Effects of the Distribution of a Toxic Microcystis Bloom on the Small Scale Patchiness of Zooplankton.
Toxic cyanobacterial blooms can strongly affect freshwater food web structures. However, little is known about how the patchy occurrence of blooms within systems affects the spatial distribution of zooplankton communities. We studied this by analysing zooplankton community structures in comparison w...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2013-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3686710?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1818942175640027136 |
|---|---|
| author | Elke S Reichwaldt Haihong Song Anas Ghadouani |
| author_facet | Elke S Reichwaldt Haihong Song Anas Ghadouani |
| author_sort | Elke S Reichwaldt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Toxic cyanobacterial blooms can strongly affect freshwater food web structures. However, little is known about how the patchy occurrence of blooms within systems affects the spatial distribution of zooplankton communities. We studied this by analysing zooplankton community structures in comparison with the spatially distinct distribution of a toxic Microcystis bloom in a small, shallow, eutrophic lake. While toxic Microcystis was present at all sites, there were large spatial differences in the level of cyanobacterial biomass and in the zooplankton communities; sites with persistently low cyanobacterial biomass displayed a higher biomass of adult Daphnia and higher zooplankton diversity than sites with persistently high cyanobacterial biomass. While wind was the most likely reason for the spatially distinct occurrence of the bloom, our data indicate that it was the differences in cyanobacterial biomass that caused spatial differences in the zooplankton community structures. Overall, our study suggests that even in small systems with extensive blooms 'refuge sites' exist that allow large grazers to persist, which can be an important mechanism for a successful re-establishment of the biodiversity in an ecosystem after periods of cyanobacterial blooms. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T07:07:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a5e36fef3b384801b7f56c8b1d9762aa |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T07:07:15Z |
| publishDate | 2013-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-a5e36fef3b384801b7f56c8b1d9762aa2022-12-21T19:49:01ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032013-01-0186e6667410.1371/journal.pone.0066674Effects of the Distribution of a Toxic Microcystis Bloom on the Small Scale Patchiness of Zooplankton.Elke S ReichwaldtHaihong SongAnas GhadouaniToxic cyanobacterial blooms can strongly affect freshwater food web structures. However, little is known about how the patchy occurrence of blooms within systems affects the spatial distribution of zooplankton communities. We studied this by analysing zooplankton community structures in comparison with the spatially distinct distribution of a toxic Microcystis bloom in a small, shallow, eutrophic lake. While toxic Microcystis was present at all sites, there were large spatial differences in the level of cyanobacterial biomass and in the zooplankton communities; sites with persistently low cyanobacterial biomass displayed a higher biomass of adult Daphnia and higher zooplankton diversity than sites with persistently high cyanobacterial biomass. While wind was the most likely reason for the spatially distinct occurrence of the bloom, our data indicate that it was the differences in cyanobacterial biomass that caused spatial differences in the zooplankton community structures. Overall, our study suggests that even in small systems with extensive blooms 'refuge sites' exist that allow large grazers to persist, which can be an important mechanism for a successful re-establishment of the biodiversity in an ecosystem after periods of cyanobacterial blooms.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3686710?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Elke S Reichwaldt Haihong Song Anas Ghadouani Effects of the Distribution of a Toxic Microcystis Bloom on the Small Scale Patchiness of Zooplankton. PLoS ONE |
| title | Effects of the Distribution of a Toxic Microcystis Bloom on the Small Scale Patchiness of Zooplankton. |
| title_full | Effects of the Distribution of a Toxic Microcystis Bloom on the Small Scale Patchiness of Zooplankton. |
| title_fullStr | Effects of the Distribution of a Toxic Microcystis Bloom on the Small Scale Patchiness of Zooplankton. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of the Distribution of a Toxic Microcystis Bloom on the Small Scale Patchiness of Zooplankton. |
| title_short | Effects of the Distribution of a Toxic Microcystis Bloom on the Small Scale Patchiness of Zooplankton. |
| title_sort | effects of the distribution of a toxic microcystis bloom on the small scale patchiness of zooplankton |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3686710?pdf=render |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT elkesreichwaldt effectsofthedistributionofatoxicmicrocystisbloomonthesmallscalepatchinessofzooplankton AT haihongsong effectsofthedistributionofatoxicmicrocystisbloomonthesmallscalepatchinessofzooplankton AT anasghadouani effectsofthedistributionofatoxicmicrocystisbloomonthesmallscalepatchinessofzooplankton |