Macrozoobenthic community of Fuxian Lake, the deepest lake of southwest China

Abstract

Located in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau in southwest China, Fuxian Lake covers an area of 211 km 2 , with maximum depth of 155 m. It is known to have a unique fauna, including 14 described endemic species. In order to describe the zoobenthic community of the lake more completely, the present study was conducted from August 2002 to August 2003. Altogether 62 benthic taxa, including 22 oligochaetes, 21 molluscs and 18 insects were identified, of which the dominant taxa belonged to Potamothrix, Procladius and Paraprososthenia. The standing stocks of benthos were much higher in the littoral (824 ind/m 2 in density, 3.72 g/m 2 in biomass) than in the profundal region (23 ind/m 2 in density, 0.10 g/m 2 in biomass). Species richness was greatest in summer and standing stocks were larger in spring and summer than in other seasons. Analyses of functional feeding groups indicated that collector-gatherers and scrapers were predominant in entire lake. Stepwise multiple regression analysis demonstrated that the water depth is the most important factor affecting the distribution of macrozoobenthos.

Trophic Status Is Associated With Community Structure and Metabolic Potential of Planktonic Microbiota in Plateau Lakes

“…Erhai Lake (EL) has undergone alteration from mesotrophic to eutrophic conditions owing to excessive usage of chemical fertilizers and severe destruction of wetland vegetation along the lakeshore (Hu et al, 2014; Wang et al, 2015a). Fuxian Lake (FXL) is oligo-mesotrophic (Cui et al, 2008). Lugu Lake (LGL) is oligotrophic, and clear with abundant submerged plants (Liao et al, 2015).…”

Physicochemical and shoreline development factors affecting lake littoral benthic macroinvertebrates

“…Amnicola limosa had a significant positive correlation with coliforms in Lake Rippowam. Positive associations between coliforms and snails were found in other studies (Giovanelli et al 2005;Cui et al 2008). Studies that focused on water bodies heavily contaminated with sewage effluent often reported that only certain species of snails -usually from the very tolerant family Physidae -were plentiful in areas with high coliform counts (Cui et al 2008;Varnosfaderany et al 2010).…”

“…Positive associations between coliforms and snails were found in other studies (Giovanelli et al 2005;Cui et al 2008). Studies that focused on water bodies heavily contaminated with sewage effluent often reported that only certain species of snails -usually from the very tolerant family Physidae -were plentiful in areas with high coliform counts (Cui et al 2008;Varnosfaderany et al 2010). Anoxic conditions resulting from nitrate influx, algal blooms, and subsequent bacterial population explosions make such habitats inhospitable to the gilled snails and other more sensitive Pulmonate species.…”

Systematic revision of the freshwater snailMargarya Nevill, 1877 (Mollusca: Viviparidae) endemic to the ancient lakes of Yunnan, China, with description of new taxa

“…Both species exhibit differences in their radular morphology, which may indicate differences in their trophic specialization. This specialization may relate to the different environmental conditions in lakes: Lake Fuxian is a typical oligotrophic lake with far less biomass of benthic algae (plus different species of algae) than the eutrophic lakes Lake Xingyun and Qilu (CAS, 1989; Cui, Liu & Wang, ). Thus although allopatric separation has been the main driver of speciation, lineage differentiation may have been accelerated by diversifying selection in two rather different environments.…”