engleski

Impact of water level fluctuation in shaping of zooplankton assemblage in shallow lake

Shallow lakes are strongly affected by global climate changes, reflected in significant parameters of ecosystem deterioration i.e. biodiversity decrease, and water turbidity. During the summer in 2012 and 2013 we conducted zooplankton research in the Škrčev kut oxbow lake (Krapina River watershed, NW Croatia, Europe) with the aim to determine the effect of inter- annual, short-timescale changes of hydrological regime on environmental conditions, macrophytes, zooplankton and fish assemblage within an oxbow lake in the temperate region. Within one-year period water level increased for 2 meters. This caused significant reduction of floating-leaved macrophytes (i.e. Nuphar lutea), while turbidity, ortho-phosphate and chlorophyll a concentrations increased. These altered ecological conditions were reflected in shift from floating-leaved macrophytes at lower water level to phytoplankton dominated lake at higher water level. Zooplankton underwent significant alteration in assemblage. Results suggest that fish preference suppressed cladocerans and enhanced rotifers and copepods abundance. Our results indicate that even in a short-timescale zooplankton assemblage mediates in modification of ecosystem functioning.

Rotifera Cladocera Copepoda ; Fish Floating-leaved macrophytes ; Oxbow lake

Rad je dobio novi DOI. Prijašnji DOI 10.1515/cjf- 2018-0002