食物质量对盔形溞(Daphnia galeata)和脆弱象鼻溞(Bosmina fatalis)生活史参数的影响

枝角类体内氮磷比与生活史策略的选择密切相关,大型枝角类通常体内含磷量高、个体生长快、生殖率高,而小型枝角类体内含磷量低,个体生长相对较慢、生殖率低.由于大型枝角类对磷的需求比较高,我们假设大型枝角类生活史各参数对食物磷缺乏比小型枝角类更为敏感.本研究比较分析了食物碳磷比对流溪河水库两种枝角类（盔型溞（Daphnia galeata）和脆弱象鼻溞（Bosmina fatalis））生活史各参数的影响.实验设计了3个食物质量处理组：高磷（碳：磷=105）、中磷（400）和低磷（1450）,食物浓度均为2 mg C/L的蛋白核小球藻（Chlorella pyrenoidosa）.脆弱象鼻溞内禀增长率、幼溞生长速率、平均每窝产仔量和首次生殖时体长均随着食物碳磷比的升高而显著下降;首次生殖时间则随着食物碳磷比的升高而显著延长;新生幼溞体长在各食物处理中无显著差异.盔型溞幼溞生长速率、平均每窝产仔量和首次生殖时体长均随着食物碳磷比的升高而显著下降;内禀增长率和新生幼溞体长在高磷处理组显著高于中磷和低磷处理组,但在中磷和低磷处理组无显著差异;首次生殖时间在高磷处理组显著短于中磷和低磷处理组,但在中磷和低磷处理组无显著差异.结果表明,食物的磷缺乏降低了两种枝角类的内禀增长率和幼溞生长速率,并延长了性成熟时间;盔型溞的内禀增长率、首次生殖时间和平均每窝产仔量等生活史参数受食物磷限制的程度小于脆弱象鼻溞,导致盔型溞对脆弱象鼻溞有竞争优势.     

太湖群体微囊藻对同形溞(Daphnia similis)生长和繁殖影响的模拟

富营养湖泊中蓝藻水华对枝角类种群和群落结构有显著的影响,但自然条件下群体微囊藻对大型枝角类溞属不同种类的影响仍存在争议.本研究通过两次为期各10 d的模拟实验,利用过滤后的太湖原水模拟群体微囊藻(20～100μm和100 ～200 μm)添加对大型枝角类同形溞(Daphnia similis)种群特征的影响,结果显示两次实验的同形溞均大量存活,不同浓度和颗粒大小的群体微囊藻对其生长和繁殖的影响不同,添加群体微囊藻的同形溞的生长和繁殖显著大于未添加微囊藻的.说明在自然条件下藻毒素对同形溞种群并没有明显的抑制作用,同形溞能够与微囊藻水华共存,其种群特征与微囊藻群体大小组成和生物量有关.     

食物质量和种间竞争对盔型溞(Daphnia galeata)和脆弱象鼻溞(Bosmina fatalis)种群增长的影响

竞争是调控水体浮游动物群落结构的生物因素之一.根据"大小效率假说",大型滤食性枝角类对小型枝角类有竞争优势.然而,大型滤食性枝角类体内磷含量通常高于小型枝角类,生长比小型枝角类更容易受食物磷缺乏的影响,食物的磷缺乏可能会改变大型枝角类和小型枝角类之间的竞争结果.本研究比较分析了食物碳磷比对两种常见枝角类（盔型溞（Daphnia galeata）和脆弱象鼻溞（Bosmina fatalis））的种群增长率、种群密度及种间竞争关系的影响.实验设计了3个食物质量处理组：高磷（碳：磷=105）、中磷（碳：磷=740）和低磷（碳：磷=2400）,食物浓度均为2 mg C/L蛋白核小球藻（Chlorella pyrenoidosa）;针对每一个食物质量处理组,盔型溞和脆弱象鼻溞分别单独培养或混合培养.盔型溞和脆弱象鼻溞平均最大种群密度分别为378~893和364~2399 ind./L;平均种群增长率分别为0.11~0.14和0.09~0.16 d^-1;平均体长分别为1.53~2.50和0.25~0.35 mm.种群增长率和体长均随着食物碳磷比的升高而显著下降,而最大种群密度在中磷处理组显著高于其它两个处理组.盔型溞种群增长率在单独培养和混合培养间无显著差异;脆弱象鼻溞种群增长率在混合培养时显著低于单独培养时.在高磷和中磷处理组,盔型溞最大种群密度在单独培养和混合培养间无显著差异,在低磷处理组,混合培养时最大种群密度显著低于单独培养时;在高磷处理组,脆弱象鼻溞最大种群密度在单独培养和混合培养间无显著差异,在中磷和低磷处理组,混合培养时显著低于单独培养时.结果表明,在食物碳不缺条件下,不管食物磷是否缺乏,盔型溞均比脆弱象鼻溞有竞争优势.     

溞类(Daphnia)反捕食的表型可塑性及其研究进展

表型可塑性指的是生物体在生物或非生物环境发生变化时会呈现出不同的表型能力,是生物在不稳定的生活环境中维持生存的一种主要策略.在淡水生态系统,大量研究表明浮游动物能通过捕食者释放的化学信息物质感知捕食风险的存在,从而导致反捕食的表型可塑性反应的发生.溞类是一类很好的研究浮游动物对捕食者释放的信息素产生表型可塑性反应的模式生物.本文综述了捕食者释放的化学信息素对溞类的生活史、形态特征、行为活动以及生理指标等表型的影响,探讨了其形成机制和生态意义.溞类对捕食风险信息素的表型可塑性是特定种群与捕食者长期相互作用下适应性进化产生的.加强这些研究对了解物种的形成和生物的进化有非常重要的意义.     

太湖夏秋季大型枝角类(Daphnia)种群消失的初步分析

水体温度过高和磷浓度是影响枝角类Daphnia存活和繁殖的重要因子,因此本研究假设太湖夏秋季水体高温和磷浓度是引起Daphnia种群夏秋季消退的原因.通过夏秋季两次为期各15d的模拟实验,模拟高温和添加磷盐对太湖春季优势种同形溞Daphnia similis种群的影响,结果表明在高温和不添加磷盐的条件下,同形溞均有较高的种群增长率,证实夏秋季太湖水体高温和磷浓度不是限制Daphnia种群的因素,同时推测,鱼类的捕食作用和微囊藻水华对Daphnia种群的消退可能起作用.     

沉积物再悬浮对食浮游动物鱼类捕食浮游动物的影响

在亚热带浅水湖泊中,由风浪引起沉积物再悬浮是其重要特征之一.沉积物再悬浮一方面直接影响浮游动物群落结构,另一方面通过影响食浮游动物鱼类对浮游动物的捕食而产生间接影响.以食浮游动物鱼类——餐条(Hemiculter leucisculus)为实验对象,通过模拟实验,比较不同再悬浮条件下餐条对浮游动物群落结构的影响.结果显示,在有餐条的处理组中,大型枝角类短钝溞(Daphnia obtusa)只在弱再悬浮条件下出现,并成为枝角类群落的优势种;在无餐条的处理组中,短钝溞生物量随再悬浮强度减弱而增加.强再悬浮(无餐条)和无再悬浮(有餐条)条件下,小型枝角类角突网纹溞(Ceriodaphnia cornuta)和盘肠溞(Chydorus sp.)为优势种.无论有、无餐条条件下,桡足类优势种均为中剑水蚤(Mesocyclops sp.),其生物量随再悬浮强度减弱而增加.所有处理组中,轮虫丰度均低于枝角类和桡足类丰度.研究表明,在亚热带浅水湖泊中,适当的悬浮质浓度既能干扰食浮游动物鱼类对大型浮游动物的捕食,又不影响大型浮游动物的生存,使得它们保持一定的丰度,通过对浮游植物的摄食,降低叶绿素a浓度.     

云南云龙天池枝角类群落演替对1950s以来人类活动影响信号的识别

从1950s开始, 云南地区部分湖泊受到了水文调控(如筑坝)和鱼类引入等流域开发活动的直接影响, 湖泊水环境与生态系统结构已出现明显改变. 开展浮游动物群落的长期生态响应评价有助于认识气候波动和人为胁迫的影响模式. 本文选取云龙天池进行了沉积物记录分析, 在重建过去100年环境变化历史的基础上开展了枝角类群落的多指标分析(物种组成、个体大小、生物量等), 进一步结合多变量分析识别了枝角类群落构建的关键驱动因子. 结果显示, 云龙天池在过去100年间经历了明显的水位波动, 约1962年以前水位较低, 1950s起的水文调控(筑坝)导致湖泊水位波动上升, 2006年以来略有下降. 枝角类群落随水位波动呈现由底栖种向浮游种占优转变的模式, 并在2006年以来底栖种略有增加. 总体上, 低水位时期底栖枝角类占优, 高水位时期浮游枝角类占优. 水体营养水平也对枝角类群落产生了较为显著的影响. 在沉积物总氮和有机质通量上升时, 长额象鼻溞(Bosmina longirostris)相对丰度和枝角类浓度都明显上升. 枝角类象鼻溞个体大小表明, 1969年鱼类引入后象鼻溞的壳长、壳刺长度、触角长度显著减小, 反映了鱼类捕食压力上升的影响. 本研究进一步揭示了水文调控和鱼类引入对湖泊环境和生物群落结构的驱动影响. 其中, 1960s以前云龙天池处于自然波动的状态, 湖泊环境和枝角类群落变化主要受气候(如降水、气温)的影响; 1960s以来人类活动的影响强度已经掩盖了气候变化的信号, 成为影响湖泊生态演化轨迹的主要因素. 为了开展有效的湖泊保护与生态治理, 有必要综合评估水文调控、鱼类引入等人类活动对湖泊生态健康的长期影响.     

太湖不同生态型湖区枝角类组成和丰度长期变化的差异性

枝角类作为淡水湖泊生态系统中的初级消费者之一,对生存环境的改变极为敏感.本文分析了太湖西、中和东部等湖区的钻孔沉积物、表层沉积物以及春夏秋季活体枝角类的组成与丰度.结果表明:活体枝角类组成以象鼻溞(Bosmina spp.)为优势种,秋季枝角类属种数量最多.太湖不同生态型湖区表层沉积物枝角类组成均以象鼻溞为优势种,其中西部与中心湖区的枝角类组成与丰度较为相似,种类单一,枝角类绝对丰度高;东部湖区枝角类属种较为丰富,绝对丰度低,优势种由浮游种象鼻溞以及沿岸种圆形盘肠溞(Chydorus sphaericus sl)和西方笔纹溞(Graptoleberis testudinaria)等种属构成.百年以来,太湖枝角类组成与丰度随着营养水平增加而改变,富营养指示种(Bosmina longirostris)丰度的增加与贫营养指示种(Bosmina longispina)丰度的下降,响应了湖区生态环境的演变过程.1970s末期,太湖西部与中心湖区在进入富营养化阶段,枝角类组成单一,象鼻溞占有绝对优势,与东部湖区相比,沿岸种、底栖种稀少.东部湖区在1960s以后,枝角类属种数量增加,但丰度下降,响应了1960s以来该区域营养水平提高、沉水植被生物量增加以及沼泽化加剧的环境过程.     

武汉东湖透明薄皮溞的捕食效率

本文在室内模拟自然水温研究了东湖透明薄皮溞(Leptodora Kindti)对优势枝角类短尾秀体溞(Diaphanosoma brachyurum)和微型裸腹溞(Moina micrura)的捕食效率。实验结果表明,在17℃和21℃时透明薄皮溞对短尾秀体溞的捕食率系数(predation rate coefficient)或称滤过率(clearance rate)分别为15.9和18.2mL predator~(-1)day~(-1)。17℃时透明薄皮溞对微型裸腹溞的捕食率系数为30.1mL predator~(-1)day~(-1)。不同的猎物密度对捕食率系数亦有影响。在17℃,当猎物密度从200ind mL~(-1)增为800ind mL~(-1)时,透明薄皮溞对裸腹溞的捕食率系数则从30.1mL predator~(-1)day~(-1)下降为15.1mL predator~(-1)day~(-1),对短尾秀体溞的捕食率系数亦从15.9mL predator~(-1)day~(-1)降为7.8mL predator~(-1)day~(-1)。     

太湖微囊藻对几种枝角类种群影响的实验生物学分析

微囊藻是形成蓝藻水华最普遍的一种,不同枝角类受微囊藻的影响不同.实验从太湖梅梁湾分离天然的微囊藻,研究了其对长刺溞、隆线溞、短尾秀体溞和角突网纹溞四种枝角类存活和生殖的影响.在微囊藻食物浓度为1×106 cells/ml,测得四种枝角类的半致死时间(LT50)分别为长刺溞3.03 d、隆线溞3.79 d、短尾秀体溞8.48 d和角突网纹溞9.25 d,体长较小的短尾秀体溞和角突网纹溞的半致死时间相对较长;实验过程中没有观察到长刺溞和隆线溞有新生幼体,而短尾膊秀体溞和角突网纹溞在少数几天里产出了少量新生幼体.以不同浓度微囊藻(0.5×106-8×106 cells/ml)喂养枝角类,测得四种枝角类的24h半致死浓度(LC50)分别为:4.10×106、4.78×106、6.21×106和7.77×106 cells/ml.参照以栅藻喂养的枝角类生长情况,可知太湖微囊藻对四种枝角类的存活和生殖有很强的负面作用,其中体长较大的长刺溞和隆线溞受的影响相对较大.     

不同碳磷比的斜生栅藻(Scenedesmus obliquus)对同型溞(Daphnia similis)生长和繁殖的影响

食物质量会影响浮游动物的生长和繁殖,表征食物质量的指标包括食物大小、元素比、生物化学组成和毒性有无等.用斜生栅藻(Scenedesmus obliquus)的碳磷比(C/P)表征食物质量,分析不同C/P斜生栅藻对同型溞(Daphnia similis)生长和繁殖的影响.研究中4个处理组斜生栅藻C/P分别为881.8、512.3、124.3和42.4.培养9 d后不同处理组同型溞的生长速率分别为0.15、0.27、0.47和0.44 d-1.C/P比为881.8的处理组同型溞在整个培养过程中没有产仔,其余3个处理组的同型溞第1成龄期的产仔量分别为1.2±1.3、9.8±2.3和9.5±2.5 ind./female.结果表明,与斜生栅藻C/P为124.3处理条件相比,斜生栅藻C/P过高(512.3和881.8)及C/P过低(42.4)处理条件下同型溞生长速率和产仔量均降低.本研究表明食物C/P的高低会影响溞的生长和繁殖,从而影响其在湖泊中的生存.     

秀丽白虾(Exopalaemon modestus)对亚热带湖库春夏季水体营养水平和浮游生物群落的影响——基于微宇宙模拟实验

秀丽白虾(Exopalaemon modestus)是我国大型淡水湖库的重要经济渔获对象,也是水体中浮游动物的捕食者之一.以往的研究从渔业的角度揭示了秀丽白虾的生物学特征与食性,但少有研究探讨秀丽白虾这一无脊椎动物捕食者对春、夏季浮游生物群落的影响.本研究设计了一个单因素户外微宇宙实验,比较了春季—初夏(4-6月)时期,有无秀丽白虾条件下水体氮、磷浓度以及浮游生物生物量和群落结构的变化.结果 表明:1)秀丽白虾的存在显著降低了春季水体总氮(TN)浓度,增加了水体总磷(TP)浓度,降低了水体TN∶TP比值;2)秀丽白虾的捕食减少了大型枝角类Daphnia pulex和浮游动物总生物量,D.pulex在浮游动物群落中的优势度被轮虫取代,浮游动物群落趋于小型化;3)秀丽白虾显著增加了春季水体叶绿素a浓度,但对浮游植物群落结构的影响不明显.研究表明在大型湖库中,秀丽白虾等无脊椎动物捕食者可能是影响浮游生物群落变化的因素之一,在春季浮游生物研究中应予以关注.     

后生浮游动物摄食对太湖夏季微囊藻水华形成的作用

为了了解后生浮游动物的摄食作用在太湖夏季微囊藻水华形成中的作用,2009年7月15日至8月14日取太湖梅梁湾湖水开展了后生浮游动物对微囊藻水华形成作用的野外模拟实验.实验期间,未过滤掉后生浮游动物的对照组出现了漂浮在水面、肉眼可见的微囊藻水华,而过滤掉后生浮游动物的实验组没有出现微囊藻水华.结果显示,对照组整个实验期间都有后生浮游动物存在,共发现了9种后生浮游动物;而实验组在实验第6 d发现有后生浮游动物出现,整个实验期间共发现了3种后生浮游动物.浮游动物生物多样性分析显示对照组显著高于实验组.实验后期(21～30 d),对照组微囊藻平均密度显著高于实验组.整个实验期间,惠氏微囊藻(Microcystis wesenbergii)和水华微囊藻(Microcystis flos-aquae)密度均显著高于实验组,且惠氏微囊藻密度占对照组微囊藻总密度的60.79%.研究结果表明,太湖夏季后生浮游动物摄食并不能控制太湖蓝藻水华,相反,后生浮游动物特别是大型浮游动物能促进蓝藻水华的形成.同时表明,后生浮游动物群落结构可能是影响微囊藻水华形成的重要因素.     

Differential piscivory of the native Percichthys trucha and exotic salmonids upon the native forage fish Galaxias maculatus in Patagonian Andean lakes

The present paper analyses predation patterns, of Percichthys trucha and salmonid fish upon Galaxias maculatus in five lakes of northern Patagonia with differing community and environmental characteristics. Tank experiments were performed to evaluate relative efficiency of native and exotic predators of G. maculatus under treatments with and without cover (aquatic vegetation). Important differences were found between predators with regards to distribution and consumption of G. maculatus. Salmonids are more efficient than P. trucha in consuming G. maculatus in deep environments with scarcely vegetation; in contrast to native species they frequently use the pelagic environment. Although pelagic habitat might have served in the past as a refuge from native predators in the past, G maculatus now experiences intense predation in the pelagic zone by exotic salmonids. It is suggested that the widespread distribution of G. maculatus in Patagonian lakes may have facilitated the success of salmonids throughout Patagonia.     

河蚬(Corbicula fluminea)对霍甫水丝蚓(Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri)生物扰动的抑制效应

近年来太湖局部区域水体富营养化仍有加剧趋势,这可能与底栖动物生物扰动促进沉积物营养盐释放有关.耐污种霍甫水丝蚓(Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri)与常被用于生态修复的河蚬(Corbicula fluminea)均为太湖底栖动物优势种类,本文设计了双因素4组处理(对照组、河蚬组、霍甫水丝蚓组和混合组(霍甫水丝蚓和河蚬))的室外受控实验,研究在太湖2种种群分布交错区,河蚬能否对霍甫水丝蚓的生物扰动产生抑制效应.结果表明:霍甫水丝蚓扰动能显著增加水体总氮、总磷浓度,同时促进浮游植物生长;河蚬通过滤食和生物沉降作用显著降低水体总氮、总磷和悬浮物浓度,抑制浮游植物生长,从而促进了底栖藻类的生长;河蚬对霍甫水丝蚓生物扰动效应有抑制作用.     

中华蚊母树(Distylium chinense)幼苗对秋、冬季淹水的生长及生理响应

为阐明三峡库区岸生植物中华蚊母树(Distylium chinense)幼苗对水淹的耐淹机理,通过设置对照组(CK)、半淹组(PF)、全淹组(CF)3个水淹处理,模拟库区消落带秋、冬季淹水情况,研究中华蚊母树幼苗在不同水淹时间和深度下的生长及生理生化特性.结果表明,淹水显著影响中华蚊母树幼苗的生物量,水淹150 d后,PF组植株和CF组植株根、茎、叶生物量均呈显著降低趋势,同时受水淹影响,植株根冠比也显著降低;中华蚊母树幼苗在水淹前90 d 2组水淹处理植株叶片丙二醛(MDA)含量均与CK组植株差异不显著,水淹120 d后,中华蚊母树幼苗叶片MDA含量显著增加,且随着水淹深度的增加而逐渐升高;可溶性蛋白在各水淹处理中的变化有所差异,水淹前60 d,淹水并没有影响CF组植株可溶性蛋白含量,但从水淹90 d开始,CF组植株可溶性蛋白含量有所上升,而PF组植株可溶性蛋白含量在整个淹水期间均与CK组植株差异不显著;2组水淹处理植株脯氨酸在水淹前期均显著上升,但自水淹90 d后逐渐下降至CK组水平;与MDA对水淹的响应一致,水淹前期PF组和CF组植株抗氧化酶活性(超氧化物歧化酶、过氧化氢酶和抗坏血酸过氧化物酶)均没有出现明显影响,但水淹后期2组水淹处理植株抗氧化酶活性均显著升高;可溶性糖含量在不同水淹处理下有所差异,PF组植株叶片可溶性糖含量在整个淹水期间均与CK组植株差异不显著;而CF组植株叶片可溶性糖含量随着水淹时间的延长逐渐降低.研究证明,中华蚊母树幼苗生长及生理特性对秋、冬季水淹环境具有一定的调节能力,是中华蚊母树幼苗能够在库区消落带存活生长的一个重要原因.     

Predation of the beetle Rhantus sikkimensis (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) on the larvae of Chironomus Meigen (Diptera: Chironomidae) of the Darjeeling Himalayas of India

The dytiscid beetle Rhantus sikkimensis, Regimbart, 1899 (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae), a member of the freshwater insect communities of the Darjeeling Himalayas, were noted to predate on the coexisting larvae of Chironomus sp. Meigen. Evaluation of predation by R. sikkimensis on Chironomus sp. larvae, in the laboratory, revealed that a single adult morph of R. sikkimensis could kill and consume on an average 10–90 and 10–78 numbers of small and large Chironomus sp. larvae, respectively, per day, depending on the prey density. The attack rate ranged between 520 and 537, and the handling time ranged between 4.3 and 8.6 depending on the size of the preys. The predation varied with respect to predator density also, with a maximum of 151 larvae killed by three predators per day. Two indices of predation, ingestion rate (IR) ranging between 13.33 and 74.15 larvae/day/predator and clearance rate (CR) ranging between 19.67 and 39.99 L prey/day/predator, varied with the prey size and predator density, significantly, when the predation was observed for 9 consecutive days, at two predator densities. It was also noted that R. sikkimensis predated on an average 9.8 larvae of Chironomus sp. and 1 larva of Culex sp., when the larvae of both the species are present together as preys, showing a preference for the Chironomus sp. larvae.     

Extended larval development compensates for sublethal effects of fish predation in a mayfly population (Rhithrogena semicolorata, Ephemeroptera)

Many predation experiments in streams are carried out in enclosures. Hence, the relevance of their results to predict population dynamics is often unclear due to the relatively small spatial and temporal scale of the experiments. To enhance the transferability of experimental results on the ecosystem scale the impact of fish predators on a prey population was observed in a reach scale approach over 2 years in a natural stream. A 400-m reach inhabited by the small benthivorous fishes gudgeon (Gobio gobio) and stone loach (Barbatula barbatula) was compared with a fishless reference reach.It was shown that fish predation may affect the population of the grazing mayfly Rhithrogena semicolorata on the ecosystem scale. Although the larvae grew slower in the fish reach than in the fishless reach, the adults reached the same size and fecundity because they emerged 2–3 weeks later. By this compensation, the prey species avoided a reduction of their individual fecundity. On the other hand, the extended exposure to the fish predators resulted in an enhanced mortality and a reduced density of adult mayflies. Thus, there was obviously a trade-off between maximising fecundity and minimising mortality from fish predation.The observed differences were almost certainly caused be fish predation and not by natural differences of the reaches. This was concluded from results gained after eliminating all benthivorous fish from the former fish reach.With the help of scenario analyses based on our empirical data and simple model assumptions we could demonstrate that compensating the potential loss in fecundity by extending development time led to higher average fitness of the prey population than emerging at an earlier fixed time to avoid additional predation losses. Therefore, we concluded that this strategy was adaptive in the presence of benthivorous fish.     

Demographic parameters and mixis of three Brachionus angularis Gosse (Rotatoria) strains fed on different algae

Rotifers are one of the smallest metazoans, served as perfect material for evolution theories and excellent food resources to larva in aquaculture. Population dynamics of rotifers help to optimize culture conditions, and to understand selection of asexual and sexual reproduction types. We described population dynamics of three Brachionus angularis strains using the life table method, with three types of food. The following demographic parameters were analyzed: intrinsic rate of increase (r), net reproductive rate (R₀), generation time (T), average lifespan (L), and the total percentage of mictic females in the offspring. The results showed that there were significant effects of strain on the parameters except for R₀. However, the food type significantly affected r, R₀, T, and the total percentage of mictic females in the offspring. Demographic parameters differed among strains, showing the possible adaptation to local niches. In comparison to Chlorella pyrenoidosa, Scenedesmus obliquus served more nutrition to enlarge population size, and more mixis was induced in rotifer populations fed on it.     

The impact of pelagic (Daphnia longispina) and benthic (Dreissena polymorpha) filter feeders on chlorophyll and nutrient concentration

An outdoor experiment testing the effect of water flea (Daphnia longispina) and zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) on physical and chemical water parameters and chlorophyll concentration changes was carried out in 12 containers filled with 150 l of unfiltered water from a lowland reservoir. During the 11 weeks of the experiment, the following physical, chemical and biological measurements were recorded: temperature (°C), oxygen concentration (mg dm⁻³), pH, conductivity (S cm⁻¹), concentration of phosphate phosphorus (PO₄-P) and ammonia nitrogen (NH₄-N) (g dm⁻³), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) (g dm⁻³), phytoplankton community structure and chlorophyll a concentration (g dm⁻³). The amount of ammonia ions was the highest in the treatment with zooplankton, while phosphate ions reached the highest values in treatments with zebra mussels. The results confirmed the ability of Daphnia to increase the NH₄:PO₄ ratio, whereas excretion from zebra mussels resulted in a decrease in both the N:P ratio (ranging from 9 to 13) and the NH₄:PO₄ ratio in water. In both treatments containing zebra mussels, P-rich water enabled sudden growth of Chlorophyta, resulting in blooms of Hydrodictyon reticulatum after 3–4 weeks of the experiment. Such phenomena were not observed in the control and Daphnia treatments. Our results indicate that zebra mussels, in contrast to Daphnia, may increase the symptoms of water eutrophication and contribute to blooms of expansive phytoplankton species.