefold. Simultaneously, small cladocerans gradually became more important, and among copepods, a shift occurred from calanoid to cyclopoids. Mean body weight of cladocerans decreased from 5.1 μg in class 1 to 1.5 μg in class 5, and the biomass ratio of zooplankton to phytoplankton from 0.46 in class 1 to 0.08–0.15 in classes 3–5. Conversely, phytoplankton biomass and chlorophyll a increased 15‐fold from class 1 to 5 and submerged macrophytes disappeared from most lakes.
5. The suggestion that fish have a significant structuring role in eutrophic lakes is supported by data from three lakes in which major changes in the abundance of planktivorous fish occurred following fish kill or fish manipulation. In these lakes, studied for 8 years, a reduction in planktivores resulted in a major increase in cladoceran mean size and in the biomass ratio of zooplankton to phytoplankton, while chlorophyll a declined substantially. In comparison, no significant changes were observed in 33 ‘control’ lakes studied during the same period.     

Does the chlorophyll a content of phytoplankton vary with trophic status in lakes on the New Zealand central volcanic plateau?

Recently, it has been shown that ratios of chlorophyll a toparticulate phosphorus (Chl a/PP) and chlorophyll a to particulatenitrogen (Chl a/PN) were significantly higher in eutrophic thanoligo/mesotrophic waters in 17 lakes on the central volcanicplateau, North Island, New Zealand. This difference was thoughtto be due to an increase in the chlorophyll a content of phytoplanktonin these eutrophic lakes. Corresponding measurements of chlorophylla and phytoplankton cell volume made during this study do notsupport this hypothesis. However, ratios of chlorophyll a toadenosine triphosphate and estimates of percentage phytoplanktonbiomass were significantly higher (P<0.05) in our eutrophicthan oligo/mesotrophic samples, suggesting that Chl a/PP andChl a/PN may be high in eutrophic waters simply because phytoplanktoncomprise more of the total microbial biomass. This hypothesisis supported by a strong linear relationship (r=0.88, P<0.001)between Chl a/PP and percentage phytoplankton biomass in sixof our study lakes where corresponding measurements were made.     

Autotroph:herbivore biomass ratios; carbon deficits judged from plankton data

A survey on phytoplankton:zooplankton biomass ratios was performed in 342 Norwegian lakes, covering a wide range in lake size and productivity (total phosphorus: 3–246 g l^–1), but with most localities being oligo- to mesotrophic. Mean phytoplankton biomass was 88 g C l^–1, yet with the majority below 50 g C l^–1and a median of 25 g C l^–1. Total zooplankton biomass displayed a mean and median of 37 and 26 g C l^–1, respectively. Cladocerans were by far the dominant group, making up a median of almost 60% of total zooplankton biomass. Total zooplankton biomass as well as that of major aggregated metazoan taxa (cladocerans, calanoid copepods, cyclopoid copepods and rotifers) all showed a positive, but weak correlation with total phytoplankton biomass. These weak correlations suggest that algal biomass per se is a poor predictor of zooplankton biomass. An average phyto-:zooplankton biomass ratio (C:C) of 2.8 (SD±4.7) was found. 30% of the lakes had a phyto-:zooplankton biomass ratio below unity. While there was no correlation between the phyto-:zooplankton biomass ratio with increasing productivity in terms of P concentration, there was a higher biomass ratio in lakes with high fish predation pressure. The low ratio of phyto-:zooplankton biomass suggest major requirements from non-algal sources of C in the zooplankton diet. The need for dietary subsidizing is also supported by the fact that more than 75% of the lakes had algal biomass less than the estimated threshold for net positive growth of zooplankton, although it should be kept in mind that a high share of picoplankton would imply an underestimation of autotroph biomass in these lakes. Since the C-deficiency apparently is most pronounced in oligotrophic systems, it contradicts the view that the detritus pathways plays a predominant role in highly productive systems only, but while the source of detritus probably is mostly of autochthonous origin in eutrophic lakes, allochthonous detritus will be more important in oligotrophic systems.     

Some ecological aspects of Lake Qarun,Fayoum, Egypt. Part II. Production of plankton and benthic organisms

Distribution and abundance of phyto-, zooplankton and benthic organisms in Lake Qarun were investigated during the period from January 1974 to December 1977.Average number of phytoplankton cells was 152,300 cells/L and its biomass was 0.365 g/C/m³; average number of zooplankton was 31.44 × 10³/m³ and its biomass was 194.19 mg/m³. The average number of benthic fauna was 19889/m² and its biomass was 400.22 g/m² (dry wt.). Therefore, Lake Qarun may be considered as a highly eutrophic body of water.Freshwater planktonic species, that used to inhabit the lake, such as Diaptomus salinus and the cladoceran Moina salinarum, disappeared completely when the salinity of the lake water reached 30–34 However, some Rotatoria were able to withstand the high salinity. The new composition of the zooplankton community shows that the marine zooplankton species include not only Acartia latisetosa and Cirripedia nauplii, but also other species such as Polychaeta, Obelia medusae, etc.The benthos of Lake Qarun is characterised by an intensive growth of few species. The major part (i.e. 93.54% by weight) of bottom fauna in the lake is Mollusca, mainly Cerastoderma glaucum (69·84% by weight).     

Cyanobacterial chemical warfare affects zooplankton community composition

1. Toxic algal blooms widely affect our use of water resources both with respect to drinking water and recreation. However, it is not only humans, but also organisms living in freshwater and marine ecosystems that may be affected by algal toxins. 2. In order to assess if cyanobacterial toxins affect the composition of natural zooplankton communities, we quantified the temporal fluctuations in microcystin concentration and zooplankton community composition in six lakes. 3. Microcystin concentrations generally showed a bimodal pattern with peaks in early summer and in autumn, and total zooplankton biomass was negatively correlated with microcystin concentrations. Separating the zooplankton assemblages into finer taxonomic groups revealed that high microcystin concentrations were negatively correlated with Daphnia and calanoid copepods, but positively correlated with small, relatively inefficient phytoplankton feeders, such as cyclopoid copepods, Bosmina and rotifers. 4. In a complementary, mechanistic laboratory experiment using the natural phytoplankton communities from the six lakes, we showed that changes in in situ levels of microcystin were coupled with reduced adult size and diminished juvenile biomass in Daphnia. 5. We argue that in eutrophic lakes, large unselective herbivores, such as Daphnia, are ‘sandwiched’ between high fish predation and toxic food (cyanobacteria). In combination, these two mechanisms may explain why the zooplankton community in eutrophic lakes generally comprise small forms (e.g. rotifers and Bosmina) and selective raptorial feeders, such as cyclopoid copepods, whereas large, unselective herbivores, such as Daphnia, are rare. Hence, this cyanobacterial chemical warfare against herbivores may add to our knowledge on population and community dynamics among zooplankton in eutrophic systems.     

Relation between nematode communities and trophic state in southern Swedish lakes

The aim of this study was to examine whether littoral nematode community patterns are shaped by lake trophic state. It was hypothesized that trophic level is associated negatively with the proportion of omnivores and positively with the percentages of bacterial feeders, but not at all with the diversity, abundance, and biomass of freshwater nematodes. Sediment samples were taken at littoral sites of eight southern Swedish lakes of different trophy in spring and autumn 2007. Trophic level was found to strongly influence species richness, as oligotrophic and mesotrophic lakes supported the greatest species numbers, whereas nematode abundance, biomass, and Shannon index were unaffected. Furthermore, our results indicated effects on the nematode community’s trophic structure, with a larger proportion of predatory nematodes in oligotrophic and mesotrophic lakes but no differences in the other feeding types (bacteria, algae and suction feeders, omnivorous species). Multivariate analysis indicated a shift in species compositions along the threshold from mesotrophic to eutrophic conditions, with the presence of Tobrilus gracilis, Monhystera paludicola, Brevitobrilus stefanskii, and Ethmolaimus pratensis related to the latter. Nematode communities in oligotrophic and mesotrophic lakes were characterized by a similar species composition, with pronounced occurrences of Eumonhystera longicaudatula, Semitobrilus cf. pellucidus, Prodesmodora circulata, and Rhabdolaimus terrestris. Overall, the results suggested that lake trophic state is a major factor structuring littoral nematode communities, although intra-lake variations might be of importance as well.