Response of cladoceran assemblages to restoration of riparian vegetation: A case study in a tropical reservoir of Brazil

In recent decades, riparian vegetation has been removed from important ecosystems around the world, in spite of its high ecological importance for aquatic biota. Nevertheless, the effects of catchment land use on zooplankton have been little studied. The present study investigated if replanting riparian vegetation in a tropical reservoir influences the richness and abundance of cladoceran communities, by addressing the question of whether cladocerans show differences in richness and abundance among four levels of riparian vegetation conditions: 1) native forest (NF); 2) 30 years after forest replanting (R1); 3) 10 years after forest replanting (R2); and 4) no forest (No-F). Zooplankton samples were obtained from 9 stations in the Volta Grande Reservoir, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Cladocerans in zones NF and R1 showed higher levels of richness and abundance than in zones No-F and R2. Ceriodaphnia reticulata, Ceriodaphnia laticaudata, and Diaphanosoma spinulosum showed higher abundances in zones NF and R1. Cladoceran community structure was influenced by the different levels of riparian vegetation. This study showed that the presence and age of riparian forest positively influence the abundance, richness and diversity of cladoceran assemblages. Furthermore, our results indicated that C. reticulata, C. laticaudata and D. spinulosum are more efficient than other cladocerans in exploiting allochthonous resources provided by riparian forest. Functional diversity was higher in zones NF and R1, suggesting that the trait composition of cladoceran assemblages responds positively to recovery of riparian forest. Overall, our research suggests that cladocerans are good indicators of riparian vegetation conditions and that restoration of riparian forest positively affects cladoceran assemblages of tropical reservoirs.     

Response of the zooplankton community to extreme hydrological variations in a temporary lake in a neotropical floodplain system

Extreme events can cause species substitution or biodiversity losses. In floodplains, flood and drought phases are considered disturbances when their amplitude or intensity are atypical. These unpredictable events can affect the structure of aquatic communities. In this context, we evaluated the response of the zooplankton community to two extreme droughts that occurred from 2001−2002 and 2014−2016. We assessed species richness and composition on three occasions: before extreme drought (phase 1); during the phase after extreme drought (phase 2) characterized by floods, and lastly, after flood (phase 3), when the fluctuations in water levels in the lowlands stabilized. We hypothesized that (i) zooplankton composition in the lake is distinct in the phases before extreme drought and flood, as the extreme drought event causes changes in the community structure and (ii) after the flood (phase 3), the composition of species in the lake would be more similar to the phase 1, with a large number of species shared in these. Contrary to what we expected, similarity in the species composition of the lake was greater between the phase 1 and phase 2, which may indicate the resilience capacity of the community, through specialized adaptations capable of tolerating extreme. The lowest similarity was observed between the phase 1 and phase 3 and this difference may be a consequence of the dilution effect of the community in the flood (phase 2). Our results suggest that the community structure in the lake can be considered more resilient to extreme drought. We also highlight the importance of the hydrological dynamics of a floodplain for the structure of communities, considering atypical droughts in periods of different climatic events.     

Horizontal and seasonal patterns of tropical zooplankton from the eutrophic Prado Reservoir (Colombia)

Zooplankton community analyses can reveal valuable information about the trophic status and secondary production in reservoirs. The zooplankton seasonal distribution and important physical and chemical parameters in Prado Reservoir (Tolima, Central Colombia) were studied in monthly surveys throughout a hydrological cycle (February 2000-January 2001) in order to establish seasonal patterns and the biotic and abiotic relationships for the reservoir. Surface zooplankton collections at 1 m depth were taken at six sampling stations with regard to reservoir morphometry, location of main tributaries and mixing areas of the incoming tributaries. Cladocerans numerically dominated (48.1%) the community throughout the study period followed by Copepoda (32.7%), Rotifera (19.1%), and Diptera larvae (0.01%). Among the cladocerans, there was a greater abundance of Bosmina longirostris (69.8%) than other crustaceans. Among the Rotifera, Brachionus falcatus was the most abundant with 23% and Keratella tropica was least abundant with 8%. The only cyclopoid species found was Thermocyclops decipiens. The phantom midge Chaoborus sp. was also part of the zooplankton community. Based on numbers, cladocerans represented a significant component of the zooplankton in both dry and rainy seasons. Four species (Brachionus spp., K. tropica, Diaphanosoma brachyurum, Ceriodaphnia cornuta, Moina sp., and T. decipiens) had never previously been found in the reservoir, but were recorded for other standing Colombian water bodies. The replacement of B. longirostris instead of Daphnia sp. as dominant species was observed. The results of the comparison of the different studies confirmed that the trophic state of this artificial lake may be classified as eutrophic, and in general, physical, and chemical homogeneity were observed both spatially and temporally.     

Evaluation of quantitative sampling methods in pleuston: An example from ostracod communities

We address two methodological questions related to sampling pleuston in floodplain lakes, using ostracod as model group: (1) we test the homogeneity of ostracod communities by comparing samples from the edge and from the centre of the floating Eichhornia crassipes patches, (2) we test if there is a clear difference between two methods of sampling. According to the ecological attributes evaluated, there was no significant difference between edge and centre of the patches, while both sampling methods were equally efficient to represent the ostracod communities.