Zooplankton body-size structure and biomass in tropical floodplain lakes: relationship with planktivorous fishes

Bonecker, Cláudia Cósta; Azevedo, Fernando Mendes de; Simões, Nadson Ressyé

doi:10.1590/s2179-975x2012005000005

Cited by 31 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…In the classical paper of Brooks & Dodson (1965), zooplankton size was used to test the size-efficiency hypothesis, and vertebrate predation played a fundamental role in shaping zooplankton size structure. Recent studies have shown that not only vertebrate predation can constrain zooplankton body size, but invertebrate predation and water temperature can be decisive in determining zooplankton body size (Bonecker et al 2011, Havens et al 2014.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Composition, Body-Size Structure and Biomass of Zooplankton in a High-Elevation Temporary Pond (Minas Gerais, Brazil)

et al. 2016

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Small ponds are vital inland water bodies, recognized as small repositories of freshwater biodiversity, but neglected in terms of conservation. Although high-elevation ponds are difficult to sample and monitor, it is important to extend their study, in view of their importance to aquatic biodiversity. The aim of this study was to analyze the composition, size structure biomass and diversity of zooplankton community in a temporary pond (Lagoa Seca) of a low-alpine area in the southern part of Serra do Espinhaço mountain in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Three ecological aspects were analyzed: (I) the taxonomic composition of the zooplankton assemblage, (II) the size structure and biomass of the main groups in the zooplankton community and (III) whether the morphometric characteristics and biomass of the zooplankton result from the dominance of the microzooplankton, as expected in habitats subjected to frequent and strong disturbances, such as temporary ponds. Zooplankton samples were taken during the rainy period (October 2010 to January 2011) in different mesohabitats, from the shallowest areas covered by emergent macrophytes to the open water area covered mainly by submerged macrophytes. The zooplankton community consisted of a small number of taxa (29). Rotifera showed the highest richness, with 21 taxa recorded, of which the most constant species were the cosmopolitan Lecane lunaris, L. obtusa and Lepadella patella. Among the Cladocera, Bosmina freyi and Moina minuta were the pelagic species recorded. The other cladoceran species observed are associated with littoral vegetation, and represented mainly by Alona ossiani, Chydorus pubescens, Ephemeroporus tridentatus and Ilyocryptus spinifer. The zooplankton biomass was very low (the maximum dry weight, observed at the peak of the rainy period in January was 62 µg.m-3). The zooplankton community was dominated by the microzooplankton, with the maximum body length below 900 µm. This assemblage was very changeable in the short term, both in numerical density and size structure, probably because of the highly variable hydrological regime of the pond. The results from zooplankton composition, including the first record of the rotifer Microcodon clavus to Minas Gerais state and the second in Brazil, highlighted the important role that high-elevation temporary ponds can play as aquatic biodiversity reserves. These unique ecosystems deserve greater efforts of research and monitoring, including studies of their hydrological patterns, biological diversity, and adaptive mechanisms of the zooplankton community.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Composition, Body-Size Structure and Biomass of Zooplankton in a High-Elevation Temporary Pond (Minas Gerais, Brazil)

et al. 2016

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“…Zooplankton organisms are important components of the diets of small fish in lakes of the Upper Paraná River floodplain, mainly during potamophase (Russo & Hahn 2006, Crippa et al 2009, Hahn & Crippa 2006. The evaluation of these biotic interactions is complex because relationships can be concealed by the ways data are presented, or due the association correlates with others variables (Bonecker et al 2012)". For example, zooplanktivorous predation may be significant only on large-size individuals (size-efficiency hypothesis, Brooks & Dodson 1965); variables can have confounded each other, e.g.…”

Section: Macrothrix Elegans Sars 1901 Copepodamentioning

confidence: 99%

Intra and inter-annual structure of zooplankton communities in floodplain lakes: a long-term ecological research study

Simões

Lansac‐Tôha

Velho

et al. 2012

RBT

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Abstract:Water flow management has significantly changed the natural dynamic of floods, which are responsible for the structure and dynamic of aquatic communities in river-floodplain systems. With the aim to elaborate a conceptual framework that describes the main ecological factors associated with zooplankton community structure in the Upper Paraná River, we investigated the mechanisms that regulate the communities structure and their response to inter-annual and hydro-sedimentological variations in the floodplain and the biological factors associated with species abundance in those communities. For this we conducted samplings every six months (potamophase in March and limnophase in September) to characterize intra and inter-annual variations in community structure between 2000 and 2008. The intra-annual differences on the species richness, abundance, Shannon diversity index, and evenness, were conducted using Bayesian procedures to show probabilistic predictions of the data fit to main variation sources. Non-metric multi-dimensional scaling (NMDS), multi-response permutation procedure (MRPP), and indicator species analysis (IndVal) were run to assess and characterize the seasonality of the community structure. During high water (potamophase), hydrologic connectivity favoured exchange and dispersal of species in some lakes, increasing local diversity; during low water (limnophase), higher local productivity favoured opportunistic taxa, increasing species dominance and decreasing local diversity. Food resources and density of small-size fish were biological factors associated with the seasonal dynamic of the zooplankton community; these factors were dependent on hydrosedimentological phase (potamophase or limnophase). Water levels and limnological modifications related to water flow management have promoted replacement and impoverishment of aquatic biota in affected lakes and have indicated the ecological importance of a natural dynamic flood, which displays regular flood pulses. The conceptual model presented encompassed interactions between diverse environmental variables to more understandable mechanisms of the main sources of community variation. Rev. Biol. Trop. 60 (4): 1819-1836. Epub 2012 December 01.

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“…Size classes categorized, adapted methodology ofBonecker, Azevedo, and Simões (2011) proportion of explained variance and results in the correct level of Type I error. Among the tested water physical and chemical characteristics (described above), only Secchi depth and suspended inorganic matter (MSI) were selected for the model and used in the analysis.Food resources comprised phytoplankton biovolume and ciliate abundances transformed into distances using a Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCoA).…”

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confidence: 99%

High food availability linked to dominance of small zooplankton in a subtropical floodplain

Bomfim

Braghin

Bonecker

et al. 2018

Internat Rev Hydrobiol

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Zooplankton body size is fundamentally affecting productivity, ecosystem respiration, nutrient cycling, and energy transfer and may be controlled by food availability but also water physical and chemical characteristics. However, the differences in control of water physical and chemical characteristics and food availability on zooplankton body size have rarely been investigated in subtropical systems. We tested the hypotheses that: (i) the type of environment, food availability, and water physical and chemical characteristics would influence body size distribution in the Upper Paraná River floodplain and nearby subsystems and (ii) in environments with higher food availability, small‐sized organisms would predominate showing higher abundance, whereas the opposite would occur in environments with lower food availability. To test these hypotheses, we performed partial redundancy and redundancy analyses (RDA). Our results showed that food availability, Secchi depth, and suspended inorganic matter influenced the body size structure of rotifers and cladocerans. Additionally, we observed that greater food availability was related to greater abundance of organisms, which were dominated by small‐sized zooplankton (size classes C2 and C1 in rotifers, and class C2′ in cladocerans). It was possible to associate different zooplankton body size spectra with phytoplankton biovolume and planktonic ciliate abundance. We suggest that large‐bodied cladocerans could have a competitive advantage over rotifers and small‐sized cladocerans when resources are scarce, because the large‐sized group could explore a wider range of resource types.

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Zooplankton body-size structure and biomass in tropical floodplain lakes: relationship with planktivorous fishes

Cited by 31 publications

References 27 publications

Composition, Body-Size Structure and Biomass of Zooplankton in a High-Elevation Temporary Pond (Minas Gerais, Brazil)

Composition, Body-Size Structure and Biomass of Zooplankton in a High-Elevation Temporary Pond (Minas Gerais, Brazil)

Intra and inter-annual structure of zooplankton communities in floodplain lakes: a long-term ecological research study

High food availability linked to dominance of small zooplankton in a subtropical floodplain

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