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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 57(4)

Zooplankton dynamics during autumn circulation in a small, wind-sheltered, Mediterranean lake

M. Alvarez-Cobelas A E , A. Baltanás B , J. L. Velasco C and C. Rojo D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Instituto de Recursos Naturales (CSIC), Serrano 115 dpdo., 28006 Madrid, Spain.

B Departmento de Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain.

C Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain.

D Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universidad de Valencia, Apartat Oficial 2085, 46071 Valencia, Spain.

E Corresponding author. Email: malvarez@ccma.csic.es

Marine and Freshwater Research 57(4) 441-452 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF05137
Submitted: 14 July 2005  Accepted: 3 April 2006   Published: 14 June 2006

Abstract

Few studies have been undertaken on zooplankton dynamics during the transition from late stratification to early mixing in lakes. The Plankton Ecology Group (PEG) model of plankton seasonality only considers water temperature, edible phytoplankton and fish predation as zooplankton-controlling factors during that period. The water-column edible algal and bacterial fractions, heterotrophic nanoflagellates, ciliates, rotifers, cladocerans and copepods were studied during 93 consecutive days of mixing-transition in a wind-sheltered, Mediterranean lake without planktivorous fish. Abundances of all zooplankton populations except ciliates, Daphnia longispina and copepodites, were related to water temperature. In addition to PEG controlling factors, time series analysis indicated competition between ciliates and Ceriodaphnia reticulata and Polyarthra dolichoptera and D. longispina, predation of Arctodiaptomus salinus on ciliates, herbivory of adult copepods on the 5–20 μm phytoplanktonic size and delayed effects shorter than one week. The remaining zooplankton populations did not show any edible size preference. Ceriodaphnia reticulata showed evidence of herbivory on bacteria and picoplankton and competition with Hexarthra fennica in shorter periods. Phyto- and zooplankton production were decoupled. These results, and others from warmer periods and latitudes, suggest that the current model of lake plankton seasonality must be reviewed.

Extra keywords: competition, herbivory, PEG model, predation, seasonal succession, temperature.


Acknowledgments

The heavy sampling and analyses reported in this study could not have been carried out without the helping hands of many friends: Angel Rubio, María Valladolid, Oscar Soriano, Antonio Arellano, Marcelo Izquierdo, Alba Velasco, Rafael Araujo, Pepe Fernández, Tano Zamorano, Elena Domingo, Lola Agüero, María Alvarez-Cobelas, Mario Carrascal and Pedro Valladolid. Maite del Arco counted macrozooplankton specimens. Diana Clifton-Sewell and Dr Varyl Thorndycraft (Royal Holloway College, London, UK) kindly checked the English language. Prof Rafael Morales (Univ. Granada, Spain) undertook a major revision of a preliminary draft of the manuscript and suggested many improvements. Two anonymous referees greatly improved the clarity of our text. This study has been funded by PB90–103, REN02–00558 and BOS02–2333 projects, all these funded by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science. Also, it has partially been supported by a grant from the Conselleria d’Empresa, Universitat y Ciència (GRUPOS-2004/20, Generalitat Valenciana, Spain).


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