Effects of natural banks of free-floating plants on zooplankton community in a shallow subtropical lake in Southern Brazil

Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology

Vanessa Gazulha²  Mônica Montú¹  David Da Motta Marques¹  Claúdia Costa Bonecker¹ 

[1] ,Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto Alegre RS ,Brasil

关键词: macrophytes;    refuge;    spatial distribution;    tropical zooplankton;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S1516-89132011000400014

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

The aim of this study was to test the effects of natural free-floating plants on zooplankton distribution in a shallow subtropical lake. First, the hypothesis that free-floating plants have an effect on physico-chemicals, leading to a decrease on nutrient availability and influencing the phytoplankton biomass and zooplankton community was tested. Second, the hypothesis that free-floating plants act as a refuge for zooplankton was tested. Three microhabitats were selected: free-floating plants, littoral area and open water. Results demonstrated that the effects of different microhabitats on phytoplankton biomass and physico-chemicals were not significant, indicating a weak influence of the plants. Zooplankton densities were higher in free-floating plants and littoral area, although the effect of microhabitats was weak for most of the predominant genera. The absence of free-floating plant effects on phytoplankton and physico-chemicals showed that it was not a factor influencing the microcrustacean distribution in the microhabitats. Low differences in densities of zooplankton among microhabitats and low abundance of large-bodied cladocerans led to reject the hypothesis that free-floating plants act as a refuge for zooplankton.

【 授权许可】

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