engleski

Impact of different restoration methods on the zooplankton assemblage in the Adriatic coastal ponds

Zooplankton is an important component of the biocenoses in many lentic ecosystems and is also an exceptional indicator of changes in environmental variables and ecological status of the ecosystem. Anthropogenic impact and global climate changes reduce the number of shallow water bodies, and in order to preserve them, several restoration methods are being carried out. The main objectives of this study were: (i) to compare zooplankton assemblages between unrestored Adriatic coastal ponds of anthropogenic origin (AN) and those subjected to various restoration methods: macrophyte restoration (MR) ; drainage of sediment (DS) ; and (ii) to determine the main drivers of the zooplankton composition in each category of ponds. In nine ponds, 42 taxa were determined, and rotifers (26 taxa) mostly contributed to the zooplankton diversity. The greatest abundance of zooplankton was observed in shallow lakes which were restored by macrophyte reduction, while the smallest abundance of zooplankton was observed in shallow water bodies without applied restoration methods. Conductivity, concentration of suspended organic matter, complexity of macrophyte structure and phytoplankton biomass had a significant influence on the zooplankton assemblage. The results of this study confirm the importance of proper implementation of restoration measures in order to preserve biodiversity and maintain good ecological status of shallow water bodies.

Rotifera, Cladocera, Copepoda, shallow lakes

nije evidentirano