Naslov
Assessing Cladocera and Copepoda individual disturbance levels in hydrologically dynamic environment

Autori
Galir Balkić, Anita ; Ternjej, Ivančica

Izvornik
Wetlands Ecology and Management (0923-4861) 26 (2018), 5; 733-749

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
Zooplankton ; Microcrustacea ; Alluvial floodplain ; Flood pulses ; Kopački rit ; Abundance/biomass comparison method

Sažetak
Microcrustacean species (Cladocera, Copepoda) as a significant component of the plankton assembly play diverse roles in floodplain ecosystems and cope with the heterogenic environment differently. Since alterations in the hydro regime are considered disturbance events for zooplankton development, we assessed whether and to what extent are Cladocera and Copepoda exposed to disturbances caused by hydro regime alterations in a floodplain lake. To evaluate the disturbance levels for individual microcrustacean assemblage in different water layers and between different hydrological phases, we applied the abundance/biomass comparison (ABC) method. Recorded microcrustacean assemblages highly depended on the hydrological state of the waterbody and diverged accordingly. Cladocera demonstrated to be more sensitive to change in specific environmental parameters like conductivity, temperature and transparency, while Copepoda exhibited no limitation by ecological variables. Although both groups were influenced by the bottom–up and top–down control, different disturbance intensity was recorded for the individual microcrustacean class. An undisturbed condition during isolation of the Lake allowed Cladocera to reach equilibrium while both microcrustacean groups exhibited moderate to high levels of disturbance following inundation. Regarding disturbance intensity, Cladocera expressed a weak distinction following hydro regime and water layer replacement. On the other hand, Copepoda disturbance levels notably depended on the position in the water column within a specific hydrological phase. Results of the ABC analyses gave a good representation of a real community dispersal in the studied Lake. However, more research is needed to re-evaluate here given levels of disturbance properly.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Biologija

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