engleski

Zooplankton as toll in the lake resilience assessment: A comparison of shallow waterbodies in temperate and Mediterranean regions of Europe

Small standing freshwaterbodies (SWB) prevailed across inland landscape, and zooplankton (Rotifera, Cladocera, Copepoda) presents their important biotic component. In this study we compared SWB in different latitudinal and climate regions (temperate and Mediterranean), with the aim to assess their resilience and recovery availability in a changing climate. Shallow waterbodies in both regions were selected by different morphometry, nutrients, macrophyte coverage, and fish stock. Results revealed that ecosystem heterogeneity caused by macrophyte coverage increased zooplankton diversity, irrespective of the climatic region. The opposite trend was observed in the case of fish presence, which decreased zooplankton diversity in both climates. Salinity is indicated as a specific driver in the Mediterranean region and it negatively impacted diversity. Along a latitude, the zooplankton abundance:biomass ratio indicated pronounced deterioration and higher densities of small-sized species in warmer regions in comparison to colder ones. The obtained results suggested a significant contribution of zooplankton to the biodiversity of shallow waterbodies, and Mediterranean SWB were recognized as ecosystem of higher risk in the ecosystem recovering. Importance of SWB in the functioning of aquatic and adjacent terrestrial ecosystem should point supporting the protection and sustainability of these vulnerable and valuable aquatic ecosystems.

macrophyte coverage, fish, zooplankton traits, ecosystem evaluation

Department of Water Protection, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań, Poland ; Agricultural University of Tirana, Rruga Paisi Vodica 1025 Tirana, Albania ; Department of Zooplankton, Hydrobiological Institute, Ohrid, North Macedonia ; Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece