Seasonal quantitative dynamics and ecology of pelagic rotifers in an acidified boreal lake
Lake Gjerstadvann is a dimictic, oligotrophic, slightly acidified boreal lake in southern Norway (northwest Europe). The planktonic rotifer community of this lake was studied quantitatively during one year in order to investigate the impacts of the local environment and biotic interactions on season...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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PAGEPress Publications
2017-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Limnology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.jlimnol.it/index.php/jlimnol/article/view/1685 |
| _version_ | 1811270618024247296 |
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| author | Svein Birger Wærvågen Tom Andersen |
| author_facet | Svein Birger Wærvågen Tom Andersen |
| author_sort | Svein Birger Wærvågen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Lake Gjerstadvann is a dimictic, oligotrophic, slightly acidified boreal lake in southern Norway (northwest Europe). The planktonic rotifer community of this lake was studied quantitatively during one year in order to investigate the impacts of the local environment and biotic interactions on seasonal succession and habitat selection. Pure suspension feeders (mainly Keratella spp., Conochilus spp., and Kellicottia longispina) together with raptorial graspers or specialised feeders (mainly Polyarthra spp. and Collotheca spp.) dominated the rotifer community over prolonged periods, whereas carnivorous/omnivorous species (mainly Asplanchna priodonta) were extremely uncommon. Low bicarbonate buffering capacity resulted in a distinctive seasonal oscillating pH between 5.0 and 5.6, defining a special acid-transition lake category. The pH values were highest in the productive period during summer, and lowest during ice break-up coinciding with the peak reactive aluminium concentrations of 250-300 mg L-1. As in typical Norwegian boreal perch lakes, the most abundant cladoceran was Bosmina longispina due to perch predation on the genus Daphnia. Rotifer community structure was significantly related to temperature and oxygen (P=0.001 and P=0.022), illustrating the important effects of the seasonal cycle and vertical density stratification. The most significant competition indicator species were B. longispina and Eudiaptomus gracilis (both with P=0.001). A variance partitioning indicated that 14% of the total community composition variance could only be explained by biotic interactions, while 19% of the variance could be attributed to environmental gradients. Of the variance, 23% could not be resolved between biotic interactions and environmental gradients, while a residual of 44% was not explainable by any of the variables. Acid conditions alone cannot account for all the observed changes in the rotifer community of this lake with low humic content, since resource limitation and food competition are also important factors shaping rotifer population dynamics and the community structure. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T22:05:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-84beda155c7d49c4b981b49d39fc8dfc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1129-5767 1723-8633 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T22:05:19Z |
| publishDate | 2017-12-01 |
| publisher | PAGEPress Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Limnology |
| spelling | doaj.art-84beda155c7d49c4b981b49d39fc8dfc2022-12-22T03:14:57ZengPAGEPress PublicationsJournal of Limnology1129-57671723-86332017-12-0177110.4081/jlimnol.2017.1685931Seasonal quantitative dynamics and ecology of pelagic rotifers in an acidified boreal lakeSvein Birger Wærvågen0Tom Andersen1Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Department of Natural Sciences and TechnologyUniversity of Oslo, Department of BiosciencesLake Gjerstadvann is a dimictic, oligotrophic, slightly acidified boreal lake in southern Norway (northwest Europe). The planktonic rotifer community of this lake was studied quantitatively during one year in order to investigate the impacts of the local environment and biotic interactions on seasonal succession and habitat selection. Pure suspension feeders (mainly Keratella spp., Conochilus spp., and Kellicottia longispina) together with raptorial graspers or specialised feeders (mainly Polyarthra spp. and Collotheca spp.) dominated the rotifer community over prolonged periods, whereas carnivorous/omnivorous species (mainly Asplanchna priodonta) were extremely uncommon. Low bicarbonate buffering capacity resulted in a distinctive seasonal oscillating pH between 5.0 and 5.6, defining a special acid-transition lake category. The pH values were highest in the productive period during summer, and lowest during ice break-up coinciding with the peak reactive aluminium concentrations of 250-300 mg L-1. As in typical Norwegian boreal perch lakes, the most abundant cladoceran was Bosmina longispina due to perch predation on the genus Daphnia. Rotifer community structure was significantly related to temperature and oxygen (P=0.001 and P=0.022), illustrating the important effects of the seasonal cycle and vertical density stratification. The most significant competition indicator species were B. longispina and Eudiaptomus gracilis (both with P=0.001). A variance partitioning indicated that 14% of the total community composition variance could only be explained by biotic interactions, while 19% of the variance could be attributed to environmental gradients. Of the variance, 23% could not be resolved between biotic interactions and environmental gradients, while a residual of 44% was not explainable by any of the variables. Acid conditions alone cannot account for all the observed changes in the rotifer community of this lake with low humic content, since resource limitation and food competition are also important factors shaping rotifer population dynamics and the community structure.https://www.jlimnol.it/index.php/jlimnol/article/view/1685Rotiferaautecologyfood limitationseasonal successionboreal perch lakeacidification. |
| spellingShingle | Svein Birger Wærvågen Tom Andersen Seasonal quantitative dynamics and ecology of pelagic rotifers in an acidified boreal lake Journal of Limnology Rotifera autecology food limitation seasonal succession boreal perch lake acidification. |
| title | Seasonal quantitative dynamics and ecology of pelagic rotifers in an acidified boreal lake |
| title_full | Seasonal quantitative dynamics and ecology of pelagic rotifers in an acidified boreal lake |
| title_fullStr | Seasonal quantitative dynamics and ecology of pelagic rotifers in an acidified boreal lake |
| title_full_unstemmed | Seasonal quantitative dynamics and ecology of pelagic rotifers in an acidified boreal lake |
| title_short | Seasonal quantitative dynamics and ecology of pelagic rotifers in an acidified boreal lake |
| title_sort | seasonal quantitative dynamics and ecology of pelagic rotifers in an acidified boreal lake |
| topic | Rotifera autecology food limitation seasonal succession boreal perch lake acidification. |
| url | https://www.jlimnol.it/index.php/jlimnol/article/view/1685 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sveinbirgerwærvagen seasonalquantitativedynamicsandecologyofpelagicrotifersinanacidifiedboreallake AT tomandersen seasonalquantitativedynamicsandecologyofpelagicrotifersinanacidifiedboreallake |