Hatching phenology,life history and egg bank size of fairy shrimp Branchipodopsis spp. (Branchiopoda,Crustacea) in relation to the ephemerality of their rock pool habitat |
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Authors: | Bram Vanschoenwinkel Maitland Seaman Luc Brendonck |
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Institution: | (1) Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000 Leuven, Belgium;(2) Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, Mandela Drive, 9300 Bloemfontein, South Africa |
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Abstract: | In temporary aquatic habitats, permanence and the severe disturbance associated with desiccation are strong selective agents
expected to lead to differentiation in life history strategies in populations experiencing different disturbance regimes.
Besides optimal timing of hatching of dormant life stages, maturation and reproduction, pool inhabitants also benefit from
the acquisition of reliable cues for the quality of the ambient environment. We investigated whether hatching patterns, life
history characteristics and egg bank size of Branchipodopsis fairy shrimp (Branchiopoda, Anostraca) inhabiting a cluster of temporary rock pools in South Africa reflect variation in
habitat stability and hatching cues. Long-term hydrological variation was used to select pools along a gradient of habitat
stability. Initial conductivity was a good indicator for the length of inundations. No hatching occurred under elevated conductivities,
which may present a mechanism to avoid abortive hatching. Egg bank size was unaffected by habitat size or habitat stability
but instead was related to cover by a protective sheet of dry aquatic vegetation, which presumably counteracts egg bank erosion
by wind when pools are dry. Life history but not hatching phenology reflected some aspects of habitat stability. Fairy shrimp
populations in ephemeral pools started reproduction earlier than populations in more stable habitats. Additional common garden
or transplant experiments, however, will be required to assess the relative importance of environmental and genetic components
in explaining the observed variation and acquire more insight into the trade-offs that lie at the base of the evolution of
life history strategies along the pond permanence gradient. |
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